Review: MASKED INNOCENCE (Innocence, #2) by Alessandra Torre

Buy links:

 Amazon / Kobo / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Connect with the author:

 Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Book summary:

The man was sinful. It wasn't just the looks that made him dangerous, it was the cocky confidence that dominated every move, every touch. And the frustrating yet ecstatic fact about the whole package was that he could back it all up…

Julia Campbell never knows what to expect with win-at-all-costs Brad De Luca. And she's starting to like it that way. She gave up safe, conventional relationships when she let the elite divorce attorney seduce her into his world. Now that he's determined to strip her naked of every inhibition, she's in danger of falling too deep and too fast.

But their affair begins to feel even more dangerous when a murder leaves a trail of suspicion that points straight to the mob…and Brad. Trusting a man with a bad reputation and a past full of secrets seems like a mistake. But when she's forced to make a choice, the consequences will take her further than she could ever have imagined.

Add to Goodreads 

 

 My rating:  ✮✮✮

My review:

To continue with the emoticon theme I had in my review for Blindfolded Innocence, my feelings towards Masked Innocence are best represented with:



Yes, fortunately, I enjoyed this installment much better than the previous one. Most of the issues I had with the characters and the story in book one were gone in this one, so I was able to read without wanting to slap, scratch or punch them, which was a relief, and a proof I was right to choose to continue with the series.

Julia was much more likeable. She's certainly come a long way from her annoying self that grated on my nerves in Blindfolded Innocence. This Julia was more like a lead female character I've come to expect in Alessandra Torre's books, and this change meant that the writing style was also to my liking, since the book is mostly written from Julia's perspective.

Brad, too, was more likeable. I have to admit, I completely warmed up to him. He seems to be a quite admirable human being. It's just that with all this, I'm having a hard time reconciling this image of Brad with the cheating, womanizing jerk from book one. The same goes with Julia. All of the information I got about them at the beginning just doesn't add up to what I've seen from them here. Anyway, that's just how I feel-- I could be terribly wrong.

The story in Masked Innocence took an unexpected turn. It all started with Julia and Brad enjoying themselves with each other, and with other other people, as a part of introducing Julia to the swinger lifestyle, and exploring what she would or wouldn't like. This part took up quite a chunk of the book, so at one point I started wondering if anything else would happen... And then it did. This part was a turn of events I never would have expected. If there were any hints to it, other than Brad being Italian, I missed them. I am still trying to wrap my mind around everything. I do hope it will all click in the last book.

 

XOXO

 

Prisoner by Skye Warren and Annika Martin

 

   Buy the book: 

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iTunes 

 

Annika Martin

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Skye Warren

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Book summary:

"He seethes with raw power the first time I see him—pure menace and rippling muscles in shackles. He’s dangerous. He’s wild. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

So I hide behind my prim glasses and my book like I always do, because I have secrets too. Then he shows up in the prison writing class I have to teach, and he blows me away with his honesty. He tells me secrets in his stories, and it’s getting harder to hide mine. I shiver when he gets too close, with only the cuffs and the bars and the guards holding him back. At night I can’t stop thinking about him in his cell.

But that’s the thing about an animal in a cage—you never know when he’ll bite. He might use you to escape. He might even pull you into a forest and hold a hand over your mouth so you can’t call for the cops. He might make you come so hard, you can’t think.

And you might crave him more than your next breath."

4.5 - ohmygodwhatwasthis - stars

"Some people have a relationship that's sunshine and roses. Ours is darkness and vengeance."

What I initially thought Prisoner would be about?

•        Forbidden romance, alpha male and bookworm, with just enough darkness to make things interesting.  

What happened after I read it?

 
      Prisoner is first novel in new series, Criminals and Captives, written by Skye Warren and Annika Martin. I haven't read Annika Martin novels before, but Skye Warren got under my skin with deliciously twisted Wanderlust, so I knew that Prisoner too would be a darker read. But, holy whip of Mistress Nora Sutherlin, I did not see that coming!

"They say there are two types of fear - the kind that has you running far, far away, and the kind that shakes you so deeply that you can't look away."

      Easiest way to describe Prisoner is to imagine a lovechild that would get Gypsy Brothers series and Captive in the Dark if they could mate.
Stockholm syndrome, revenge, antiheroes and heartbreaking snippets into the past.

      Writing was my favorite part - it is obvious that Skye Warren and Annika Martin are great team. This type of stories can quickly turn into the wrong direction and become too similar to fairy tales or focus entirely on erotic scenes. Although Prisoner has some less believable elements and can be described as modern, twisted and erotic fairy tale, but instead of the prince on white horse, there is a ruthless murderer - there is still something so captivating about this story, that you breathe it and live it while you're reading.  

       Antiheroes. All of those bad-ass guys that we should not like because essentially they do all the wrong things and don't fit into that perfect future our mothers want for us. The ultimate alpha males that, as feminists, we should despise. But, in the end, we still fall for them, no matter that they scare us. Grayson and other guys are them, but there is an explanation for their behavior and why are they doing everything (hat down for perfect character development).

"All I can do is go to him and put my hands on him. To speak to him in some twisted language of love that only we two speak, where we hurt each other just to soothe the wounds that follow."

      Only thing that I wish was explained or developed better is Abigail's past. I understand that she had terrible childhood, but at times I felt as if I wasn't completely able to connect parts about her childhood memories with who she is as an adult. Other than that, she was a great character and I loved how she fought for Grayson even though that was not easy most of the time.  

       Who should read this? Everyone who enjoy reading unconventional love stories. Fans of darker reads. Everyone who read Skye Warren's Wanderlust and loved it.

Happy reading,

ADDICTED AFTER ALL Promo Tour

~Follow the tour~

It's time for another ADDICTED tour! YEEEEY!! You may or may not know that Addicted series from Krista & Becca is absolutely my favorite New Adult series and I'm so glad to be a part of this tour! Addicted After All is the last LiLo book and I think we (#FizzleForce) are all a little sad. We have only two more books left. It does help that the next book - Fuel The Fire - is about my favorite couple  - Coballoway. ;)

While we eagerly wait for AAA to come out, here's a teaser! :D

TEASER QUOTE:

~~~

   

Title: Addicted After All

Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Series: Addicted #3

Pub Date: October 31st, 2014

Amazon: Purchase links not available until October 31st

Add on Goodreads

SUMMARY 

Two addicts. One epic love story. 

Prepare for the worst. 

That’s what Lily and Lo try to do when Jonathan Hale schedules an “important” meeting. The problem: after being swept into the public eye and battling their addictions, they’re not sure what the worst is anymore. 

In a sea of many changes—including Ryke & Daisy living with them—Lily realizes that the best part of her fluctuating hormones might just be the worst. 

Her sex drive is out of control. 

Loren knows that she’s insatiable, but he’s not giving up on her. She’s too much a part of him. And as he carries more and more responsibility, some of the people that he loves doubt his resolve. 

In the conclusion to their love story, Lily & Lo stand side-by-side to fight, one last time, for their happily ever after. 

**AUTHORS' NOTE**

Due to the 2-year gap between Addicted for Now (Addicted #2) and Addicted After All (Addicted #3), you must read Thrive (Addicted #2.5) or the Calloway Sisters spin-off series before reading Addicted After All.

AUTHOR BIOS

Krista & Becca Ritchie are identical twins. They write New Adult books that make you cringe, gasp, and go ooh-la-la. (If you do that sort of thing.) They are currently working on the spin-offs and final books in the Addicted series. Connect with them on twitter and their website: kbritchie.com

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Tumblr ~ Pinterest

**GIVEAWAY**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xoxo,

Beatrix

Waiting on Wednesday #15

Waiting on Wednesday is weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. Goal is to connect bloggers and readers trough their most anticipated upcoming reads. So, here is what we on Way Too Hot Books can not wait to grab.

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

"Best friends since they could walk. In love by the age of fourteen. Dating for over four years.
She’ll do everything she can to never forget.
He’ll do everything he can to never remember.
Too bad it’s not up to them."

Expected publication date: January 31st 2015

 

 What are you waiting for this week? Leave us your picks in comments or link up to your WOW post.

And don't forget to follow Way Too Hot Books.

Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson, #7) by Darynda Jones

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / iTUNES / BAM! 

Author's page:

Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Genre:

Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance

Summary on Goodreads:

Twelve. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped onto our plane, and they want nothing more than to rip out the jugular of Charley Davidson and serve her lifeless, mangled body to Satan for dinner. So there’s that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and the more she retraces his last steps, the more she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she’s ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life.

A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity, is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it.

We’re doomed.

RATING:

***MY REVIEW***

“Charley Davidson, Private Investigator, Because No One Is Better At Investigating Your Privates.” 

I had high hopes for the 7th installment in Charley Davidson series, especially after that glorious ending of the previous book and I was super-excited when I won the audio book on Hot Listens Blog. 

My expectations about this book:

~ More, in-depth building of the paranormal/ fantasy world and revelations about the background of the Mcs and other secondary characters and less of Charley's side PI cases.

~ Charley being more mature and taking life/death situations more seriously.

~ Reyes and Charley to stop keeping secrets from each other. It's really high time for that to finally happen considering the next book is the final in the series. (Even if it had been high time the moment they had decided that they are going to be together.)

 What I got:

~ Charley's side PI cases still taking a lot of space of the plot and btw. I still don't see the appeal in them, especially now when the focus of the story should be on other, more relevant things (like the apocalypse and the invading demons.) And don't let me start about the harem of Reyes' fans and "the bad guy" in the last case and its connection to Reyes. Insert gigantic *eye-roll*.

There was more world-building of the fantasy world, but was it unique and original? I'm not sure. I expected much, much more.

~ Charley being reckless and immature, maybe even more than ever considering "her condition". As I said in my previous reviews- her goofy behavior was endearing in the first four books, but now, to be honest, it is getting more and more frustrating, especially in more serious situations. I expected more character growth to be exact. Reyes Farrow definitely has hands full when it comes to her. 

~ And yes, Charley and Reyes are still keeping secrets from each other whenever the opportunity rises. Less than before, but enough to frustrate. 

“Damn it, I needed The Idiot's Guide to Grim Reaperism.” 

The story was in spite this yet again fun, emotional, action-packed and steamy. If anyone knows to write fun, hilarious situations- it's Darynda Jones, but after reading the epic, new installations of Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning, Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews, Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh I couldn't not notice how the world-building here wasn't on the same level. That's why 3 solid stars.

“I knew it!” she said, glaring at me. “You’re in league with the devil.” “Duh. I’m affianced to him. Or, well, his son. I guess that makes me ‘in league’ with him, but you can’t judge people by their in-laws. In-laws are all crazy. Everyone knows that.”

Lorelei King was a great narrator. It took some time for me to get used to (and not giggle) a woman imitating voices of male characters, but I think she did a pretty good job. On the other hand my first experience with audio book was quite hilarious, like f.e. me falling asleep and waking up 6 chapters later etc. 

The positive things about audio books, I would say, are:

~ You can do a lot of things while listening (f.e. clean, paint your nails, drive a bike/car etc.)

~ In my opinion, the listening heightens the experience- the voice of the narrator draws you slowly in the plot of the book and you feel like you're part of the story yourself (btw. which was quite scary when there were demons involved.)

All in all, audio books have their appeal, but while I'm glad I tried it, at the same time I'm not sure they are the right choice for me. I missed my kindle tremendously. It took me about 5 days to finish the book which never happens when reading and that's why I think I'll stick to books for now.

 

XOXO

CAPTIVATED Blog Tour

*BOOK SYNOPSIS*

Double the passion and seduction as New York Times bestselling author Megan Hart and international bestselling author Tiffany Reisz weave two provocative tales about power, bad-boy lovers and secret desires!

LETTING GO by Megan Hart 

Colleen goes to the same bar every night and orders the same drink: a whiskey, neat. She doesn't drink it, though. Jesse the bartender notices the beautiful, sad woman who keeps to herself. Until one night when she lets go and lets him in. And after that, Jesse has only one mission--to show her one night is only the beginning.

SEIZE THE NIGHT by Tiffany Reisz

Four years ago, a night of forbidden passion between Remi and Julien, the heirs of two powerful and competitive horse-racing families, led to a feud that is threatening to ruin both farms. Now Remi must find Julien again, but when she does, her need for Julien is just as strong and just as forbidden.

*Add on Goodreads*

Buy links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

AUTHOR BIO:

Tiffany Reisz lives with her boyfriend (a reformed book reviewer) and two cats (one good, one evil). She graduated with a B.A. in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and is making both her parents and her professors proud by writing BDSM erotica under her real name. She has five piercings, one tattoo, and has been arrested twice.

 When not under arrest, Tiffany enjoys Latin Dance, Latin Men, and Latin Verbs. She dropped out of a conservative southern seminary in order to pursue her dream of becoming a smut peddler. Johnny Depp’s aunt was her fourth grade teacher. Her first full-length novel THE SIREN was inspired by a desire to tie up actor Jason Isaacs (on paper). She hopes someday life will imitate art (in bed).  If she couldn’t write, she would die.

Twitter / Facebook / Website

*Follow the Tour*

***

*GIVEAWAY LINK*

xoxo,
Beatrix

Dangerous Ground (Dangerous Ground, #1) by Josh Lanyon

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / KOBO

Author's Page:

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter

Genre:

MM Contemporary Romance/ Crime

Summary on Goodreads:

Special Agents for the Department of Diplomatic Security, Taylor MacAllister and Will Brandt have been partners and best friends for three years, but everything changed the night Taylor admitted the truth about his feelings for Will. And when Taylor was shot a few hours later, Will felt his reluctance to get involved was vindicated. For Will, the team and the friendship have to come first--despite the fact that he hasn't failed to notice just how...hot Taylor is.

Taylor has been in love with his partner and best friend since they were first partnered. There isn't much he wouldn't do for Will--but he doesn't know how much longer they can stay teamed feeling the way he does. Still, he agreed to a camping trip in the High Sierras--despite the fact that he hates camping--because Will wanted a chance to save their partnership.

But the trip is a disaster from the first, and things rapidly go from bad to worse when they find a crashed plane and a couple of million dollars in stolen money. With a trio of murderous robbers trailing them, Will and Taylor are on dangerous ground, fighting for their partnership, their passion...and their lives.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices, strong violence.

RATING:

***MY REVIEW***

"I know not everything I want is possible."

"What do you want?" Will asked. His fingers brushed Taylor's cheek,

feeling the softness of beard over the hard planes of jaw. 

"Besides getting out of here alive." Taylor didn't speak for a moment. 

"I want you," he said at last.

Action-packed, suspenseful, emotional and fast-paced bffs-to-lovers mm romance.

Here we have 2 smoking hot, bad-ass special agents Taylor & Will who have become the best friends since the moment they first partnered. There's no one out there who knows Taylor better than Will and the other way around. Their friendship is so strong that nothing can become between them, but what when that's not enough anymore? What when one of them asks for more?

Both MCs were strong, witty, courageous and down-to-earth characters and I loved them together. Their friendship, the level of trust and love they have for each other is one one those enviable and inspiring kinds. To love someone so deep that you're willing to lay down your life for that person can't be anything, but true love. I loved how Taylor was willing to bare his soul to make Will understand that what they have is once in a life time thing and how Will didn't let Taylor put distance between them when fears and doubts hit. And when they finally let down their defenses and just gave in- it was magical. 

I guess I was too invested in their relationship to be interested more in the mystery/crime part and the case they were handling. Those parts weren't bad, but I definitely enjoyed more the romance. That's why 3.5 stars, but I see potential for the next installments. And yes, ignore the publisher's note. There was steam, but only 2 sex scenes (and the 2nd doesn't really count, since there wasn't actual intercourse, right? :D)

The story was short (around 80 pages) and well-written. The elegant writing style of the author is one of its best features. It was my first read by Josh Lanyon, but it won't be the last and I will definitely continue with this series.  Recommended to mm fans who love a good mm crime romance and best-friends-to-lovers relationships.

XOXO

Seeds Of Iniquity (In the Company of Killers, #4) by J. A. Redmerski

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / KOBO / BARNES & NOBLE 

Author's Page:

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Genre:

Thriller/ Romantic Suspense

Summary on Goodreads:

Victor Faust’s new Order is growing. Business is good as there is no rest for the wicked in an underground world of hardcore criminals and contract killing. Relationships among the operatives have changed little over the past year—but things are about to change now, and all six high-ranking members of the new Order will be blindsided by an unlikely enemy. 

Loved ones whose only ties to Victor’s organization are their relationships with its members, are abducted. The price to get them back safely—the six must confess their deepest, darkest secret to this mysterious young woman named Nora, who is as deadly as she is beautiful, and who seems to know more about each of them than they know about each other. And although no one has any clue about who Nora really is, it becomes clear that she also isn’t who she appears to be. 

So much more is at stake than secrets and the lives of innocent loved ones; with each member that Nora forces to confess, the truth about their dark pasts and their present objectives will cast suspicion, pit some against each other, and may tear others apart. 

Before the game is over everyone will know who this woman is and why she is here, but the damage she will leave in her wake could be the beginning of the new Order’s destruction. 

Whose dark secret will be the darkest of all? And can Victor’s Order survive any of them?

RATING:

***MY REVIEW***

"Love makes a person vulnerable, even the most skilled, most intelligent, most unbreakable human being."

Everyone has secrets. Some secrets being deep-buried, darker and more dangerous than others if they ever come to the wrong hands. Imagine then the weight and depth of secrets of  5 agents of one underground organisation.

After the heart-breaking ending of the previous book which shattered the world of Victor Faust's order things seemed finally getting back to normal, but as we all know- nothing good lasts forever. Their lives, relationships and trust is tested yet again after the arrival of a new character- Nora Kessler, if that's her real name.

"Who the fuck are you, you insane bitch?" he demands.
"Oh, love," she says whimsically, "don't rough me up too much or I might just fall in love with you."

Nora is beautiful, sensual, provocative and one of the most dangerous people they came across.  Nobody knows who or where this woman came from or what are her true motifs, but she has something of theirs and they are forced to do as she commands. She will give them what they want, but first, there's one indisputable condition they have to fulfill: reveal their deepest, darkest secrets and when those secrets begin to reveal all hell will break loose.

Dark, gripping, suspenseful thriller.

One word: perfection. I liked Fredrik's story, but this installment was mind-blowing! I was hooked from the first page and the suspense kept me on my toes til' the very ending. In this story you'll find out more about the background of all main characters (Izabel, Victor, Niklas, Dorian etc.) and some of their secrets will leave you speechless. While I more than enjoyed every book of this series, there was always *that little something* missing for me to rate it 5 stars, but this book deserves 10 stars and more! The writing was superb, the characters were amazing (btw. big girl-crush on Nora) and the last page and that heart-wrenching epilogue left me in awe. Whose secret is the darkest? Whose secret has the power to divide the whole organisation? Buy the book & find out! I highly recommend this series to all fans of dark, suspenseful, romantic reads.

Beatrix, you were right- this installment is  the best in the series so far and one of the best books I read this year in general. Thank you J. A. Redmerski! I'll be impatiently waiting and counting days until the next book.

"We do everything together, my love, my devil, my dark prince.

We seek vengeance together. We fuck and we love and we damn and we destroy together until the day we die together."

xoxo

Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen, #1) by Lisa Renee Jones

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / KOBO  

Author's Page:

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Genre:

Contemporary Romance/ Suspense

Summary on Goodreads:

Infinite possibilities….

Infinite passion…..

Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run. 

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

RATING:

***REVIEW***

Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review

"Haunted, I'm being haunted. All the denial I own won't change my reality."

If I had read this book 2-3 years ago when I still enjoyed books with themes similar to Fifty Shades Trilogy I would have probably loved it, but nowadays I feel like I just overgrew these type of stories. I would even go so far and say that this book is better written and with more focus on the plot than sex scenes in comparison to FST, even though there's fair share of steam here, too. It started out promising, I really thought that I might like it, but my first impression and excitement lessened with every next page.

The reasons why this book wasn't for me:

~ Indecisive, naive and annoying female MC

"I guess ghosts are like lies. They swim like sharks all around me."

The female mc of this story is Amy Bensen or better say that's one of her fake names. Throughout the story we are given little clues and snippets about Amy's true identity and that's it. We don't find out her real name (except in the synopsis where it says it's Lara) or more about her background in this installment. The one thing that's certain is that Amy is in big trouble. We meet her at the beginning of the story when she's unexpectedly leaving  NY and her life there and moving to Denver with a totally new identity and it's said that this is not her first time.

She's been running from city to city for six years already, since her 18th birthday, always casting glances over her shoulders to be sure none of the ghosts from her past are following. As I already said- the beginning was gripping. The suspense and mystery are going to keep you on your toes, well, at least until she meets Liam when most of the focus of the story shifts on accelerated building of their romance. I kind of lost my respect for Amy after she gets involved so quickly with a stranger (Liam) she knew nothing about considering her life/death situation and later on the way she always found some excuse for his caveman behavior. Her naive and immature behavior made me wonder how could a person like her survive for so long on the run? Highly unlikely, if you ask me.

~ Over-possessive caveman for a male MC

"Money breeds lies, baby. They swim like sharks around me."

The male mc of this story is a famous billionaire and prodigy architect- Liam Stone. Liam is intelligent, drop-dead gorgeous, provocative, cocky and  intense. One of those guys who can have everything and anyone his heart desires. While I admit that at the beginning of the story even I wasn't indifferent to his charm, soon enough with every next page his more expressed outbreaks of jealousy and possessiveness started to be extremely annoying. Remember Christian Grey? Well, Liam could be some type of his lighter version.

"He wants you. I want you. I can't walk away form you, Amy, and I have this sense you could bolt at any minute. And yes, you're right. I'm being barbaric. And intense. That's who I am and I can't be anyone but me."

~ Undeveloped mystery

The  best parts of this story for me were the beginning and the ending or better say the gripping and intriguing way the mystery/mindfuck started and the thrilling way it ended. Everything in-between was lacking in those departments and increasing when it comes to lame, over-dramatic situations. The story would have been much better in my opinion if the author was more imaginative and focused on developing the mystery and less on the romance.

I would recommend this book to the fans of authors like E. L. James and Sylvia Day. I'm positive that they will enjoy it more than I did.

xoxo

Release Day - Prisoner (Criminales & Captives, #1) by Skye Warren and Annika Martin

Buy the book: 

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iTunes 

Genre: 

Dark Erotic Romance

Book summary:

"He seethes with raw power the first time I see him—pure menace and rippling muscles in shackles. He’s dangerous. He’s wild. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

So I hide behind my prim glasses and my book like I always do, because I have secrets too. Then he shows up in the prison writing class I have to teach, and he blows me away with his honesty. He tells me secrets in his stories, and it’s getting harder to hide mine. I shiver when he gets too close, with only the cuffs and the bars and the guards holding him back. At night I can’t stop thinking about him in his cell.

But that’s the thing about an animal in a cage—you never know when he’ll bite. He might use you to escape. He might even pull you into a forest and hold a hand over your mouth so you can’t call for the cops. He might make you come so hard, you can’t think.

And you might crave him more than your next breath."

Connect with the authors

Annika Martin

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Skye Warren

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Happy reading!

xoxo

Rescued by Felice Stevens

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / KOBO

Author's Page:

Goodreds / Blog / Twitter

Genre:

MM Contemporary Romance

Summary on Goodreads:

Ryder Daniels has spent the last year recovering from rejection: his parents couldn’t accept his sexuality and his lover chose drugs over his love. The only bright lights in his life are his younger brother and his rescued pit bull. But now his mother's punishment for his lifestyle has cut him off from his brother he loves so deeply. Devastated, he throws himself into the work of the Pit Bull Foundation he and his friends started.

Jason Mallory can no longer hide the dissatisfaction of his relationship with his longtime girlfriend. When her marriage ultimatum pushes him to break things off, he's determined not to jump into the dating scene. But when a group of injured pit bulls are found on his construction site, he can’t forget the guy who shows up to help.

After Jason adopts one of the dogs, he and Ryder become fast friends—until one night, Ryder lets down his guard and Jason recognizes his desire. Soon, they can’t deny the passion between them but will family differences and ugly prejudices keep them apart, or can they fight to prove that love is precious, no matter the flavor?

RATING:

***MY REVIEW***

I didn't realize how being with the right person could change your world and your outlook on everything, but you have to know you rescued me from myself. You've made everything in my life so much better from the moment I saw you.

Adorable puppies, GFY mm romance, raving reviews of friends- I should have loved it, I know, but unfortunately, my feelings about this book are rather mixed. I had trouble even getting into the story at the beginning, mostly because the dialogues didn't have that natural, realistic flow, but more of that this-happens-only-in-a-book flow, but then, after a few chapters the story started to get better and better.

The main reason for that is the sweet, slow-building friends-to-lovers/ GFY relationship between the MCs- Jason & Ryder. Their story begins after Jason adopts one of the dogs Ryder rescued and took to the animal center where he is working along with his two best friends. Their love for animals is what brought them together, but there's also palpable, scorching chemistry since the moment they laid their eyes on each other with one big problem: Jason is straight. Or is he really? Of course he's not, since this is a mm romance book and we all are turning pages and eagerly waiting for that moment when he finally gives in to his secret, deep-buried desires. I'm addictive when it comes to these gay-for-you mm stories, that's indisputable.

My level of tolerance of cheesy lines is getting lower and lower with every next book. This book had some of those, not too much, but still enough for me to roll my eyes a couple of times. I suck at romance, I know. What can I say in my defense is that I prefer deeds, not words when it comes to relationships and romance. If they had been together for a few years I could take it, but to proclaim such deep feelings at the beginning of the relationship- nope, not my thing. There were also some light, not enough developed dramatic situations which solved in the most convenient ways, but those ways were pretty smoking hot, so I didn't mind the drama that much, lol.

All in all, the book had its good and not so good moments. If you are mm romance fan who wants to read a sweet, light & emotional GFY mm romance and have a bigger tolerance for some cheesy content than me, then you should definitely give it a try!

xoxo