Dec 31, 2013

Mystery Man (Dream Man, #1) by Kristen Ashley

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My rating: 3 stars

Book summary:

"Gwendolyn Kidd has met the man of her dreams. He's hot, he's sexy, and what started as a no-names-exchanged night of passion has blossomed into a year and a half-long pleasure fest. Sure, it's a little strange that he only appears in her bed at night, but Gwen is so sure he's the one, she just can't turn him away...

Hawk Delgado knows more about Gwen than she could ever imagine. She's gorgeous, headstrong, and skittish about relationships. But Hawk is facing his own demons, demons that keep him from connecting with anyone. Yet when Gwen is drawn into Denver's lethal underground scene, Hawk's protective nature comes out full force. The problem is, when Gwen gets a dose of Hawk's Alpha attitude in the daylight, she's not so sure he's the one anymore...."
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333485-mystery-man

      I caught KA bug! This is not my first Kristen Ashley book, I read Chaos books and I enjoyed them very much, two years ago I gave up on Rock Chick because I couldn't get into it. Now I'm on one of her "classical" reads - Dream Man series and, boy, it is so easy to get addicted to her alpha men.

      The story. First of all, this is one long book. I forgot how it is to read one of those. I started to avoid everything that has over 300 pages - they are repetitive, full of too much descriptions and with extra long epilogues. I lose my interest quickly. I won't lie to you and tell that Mystery Man doesn't have moments like that because it has - few chapters could have been shorter, some parts were unnecessary and what bugged me the most were descriptions of everything Gwen decided to wear (it is quite obvious that Kristen Ashley has a shoes-fetish). That reminded me why I gave up on Rock Chick novels. On the plus side is the storyline. That is where Mystery Man is similar to Chaos series and to everything I loved about it. It was fun, I couldn't stop reading and I finished it really fast.

      Alpha men. Yes, I am like any other female reader when it comes to this - my ovaries take over any rational thoughts. And you get triple treat - Hawk, Mitch and Tuck. It's like you just walk into the middle of territory war between three wolf packs. But then they shift their focus on you. Oh, boy... Okay, I admit, it is cliche premise that borders with modern fairy tale. I am well aware of that and still, I enjoyed reading about three dominant and loving bastards all the same. What I did find a little bit lacking is the fact that there is almost no difference in their characterization - they act the same way, they talk the same way, they claim the woman  using identical moves.

      Annoying heroine/princess of the story. The absolute worst part for me was Gwen. She does not act like grown woman, she is spoiled, obnoxious brat with a very short attention span. She is immature and ultimate drama queen. I do not like her.

      Final judgement? Mystery Man won't be my last KA novel, but it is not my favorite either. I believe that Kristen Ashley got much better in writing with every upcoming book after this one. I am looking forward to meeting all of her yummy men.

xoxo,

Dec 30, 2013

Release Day Blitz - Natral Harmony by Kate Roth



BOOK SUMMARY:


"Suddenly named the acting president of her uncle’s record label, former pop princess Sabrina Walker is finally ready to grow up. While her professional life moves forward, she still clings to the last fragment of her past life in the form of an uncertain relationship with her manager, Beau.
When Sabrina hires handsome, young assistant, Wade Lawson, he awakens in her the hidden confidence she’s always desired. What starts as a casual affair quickly intensifies to something much more.
Sabrina must decide—return to the familiar life of an insecure one-hit-wonder, or embrace Wade and the woman his passion has helped reveal.


Natural Harmony is a stand-alone contemporary romance novel for readers 18+ and is the first in the Confession Records collection."

BUY LINKS:
Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Createspace

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NATURAL HARMONY EXCERPT

"Sabrina’s eyes flew open and she quickly found the clock with her sleepy stare. She shot up in bed, holding the luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets up to cover her bare breasts. Her hand yanked through the tangles of her deep brunette waves as she realized she’d overslept. “Shit,” she breathed before bracing herself for the chill her naked body would feel as she left the comfort of the California King.
            Near the bedroom door she found her clothes, where she had slipped them off the night before to form a fabric puddle on the floor. Her eyes flicked back to the bed when she heard him grumble. She clasped her hot pink bra and zipped up the black pencil skirt she had shimmied into. An exasperated sigh rolled out of her and she sent out a tiny prayer that no one in the office would notice her wearing the same clothes two days in a row. A walk of shame was one thing, but strolling back in to work in a rumpled version of yesterday’s pristine outfit was a low she never thought she would sink to.
            “What’s wrong?” he moaned from inside the mess of blankets and sheets she’d just left. Sabrina took in the sight of him as he sat up and met her gaze. The tanned skin of his defined chest was enough to make her quiver, but the grin he let settle on his lips when he saw her in nothing but her bra and skirt would’ve been the death of her had she not been so rattled by the clock.
            “I’m gonna be late,” she replied. She found her V-neck sweater and smoothed it out as best she could. Looking in the mirror above his dresser, she wiped at the flecks of day-old mascara under her eyes and tried to perk up her cheeks with a few pinches. Through the mirror she could see him sitting in bed behind her. He ran a hand over his short-cropped salt-and-pepper hair and his grin turned into an arrogant smirk.
            “I think the office can survive the morning without the one-hit wonder. Now get that beautiful ass back in my bed,” he said. Sabrina stopped and caught her own eyes in the mirror for a moment. How had he become so good at backhanding her with ancient history all while thrilling her with sideways compliments?
            “I have a meeting with Charles. It’s important.” Her gut fluttered as she pulled her shirt over her head. It was half hangover and half unresolved guilt for not bending to him. He stood up, stretching his arms above his head, and she cursed herself for watching the muscles in his stomach twitch before letting her eyes linger south. He moved to her smoothly and wrapped his arms around her from behind, looking at her through the mirror while pushing his morning erection against the fabric of her skirt. He smelled like sex and cologne and Sabrina hated how badly those two things made her want him.
            “Why don’t you just come work for me?” he asked, placing a kiss on the curve of her neck. That would go over well, she thought sardonically.
            “I like my job, Beau. It’s not like I’m a secretary or something. I’m head of A and R …” Her voice disintegrated into midair as his kisses trickled down her neck and he began pawing at her sweater, coaxing her to take it off again. Her head swam as Beau’s strong hands slid under her shirt and smoothed over the skin of her abdomen and up to her breasts. A moan was waiting at the back of her throat. All she had to do was let go and submit to him.
            Sabrina took a deep breath and stepped toward the dresser, pulling away from Beau. She spun, still barely in his grasp, and looked into his liquid copper eyes. He grinned and stopped his advances.
            “I know you’re not a secretary, kid. You’re impressive and that’s why you should be working with me. You know enough about the business to easily transition into management,” he said, slowly drawing her near with his fingertips on her hips. Sabrina let her feet close the space between them. She looked up at him through her dark lashes and felt, as she often did under the weight of his stare, like a teenager. His proposal came as a shock to her. It had been years since he sounded that supportive of her. She couldn’t remember the last time he paid her a compliment that didn’t have to do with her body or how she used it.
            “You mean that?” she asked, letting her hands settle on the ridges of his hard stomach. She loved the way her skin contrasted his. He had a naturally dark complexion—she was pretty sure he once said his mother’s parents were Greek—but spending a decent amount of vacation time in Maui was what kept him perfectly bronzed all year long.
            His mouth lifted on one corner and his brows knit neatly together. Her eyes scanned his face for some sort of clue. She’d known him since she was seventeen years old but she still couldn’t read him. Maybe his offer was just a joke. Her stomach pitched and she looked at the clock again. Now she was really going to be late.
            “Of course I mean it, kid. Go to your meeting and tell Uncle Charlie you’re moving on.” His voice was so smooth and confident. Her heart was pounding in her chest at the idea of working closely with Beau. Was this his version of commitment? Before her mind got any more wrapped up in the details his lips were pressed against hers roughly, melting away all of her thoughts. His tongue brushed against hers and she felt the butterflies in her stomach that had never gone away since the day she met him. Beau disconnected from the heart-stopping kiss easily and made his way to the adjoining bathroom.
            Sabrina stood with her eyes shut for a moment, replaying his words in her head, willing herself to take him seriously and, more importantly, to accept his proposition. The sound of the shower woke her from her trance and she took one last look in the mirror. Good enough, she thought. She popped her head in the bathroom and grinned at the sight of his naked body behind the clear glass that had started to fog.
            “Should I call you later?” she asked.
            “Uh, yeah. If you want. I have a bunch of work to catch up on so…”
            A wince flashed across her face at what she’d been expecting all along. The chill. She swallowed hard and told herself not to care, but it was too difficult. He always found a way to stifle whatever feeling he helped to bloom. It was the story of her life, in fact. Once upon a time, he’d been the one to help her flourish but it seemed like he’d spent the last ten years finding little ways to crush her.
            “Okay,” she said, trying to hide the shaking in her voice. “I’ll see ya when I see ya.” She tried like hell to sound easygoing but she just ended up feeling like an idiot. Like the kid she knew he thought she was. Still.
            “Yeah, see ya, Sabra,” he shouted over the water.
            A shudder rolled through her and she wanted to blame it on the hangover.
            “That’s not my name,” she muttered as she walked out of the bathroom."


 ABOUT KATE ROTH


      Inspired by music, film, art and the wealth of stories she has heard through her career as a professional hair stylist, Kate Roth has been dreaming up love stories since junior high.
Kate’s first two novels, new adult romance The Low Notes and new adult paranormal romance Reckless Radiance were released by Rebel Ink Press in May of 2012 and September of 2013. Natural Harmony is her third novel and her first venture into independent publishing. She is hard at work on the next two novels in the Confession Records collection, as well as her first erotic romance, Last Resort. She is a small business owner and lives in Indiana with her husband, Adam and their dog, Sampson.

Dec 29, 2013

Take Me On (Ross Siblings, #4) by Cherrie Lynn

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Author's Page:

Genre:
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Summary on Goodreads:

The consequences of a moment can last a lifetime.

Gabriella Ross suffered every bride’s worst nightmare: a no-show groom. Now summer stretches before her with nowhere to go but home, at least until it’s time to go back to medical school.

Determined to prove she might be down but definitely not out, she chucks all her old plans in favor of having a good time—starting with giving herself a pair of wings. Tattooed wings, that is, in the form of aphoenix on her back.

When everyone else at Dermamania chickens out at the prospect of putting the gorgeous, perfect skin of the boss’s big sister under the needle, Ian Rhodes finds himself stepping up. Then unexpectedly connecting with her through tears that have nothing to do with the pain of getting inked.

Attraction flares into one hot night that was supposed to stay that way—single, and secret. But best laid plans have a way of getting blown out of the water. Now two perfect strangers must plan for a very different future…beginning with whether there’s enough common ground to spend it together.

Rating:


***REVIEW***

"Are you o.k.?" he blurted, and though he wasn't talking about the pain of the needle, she would probably take it that way. "Fine."
"I guess what I mean is...why the phoenix?"
"I'm rising from the ashes."

drop dead gorgeous male protagonists from your wildest wet dreams, covered in tattoos, who know to play/ sing or have body piercings in the most interesting places, plus they excel in dirty talking- oh yessss, I was so ready for this book to leave me breathless and happy just like the last one -> Leave Me Breathless #3 REVIEW, even though I knew that it will be hard to top the awesomeness of that book, but I still kept my fingers crossed. 

Unfortunately, that kind of didn't happen. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad read, but after the last one which was amazing, this one IMO kind of felt flat in comparison. The book had potential- the beginning and the characters were interesting and the circumstances that brought them together. It was fun for a change to read  about older woman falling for a younger guy (she's 36, he's 28), even though I prefer it the other way around.

She'd had it all, her entire life mapped out with her usual meticulous precision. Successful husband. House in Highland Park. Successful career.
Kids as soon it was feasible. It was her life, and she was supposed to be living it right now. But fate, the fickle bitch, had dropped her into some fucking alternate universe.


Another good thing is that the book had a likable main female protagonist...well, most of the time. I like strong and brave woman who aren't afraid to speak their mind and take charge and Gabriella was one of those. She was "the aggressor" in their relationship which was another big plus, but she did kind of disappoint (read: infuriate me) me towards the ending. Ian was just like the rest of the main male characters- every second girl's wet dream if you like them mysterious & its-not-you-its-me type. I prefer more outgoing people, but then again- how not to love a guy with nipple rings *_*? Damn, I know I have to stop reading these books, because right now nipple rings and pierced pe*** are ranked pretty high on my list what I look for in a guy and I don't think I can ask a guy that...at least not on the 1st date, lol. Another thing that I liked apart nipple rings is that the characters from previous books also make appearance in this one (Brian, Candace, Ghost, Evan etc.), but the books can still be read as standalones. My biggest complain is that after them two met, everything felt rushed. Not a fan of insta-love relationship- period. If I were still in high school I would probably have loved it, but now it just felt too unrealistic. I know, I know- I suck at romance.

She wanted to give herself over. She didn't want to think about anything except him and what he was doing to her. His kiss pulled the breath from her lungs. His tongue quested for entrance, and she gave it. Just beneath the seductive flavor that was uniquely his, she tasted alcohol, and it intoxicated her as much as if she'd drunk it herself. But that was him, she knew, making her body feel light, making her feel as if she floated in the darkness. And then she was...

And yeah- a lot of steamy scenes. Maybe even too much. After awhile they kind of felt repetitive. I mean- same old missionary position all over again xD. IMO if you're going to write an erotic romance where sex scenes take around 50 % or even more of the book, be a little more imaginative and I know that Cherrie Lynn is more than imaginative in that department. 

All in all, the book was o.k., an easy & quick read with almost none drama, but the previous is still my favorite one and Ghost is still my No. 1 naughty boy . 

I know what you make me feel. I know how you make me feel.
At the same time, though...I can't put myself in a position to get hurt like that again. I mean, I lost everything. And it wasn't even mine.

XOXO

Dec 26, 2013

Sex. Love. Repeat. by Alessandra Torre


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My rating: 4 stars

Book summary:

"I love two men. I screw two men. I am in a relationship with them both, and they are both aware there is another. That is all they need to know, that is all I let them know. They don’t need to know a name; they don’t need to know anything but that they are not alone in my heart.

They have accepted the situation. Stewart, because his life is too busy for the sort of obligations that are required in a relationship. Paul, because he loves me too much to tell me no. And because my sexual appetite is such that one man has trouble keeping up.

So we exist, two parallel relationships, each running their own course, with no need for intersection or conflict. It works for us, for them, and for me. I don’t expect it to be a long-term situation. I know there is an expiration date on the easy perfection of our lives.

I should have paid more attention, should have looked around and noticed the woman who watched it all. She sat in the background and waited, tried to figure me out. Saw my two relationships, the love between us, and the moment that it all fell apart."
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18627715-sex-love-repeat

      What was that? It is pretty obvious that book which has word sex in the title is in fact about sex. Of course I will put in on my reading list and it is only logical that I read it as soon as I managed to get my hands on it. What was wow-moment is the tiny detail - this girl has two men in her bed. Her two beds... And they know about each other. What the...

      If that didn't make you want to read this book, there is something seriously wrong with you. Seriously. Alessandra Torre will keep you on the edge of your sanity with her writing. Who is that crazy stalker? How did Madison make her relationships work out? Why did they agree on that? Isn't he jealous? How? Oh my God, he did not just do that? In the public bathroom? Car? Will she stay with both of them? But she must love one of them more? Or not? What is going on????
     That is exactly what you will be thinking if you decide to pick up this book and read it. Please, read it! The biggest plus for me was that I could not even imagine how will Sex. Love. Repeat. finish. It was unpredictable until the last page.

     As you can see, I enjoyed reading this book very much, but it doesn't mean that there weren't few glitches. It is a hot, steamy book, but in the end Sex. Love. Repeat. is based on one of the ultimate female fantasy and being that, it has certain naive perspective (especially how everything ended) and at times it was too melodramatic. That wasn't a big issue for me, because I wasn't expecting anything different than what Alessandra Torre gave us.


xoxo,

 ***Copy of this book provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
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