Jun 30, 2014

Six Brothers (Gypsy Brothers, #2) by Lili St. Germain

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Genre:
New Adult

Summary on Goodreads:

I have lied.

I have cheated.

I have given my body and my life to the man who destroyed my family and left me for dead.

I have killed, I have sinned, and worst of all, I have enjoyed the misery of others.

I have licked the salty tears of a father mourning his firstborn son, and nothing has ever tasted so sweet.

I have died, and I have been resurrected, a phoenix from the ashes.

I know I’m going to hell. I’ll burn in the fiery pits alongside Dornan and his sons for the things I’ve done, and for the things I’m about to do.

But I don’t care. It will be worth every lick of the devils flames on my guilty flesh to destroy Dornan Ross.

One down, six to go.

RATING:


***REVIEW***

"Some people would call me a whore. A girl who sold her soul to the devil.
Who let him inside her, with no remorse.
Who danced with the monster who destroyed everything.
To those people, I say only this:
I didn't have to sell Dornan Ross my soul. He already owned it.
And once I've killed him, maybe I can get it back."


I saw a lot of potential in this series after I read the 1st book- Seven Sons (Gypsy Brothers, #1), even though I had my doubts about the direction of the story, because after the 1st one I was aware that the author isn't afraid to take risks and take the story in directions some readers won't be comfortable with, including me, BUT my worries were unnecessary. Damn, what a story! This installation won me over completely!

The story picks up after the ending of the first one and continues in its dark, gripping, twisted, edgy & deeply emotional tone. Julie a.k.a Sammie is at it again. She had her first dose of revenge and now she is high on victory and determined more than ever to draw the last drop of blood from the Dornan Ross's family, even if the price is what's left of her broken soul. Playing Dornan's little submissive puppet and pretending to enjoy his sick games is getting harder and more dangerous with every next day. She is starting to lose herself in her character of Sammie, the only wake-up call being her once true love Jase, but she's not willing to give up her chosen path of destruction, not even for him.

And for the record- I'm totally with her on that. You can't go through something like that and pretend that nothing happened. Yes, I questioned her sanity more than once after the things she did in order to get what she wanted and I'm still not happy with the plan she made, but on the other hand I also liked it, because it made the story more unique and unpredictable. And what about Jase? How could he stay there after everything that happened? I'm still conflicted about him. Sometimes I even think that she should have stayed with Elliot, but then again, not even he was strong enough to deal with the shit she went through. At the end of the day she is all on her own, with no one to lean on except herself, so she should be her No.1 priority.

The ending was...priceless!!!


Lily St. Germain, respect! You got yourself a new fan. I highly recommend this book to the fans of the show Revenge and fans of dark reads in general ;).

"Today, I'll give my blood for him, and one day soon, he'll give his blood for me."

xoxo

Jun 29, 2014

Honor Bound (Knights of the Board Room, #3) by Joey W. Hill





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Book summary:

Bestselling author Joey W. Hill reveals the erotic bond between a Master and the beautiful submissive who stole his heart. Recapturing their night of unparalleled passion won’t be easy—but love won’t be denied…

Peter Winston is a successful business man and a captain in the National Guard. On the night before his second tour in Afghanistan, he and his partners at Kensington & Associates head out to enjoy an upscale BDSM club. While the evening begins with laughter and whiskey, it takes a sharp turn when Peter, a sexual Dominant, sets his eyes on a beautiful masked submissive…

Army Sergeant Dana Smith doesn’t often seek the shelter of a man, but being Peter’s gives her a welcome sense of sanctuary. What begins as a night of fantastic pleasure becomes something they hope will never end. But duty calls, and it will be over a year before they can see each other again. And when they do, things have drastically changed.

Severely injured in the line of duty, Dana has lost her sight and her will to live. But Peter doesn’t accept defeat in business, battle or love. With the talents of the other K&A males, he’ll set the stage for another special night for them, knowing that only a submissive’s willingness to trust her Master will bring her back to love and life again.

Honor Bound previously appeared in Laced With Desire.

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My rating: ✮✮✮½


My review:

Book three is about Peter Winston finding his one and only Dana Smith.

I tend to say about these knights that when they fall, they fall hard, and it was no different for Peter. In his case, one night was enough for him to realize he couldn't let Dana just go. The verdict was in pretty quickly: he had to make Dana his. It was simple as that. Problem was the night he spent playing with her in the club was just before he left for another tour in Afghanistan. Luckily for Peter, he had great friends who were willing to dig around and find out who the enchanting sub was.

It turned out she was being sent away on duty as well, but not before Peter made her promise to give him a fair shot after they were both back.

As much as Dana thought chances were slim at best they would be together upon their return, getting his letters always brightened her day... until the terrible accident that cost her her sight, most of her hearing, scarred her, and made her lose the will to live.

That is how Peter found her after his tour ended.

Convincing Dana he still wanted her, convincing her to let him help her, and ultimately convincing her they were meant for each other proved to be quite a task. But, honestly, with Peter and the other K&A men, she never really stood a chance.

This one was rather different from the previous books -- it was definitely much sadder, but that's wasn't all. In books 1 and 2, Matt and Lucas were on a mission to show Savannah and Cass they were natural submissives, submissives they loved. Dana was already well aware of her sexual nature. The mission at hand here was convincing that stubborn woman, who didn't want to feel like anyone's burden, who hated being helpless, that she was not any of that, but a desirable young woman who could be whatever she set her mind to, and for her to accept Peter as her Master.

Three days for that mission was all the K&A men needed.

These glimpses we get in each book about their friendship, and how it works, the code they follow, is something that fascinates me. I loved having another opportunity seeing them in team action. And another thing this book made me was to really look forward to Ben's book. Really look forward to it.


XOXO
 

Jun 27, 2014

Embracing My Submission (The Doms of Genesis, #1) by Jenna Jacob





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Book summary:

Haunted for years by dreams of a savage, amber eyed Dominant with lips so enticing my soul ached in frustration and lust. None of the Dominants at Genesis, my local BDSM club ever stirred me in such blistering ways. While I tried to fill my submissive desires vicariously through interactions at the club, I attempted to convince myself it was enough. But it wasn’t. My dream Dom made certain I hungered for more.

Forced beyond what I could bear, my passion and frustration exploded. I threw in the towel, determined to stop chasing a dream and gave up completely on finding submissive surrender. But fate intervened when two gunshots split the night. Forced to confront my desires and insecurities, I was shocked to realize that my dreams may have held a deeper meaning. Were they compelling me to finally embrace my submission?

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My rating: ✮✮✮✮


My review:

This book was a really pleasant surprise.

I came across it by accident, and what made me decide to read it was that I needed a BDSM-themed book which had a title beginning with the letter E. Given my reasons for reading it weren't much, neither were my expectations. Then I started reading, and very soon I realized this would be a book I would enjoy. Thankfully, I was right!

The book is entirely written from the heroine's perspective. There had been several times when that sentence meant the book went on my nerves, but this was not one of those times. Luckily for me, I really liked Julianna. She was sweet, and fun. I don't think I've ever read about a submissive that stubborn and hotheaded. She really was something else, and I loved it. Granted, she did have a few pity parties, but let's face it - who hasn't? And to be fair, she had some valid reasons.

Julianna was a submissive without a Dom, something that haunted her because she wanted nothing more but to find a good Dom who would claim her as his own. She had a past bad experience, which did not manage to turn her away from the lifestyle, and now she was under the protection of a Dom from a BDSM club she was a member of who was her mentor.

I really liked Drake and his sub Trevor. There was just something about them, and their entire interaction that made me feel very comfortable reading about their world, and very much enjoying it. It was funny that every time someone called Drake Daddy, I would immediately remember Nora saying: "Don't judge!" (Nora is not a character from this book, but from The Original Sinners series.)

As I was saying, Julianna longed for a Dom, so when one piqued her interest, Drake arranged for them to meet, but that ended badly. However, something good came out of it - Julianna finally met the man that haunted her dreams.

The dreams were a part I found a bit odd, but I loved everything else, so I accepted this, too.

Julianna and Mika were meant to be, but them getting to the point where they could finally accept that wasn't exactly easy -- Mika was still grieving, and Julianna was stubborn, and had decided to give up submission -- but I loved every step in their journey. It was emotional, it was hot, it was even fun.

“Who am I?”
“Why, you’re the great and powerful Oz, Master.”

I'm making it official: Julianna is one of my favorite subs I've read about!

This was the kind of BDSM I'd like to read more about. I believe the book said the author was quite experienced in the lifestyle, and that showed. Hopefully, I'll find the time to read the other books in the series soon, and if I'm very lucky find more books like this.


XOXO
 

Jun 25, 2014

Controlled Response (Knights of the Board Room, #2) by Joey W. Hill





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Book summary:

Bestselling author Joey W. Hill presents a tale of two strangers united by an unbound passion from their dreams. But what will hold them together once the fantasy ends?

Lucas Adler has recently realized he wants more from a relationship than just fantastic sex. But while on a cycling trip through the Berkshires, he encounters a beautiful blonde in the woods. Dressed in only white silk panties and a matching corset, she's stretched out on the back of a motorcycle and revving her engine--just not the one on the bike. Although he wonders if he can have the fantasy and the reality, Lucas is certain of one thing. He wants her...

Cassandra Moira wants to relax. Things are crazy back home, and the deal she just tied down has unraveled. So when an opportunity comes along to hop on a motorcycle and take in some scenery, Cass takes it. Stopping to rest and reflect, she remembers the weak men she's dealt with in her life. So she closes her eyes and imagines a man who can take charge. A man, who with the blink of an eye, is right in front of her...

After their encounter, Cass enters Lucas's life again. This time, she's part of a negotiating team on a three-day business deal. She's also not about to let any man control her. Now Lucas must use every strategy he knows to prove his love before she's gone from his life again.

"Controlled Response" previously appeared in "Unlaced."

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My rating: ✮✮✮✮


My review:

In Controlled Response, another Knight was hit by Cupid's arrow: Lucas Adler, CFO of Kensington & Associates, and, as we learned from Board Resolution, the Knight of the Board Room with a mouth well-versed in giving women pleasure.

Lucas was ready for more. Seeing how Savannah and Matt were happy in their marriage, had made Lucas want something more serious and meaningful for himself.

And sure enough, he found it in a most unusual place. In a most unusual position. One thing's for sure -- I will never listen to Hot Blooded the same way again.

Even a month after that brief encounter, Lucas couldn't get that mysterious woman out of his head, so when she walked in their board room, it was time to make sure she became his.
It was time for the Knights to join their forces again, and work their magic on yet another woman.

„The strongest women in the world have the hardest time surrendering. They don't realize when they do it with the right man, the one who cherishes them, it's the most beautiful gift she could ever give him. Her trust. Trust me, Cass, and do as I say.“

Yes, Cass, do as he says!

Besides the romance, it was nice reading about the men together in a more relaxed situation and about them teasing each other. You gotta love the banter between them. But most of all, to see the loyalty and friendship they share. After all, they aren't known as Knights of the Board Room for nothing.

Lucas really did remind me a lot of a knight in shining armor coming to the rescue of the damsel in distress, whether she wanted him to or not. Cassandra, the damsel, was a strong, smart, successful woman, who had dedicated her life to her family, but still she seemed in a need of rescuing.

„Life sucks sometimes, and you need someone who can stand with you. Everyone needs that.“

Now, I'm not a big fan of these couples that after only a few days together start professing their undying love, because I just find it unrealistic, but Lucas made me believe him. Well, he didn't profess his undying love, but he was very determined to make Cassandra his in only two days, and make her make him a part of her life. Even with that previous encounter, everything seemed to be happening very fast, but I guess when you know, you know. Isn't that right, Lucas?


XOXO
 

Jun 23, 2014

Play With Me (Pleasure Playground, #1) by Eliza Gayle





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Book summary:

Eve’s desperate denial only means one thing…she has a lot to learn.

As the receptionist at Altered Ego, the hottest fetish photography studio in the country, Eve Blake has seen what goes on behind closed doors. And she wants in, no matter what it takes. When a custom order comes up for a plus-sized red head, she volunteers for the job. Maybe pretending to be a sexual slave for Chase’s camera will finally get her noticed by the two men she thinks will understand even her darkest cravings.

Chase can’t believe he and Murphy agreed to this deal. Eve is their employee and they learned the hard way not to mix business with pleasure, no matter how sexy she is. Now Eve wants to play in a game she thinks is pretend and he can't stop thinking of their rope against her creamy flesh. But once they start, there's no turning back. They'll have to have her.


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My rating: ✮✮✮

My review:

I've only read one other book by Eliza Gayle. It was the first part in the Purgatory series Roped, and this one reminded me of it quite a bit. Maybe it was because I've read Roped relatively recently, so it's still fresh in my mind, but when I started reading Play With Me, I thought that perhaps I was reading about the same characters from Roped, so much so that I went back to it to check the characters' names to see if they were the same. And, no, these were new characters in a new setting that just appeared a lot like the one in Roped. Still, to me this is like a extended version of Roped, which is perfectly fine with me, since I liked it as well.

Eve, the heroine, had the same appearance as Katie, and just like Katie she was very interested in the works of two Dominants that have a way with rope, because both Katie and Eve are very much into bondage. You could say the rope calls to them on a very deep level. But, both those women were rather hesitant in their pursuit of the Doms in their lives that could give them what they crave. Katie's history was left untold in Roped, since it was very short, but Eve's complicated life was revealed, and we got to see why it was so hard for her to let go of control, and why she needed to be restrained as much as she did.

Eve had been working for Chase and Murphy in their studio for a while, and all that time she admired their work fantasizing about being their model, so when the opportunity presented itself to be just that, she jumped at it. Thus began her journey of discovering her submissive side through very special and titillating photo sessions. Oh, and did I mention she also had the hots for both Chase and Murphy? 'Cause she did, which made the sessions much more enjoyable, especially when they made her feel beautiful and desired when she had doubts about them finding her body attractive. Kind of makes you wish for two lovely Doms of your own.

Like Leo and Quinn in Roped, Chase and Murphy worked together, lived together, and often played with subs together. There were parts from their point of views, too (although, mostly Chase's), so we got to see what was in their hearts and minds, and that no matter what Eve thought about their opinion about her, they were far from indifferent towards her. The problem was that the last time they took on a submissive together, they had some serious problems, which Chase was trying to avoid repeating at all cost.
You might say that while they were trying to get Eve to embrace her wants and needs, she did the same for them.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read. Although I usually prefer my books a bit darker and heavier on the kink, I still liked it, and I'm sure anyone who likes their books with light BDSM, will like it, too. 

P.S. If you're interested in the short story Roped, it's free on Amazon and Kobo, and it's a really nice story.


XOXO
 

Jun 21, 2014

The Wild Side (The Wild Side, #1) by R. K. Lilley

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Genre:
Contemporary Romance/ Erotica

Summary on Goodreads:

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE A WALK? 

Alasdair Masters is in a rut. He just hit forty, has been nearly celibate for the past year, and his life has turned into a daily sequence of lonely patterns that revolve around avoiding human contact. 

His tidy life is turned on its head when a hot young blonde at the gym that’s been pseudo-stalking him decides to rock his world. A very young blonde. Way, way too young for him. The problem is, he can’t seem to tell her no, and she just keeps coming back for more. 

It doesn’t help that he’s ninety percent sure she’s a criminal, and still, he can’t seem to turn her down. What is a dull introvert to do when a chaotic cyclone that oozes sexuality comes twisting into his life?

RATING:


***REVIEW***

"So if that dress was supposed to seduce me, what is that getup
you're wearing supposed to do?"
"Make you lose every ounce of good sense you ever had,
and take a walk on the wild side. Is it working?"


So, I read The Fault In Our Stars the other day, because I wanted to read the book before I see the movie. It's little to say that I was floored, awed, depressed & numb for a couple of days with no desire to read at all. Then I decided that the best way to erase those depressing thoughts out of my head would be with something kinky- I know, I know, my logic is deep, lol, but I made my peace with it long ago. In the meantime, I saw this book on GR a couple of times and read some praising reviews, read the blurb: older dude ft. young blond with big tits and decided that this should be kinky enough , right ;)?

She was young.
I was old. 
She was wild. I was tame.
What on earth were we doing here? 


And it was. The main character of the book is a hot & famous 40 year old writer Alasdair Masters who just got out from a bad divorce and is trying to get his life back on track. What's special about him except his sexy name? Well, the first thing I noticed about him right in the first couple of pages is that he isn't your typical erotic/ romance hero. Male characters are usually described as the ultimate alpha males: strong, possessive, dominant & cocky and at the beginning of the story Alasdair was nothing like that. On the contrary he seemed insecure, introvert and totally oblivious to his appeal and from time to time he...wait for it... he blushed! O.O 

A good-looking and rich 40 year old acting like an insecure 15 year old girl??? I must admit, I have yet to meet that type of guy, BUT there's an important and justifying reason behind that which we find out later in the story, even though much later. It was refreshing to read about that type of male hero for a change, but still, his insecurities and naivety were also from time to time annoying. Just like in real life, I prefer my male heros to be strong persons, not like "caveman syndrome" strong, but he should be confident enough, and you especially expect that from a 40 year old guy who had enough time to develop as a person and figure out what he wants from life. 


But wait, there's a solution for his little problem and it comes in form of a hot, young, mysterious blond called Iris who enters his life and turns it upside down. She is every man's wet dream, everybody wants her, but she has her eyes only for Alasdair and she isn't ashamed to get down and dirty to get his attention.

I knew I should have been more troubled by this,
because she presented herself as a wild thing, 
and chaos and pragmatism weren't an easy alliance.
Not without motive.

Iris does everything to get under his skin and his bed, but who is she really and where does she come from and what's most important what does a girl like her really want from Alasdair? Read the book and find out. She was a fun character to read about, even though we find out little about her backgorund. She was "the predator" in their relationship and I loved how she made Alasdair blush with all the naughty proposals. The story was scorching hot and there were a lot of sex scenes. If I were to rate it only as erotica I would have probably given it 3.5-4 stars, but for the actual story, hm...probably around 2.5 stars, so 3 shaky & steamy stars sums it up. Let's face it, it was doomed right from the beginning, because how can anything be good after TFIOS, but it definitely help me "heal" ;). 

"I'm  still way too old for you."
"Your cock doesn't agree."  Her tone was so innocent that 
it took me a moment to process what she'd said.
I flushed bright red. "My cock doesn't know what's good for it."
"But I do."

All in all, it was a fun read. This will be a series and there was a cliffhanger at the end of the book, but a type of cliffhanger I could live with. I would recommend it to erotica lovers and readers who would like an easy and relaxing read mixed with a little kink.

XOXO

Jun 20, 2014

Board Resolution (Knights of the Board Room, #1) by Joey W. Hill






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Book summary:

Savannah was groomed from birth to take the reins of her father’s manufacturing empire. Her emotional armor is as tough as the steel used in her factories, and nobody is allowed past it. Business partner Matt realizes that the key to entry is to command her submission. Calling on the unique sensual talents of his four-man management team, he engineers an aggressive and erotic takeover, determined to rescue the woman he loves from the steel cage she’s manufactured around her heart. Masked and lost to the sensations the team arouses in her, Savannah is theirs, at least for this one night.

Publisher’s Note: Originally published in the Behind the Mask anthology.


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My rating: ✮✮✮✮

My review:

The first time I read this book last year, I didn't like it very much. I don't know why, it just didn't sit well with me. Now, since I've decided to finally continue with this series, I wanted to meet the knights again, and give this particular knight another chance.

After reading Board Resolution the second time, all I can say is that my previous thoughts about it were only due to bad timing, because this time I really, really liked it.

“You want me with a hunger so bad you’ll tear my flesh off my bones to crawl inside me. I know it, have known it for months, and so have you.”

I believe what bothered me on my first read was that I felt that everything Matt did to Savannah was a bit too much to take all at once. Yes, I know she never put a definite stop to it, but still... It kind of made me uncomfortable.

This time, it was like I was reading a completely different book with completely different characters. Everything that happened, everything Matt did seemed necessary and really the only way to break that armor Savannah had been carrying around her heart almost her entire existence. I admit, I thought it was hot and kind of romantic. Those little glimpses of their past were extremely romantic and sweet.

“That was to remind you that someday, you might need someone else to carry the load for a while. And you can trust me to get you where you need to go, no matter how steep the hill is. Up or down.”

You see what I'm talking about? Beautiful. Savannah is one lucky lady. And she deserves it, deserves someone like him.

God, I must have been a blind idiot the first time I read it.

Now I can't wait to meet the other knights more personally. Lucas, Jon, Peter, Big Ben, I'm looking at you.

description
 


XOXO
 

Jun 17, 2014

Dirty Angels (Dirty Angels, #1) by Karina Halle







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Book summary:

**warning: this book contains situations which might be triggers for some people. Please see the bottom of this description to see if this is the kind of book that you'll love or piss you off**

For Luisa Chavez, a twenty-three year old former beauty queen, a better life has always been just out of her reach. Sure, she’s had men at her feet since she was a young teenager but she’s never had the one thing she’s craved – security. Having grown up in near poverty, her waitressing job in Cabo San Lucas can barely let her take care of herself, let alone her ailing parents. Every day is another unwanted advance, every day is a struggle to survive.

When Salvador Reyes, the depraved leader of a major Mexican cartel, takes an interest in her, Luisa is presented with an opportunity she can’t afford to pass up. She’ll become Salvador’s wife and exchange her freedom and body for a life of riches – riches she can bestow upon her deserving parents. But Luisa quickly finds out that even the finest wines and jewels can’t undo the ugliness in her marriage, nor the never-ending violence that threatens her every move.

Soon, Luisa is looking for an escape, a way out of the carefully controlled life she’s leading. She finally gets her wish in the worst way possible.

As it is, being the wife of Salvador makes her an ideal target for rival cartels and there’s one particular man who needs Luisa as part of his cartel’s expansion. One particular man whose quest for power has destroyed lives, slit throats and gotten him out of an American prison. One particular man who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.

That man is Javier Bernal. And he wants Luisa. He wants to take her, keep her, ruin her.

Unless she ruins him first.

***WARNING*** This book deals with drug cartels and as such it contains a lot of sex and violence and some violent sex. It can get pretty ugly, pretty dark and pretty crazy. There is drug use, abuse, a bit of torture and dubious consent. The hero is not a hero and the villains...well, they're even worse. If this sort of thing bothers you, PLEASE DO NOT READ IT. This ain't no cupcake farting unicorn kind of book. If you are even a bit squeamish about violence, brutality and rape, this is your warning to stay away from a book that you certainly will not like (and why read books that you know you won't like?)***

***While this is a spin-off of The Artists Trilogy, prior knowledge of the books is not needed. DIRTY ANGELS is the first in a trilogy, however each book can standalone and follows or introduces different characters***


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My rating:✮✮✮✮✮

My review:

Then there were his eyes, that stark, golden gaze that cut you from the inside out. You couldn’t help but get sucked into them, swirling into whatever darkness lurked below. They were relentless, terrifying, and oddly beautiful, just like the man himself.

Yes, Javier is back!!!


To say I was looking forward to reading another book with Javier Bernal as one of the main characters would be an understatement. To say I was a little worried about the direction his character would take after the dreadful events in Bold Tricks would be the truth. Finally, after finishing Dirty Angels, to say I regret dropping everything else to read it would be a lie, because I absolutely loved it! This was the Javier I loved reading about, this was the Javier I found so fascinating. This was the real Javier Bernal.

I found Dirty Angels to be the perfect book for those, such as myself, who thought Bold Tricks did an injustice to this character. Once again this ruthless druglord, operating under his own moral code, and always plotting to get ahead, who always kept his promises, cast his spell on me and made me like him even more. Not sure what that says about me, so I'm not going to dwell on it.

Javier was back, powerful again, and looking to gain even more power by kidnapping the wife of his main competitor, and using her to blackmail him. However, Luisa Reyes turned out to be nothing like he expected. Instead she became a woman who got under his skin, and even though he wouldn't admit it, into his heart -- something he thought impossible after what happened with Ellie. I must say, I loved all the references to Javier's past with Ellie: the tattoo, the clothes, all of it. What I loved most was to get at least a little of Javier's side of that story because in Dirty Angels I got what I longed for: Javier's POV. And seeing Luisa slowly breaking through his walls and getting to the man inside was priceless.
Even with everything that I was, she didn’t want to change me, she didn’t want to save me. Perhaps it was because I was so beyond saving. Either way, she saw who I was and all my filth and she wanted to roll around in it with me.
She had become my equal.

Luisa was a tough woman, and a great female lead. Over and over again I found myself admiring that woman's strength and spirit. Nothing could break her: not poverty, her parents' disabilities, advances of her sleazy boss, not her abusive husband, and not Javier Bernal. She was in all sense a perfect match for Javier. As much as I felt bad for him when Ellie broke his heart -- twice (which to be fair he broke hers, too) -- she was not the right girl for him. She was too weak to be by his side in the life he led, but Luisa -- perfect. Watching them making tiny steps towards realizing that themselves made for a very interesting read.

Of course, when you have Karina Halle and drug cartels, you get a lot of action in your book involving guns, knives, torture, raids, and helicopters, and some nerve-wrecking moments. My heart is still beating fast from that last part. However, after all the warnings in the blurb, I expected something even darker. I believe that it was the fact that Luisa's kidnapper was Javier that I felt more comfortable reading this than I would have had it been someone unknown. Javier may be a bad man, but he's not a monster.

Five stars from me, because, after all, he is Javier Bernal.

 

XOXO
 

Jun 16, 2014

Dirty by Megan Hart





 
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Book summary:

This is what happened…

I met him at the candy store.

He turned and smiled at me and I was surprised enough to smile back. This was not a children’s candy store, mind you–this was the kind of place you went to buy expensive imported chocolate truffles for your boss’s wife because you felt guilty for having sex with him when you were both at a conference in Milwaukee.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

I’ve been hit on plenty of times, mostly by men with little finesse who thought what was between their legs made up for what they lacked between their ears.

Sometimes I went home with them anyway, just because it felt good to want and be wanted, even if it was mostly fake.

The problem with wanting is that it’s like pouring water into a vase full of stones. It fills you up before you know it, leaving no room for anything else. I don’t apologize for who I am or what I’ve done in–or out–of bed.

I have my job, my house and my life, and for a long time I haven’t wanted anything else.

Until Dan. Until now.


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 My rating: ✮✮✮✮✮


My review:
“What are you, Elle? Are you a ghost? Are you an angel or a demon? Because you can’t be real.”

Dirty was the second book by Megan Hart I read, and the one that made me want to read all of them. It is also the book I usually suggest when asked which book to choose as one's first book by this author.
I wish I had read Dirty before I read Broken. Elle and Dan appear in it, too. I did find it odd that so much attention was put on Elle in Broken. I couldn't figure out why that was. Not until I saw the names of the main characters in this book. So basically I went into Dirty knowing the ending of their story. I think I would've enjoyed it more if I hadn't read Broken first, but I definitely loved it.

Elle to me was such a tragic character. In Broken I kept wondering what had happened to her in the past that made that way, that she was her own obstacle to happiness, that she couldn't be comfortable when people were nice to her. I knew her mother was a big problem. She only appeared briefly in Broken, but it was more than enough. Unfortunately, there was a lot more of her in Dirty. Unfortunately... That woman... Agh, I have nothing nice to say about her, so for the sake of my nerves, I will say nothing.

Her mother wasn't the only person who scarred her for life. No... There were more. Most of them had lived in her family house. And all of them shaped the person she was when she met Dan.

She met him at the candy store. Then she met him at a bar. After that, they saw each other regularly. How they met - it was a perfect start of a romance, but in Elle's life there was no romance, nor she wanted it. God, Elle drove me crazy... I wanted to slap her and I wanted to hug her for all she felt when she was with Dan. She was so broken she couldn't let him in. And Dan tried and tried and tried again, but with Elle it was always one step forward and two steps back. And I found it amazing he allowed her to treat him the way she did. He was pretty amazing.

To describe how their relationship - dubbed as "not dating" - progressed would be gut-wrenching for me, so I won't do it. It was hard, that's all I'll say.

In conclusion, my second book by Megan Hart - the second time her book made me feel like my heart was going to break. And the second time I loved it.

Looking forward to reading more. Looking forward to reading everything.

XOXO
 

Jun 14, 2014

Iced (Dani O'Malley Trilogy, #1) by Karen Marie Moning

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Author's Page:

Genre:
Fantasy/ Paranormal Urban Series

Summary on Goodreads:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning comes the first book in her hotly anticipated new urban paranormal trilogy, set in the world of her blockbuster Fever series.

The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be. 

Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.

Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux. 

When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.

Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced.

RATING:


***REVIEW***

To all of you who still haven't read the Fever Series by K. M. Moning all I can say is that you are missing out on one of the best fantasy/ paranormal urban series out there! The world building in this series is out of this world. Every time I read one of this books I think to my self that nothing can get better than this, but this author keeps amazing me with every next book.

So, this book is the 1st one in the The Fever spin-off series and the protagonist is Dani, the 14 year old Sidhe-seer, whose 99.9 % of the vocabulary consist of words like dude, fecking & shit. Yes, I was also one of those readers who were uber-skeptic when they heard that she will be the main character, I didn't even quite like her in the Fever series, but knowing the work and the writing style of the author I decided to give this book a shot and fortunately I didn't regret it.

There are three main criteria I consider when I rate a book:

1. The Writing Style
2. The Plot
3. The Characters

And this book excels in all of them. The writing style was amazing and flawless as always. The plot and the characters were more than interesting and the story as a whole is wonderfully put together. I mean, the imagination of this author is out-of-this-world! I even had to reread some parts a couple of times to get the picture, because it was a bit hard to follow this fantasy world the author created. 

My worst fear was that, considering her age, Dani would be a very immature and annoying character and even though she was acting a bit immature and childish sometimes, she totally won me over and "the kid" in me was cheering in the front row for her and others.

*The Age Issue*

I see that many of the readers had this issue and that some of you were very disturbed to that point that you gave very low ratings. Yes, I was also feeling a bit uncomfortable reading the parts where all these ‘big boys’ start to notice Dany in a sexual content and even more when I found myself thinking one minute Oh, this is hot! and the next Yuck!I’m a very sick perv! o.O when I remembered her age. 

I need to point out that NOTHING SEXUAL actually happened, but there were these situations when you wished it to happen and at the same time you were ashamed about your wishes.
My kid sister is 14 and if I ever saw or heard someone talking to or looking at her in that way, let’s just say, things would end up really bad for that person, BUT we have to have in mind that this is an urban/paranormal series and Dani isn’t your ordinary teenage girl and above all that nothing sexual actually happened, so considering that it was easier for me to accept and in a way overlook this age issue. That’s why I don’t think that you should judge this book only based on this. Would I prefer that she is a bit older?- Yes, I definitely would.

Love interest(s)

So… Ryodan or Christian or even Dancer? Who would be the best choice for Dany? 
“TEAMS” are already formed and the author definitely didn’t make our choice easier. At the beginning I was all team Ryodan, then around the middle I totally fell for Christian in spite of some situations where he literally creeped me out, but after I read the book I think that the best choice would be Dancer. He is so sweet, smart and he really cares for her and what’s more important he is 17 years old, so it wouldn’t be that weird if they got together and I’m sure that he isn’t a “helpless human” as everyone thinks he is.

Ryodan kind of lost me after the situation with Jo and the way he treated Dani in front of everyone. I still like him, but he will have to do something really big to redeem himself and win me over again. 

Christian still freaks me out a bit with this Unseelie prince thing, but still- I fell even more for him after what he did in the end, but I still think that for now the best choice would be Dancer.

All in all, one of the best paranormal/urban book series I've read so far or as Dani would say: Dude, this is The shit! READ IT!

XOXO
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