Jun 21, 2016

ARC Review: BEG FOR IT by Megan Hart



Summary

He’s gonna have to beg for it…
 
Corinne was young once. She did everything—girls, boys, drugs, toys—and did it in high funky fashion. Reese wasn’t her first lover, but he was the first to submit to her. For a while they had something special, but it ended badly.

She’s a little older now. And the wealthy businessman who just bought the company she works for bears little resemblance to that boy. He’s commanding, domineering, and seems hell-bent on pushing her past her limits.

In a flash of anger, she falls back into their old pattern—and Reese falls right in with her. Before she knows it, she’s testing him. Then tasting him. But she can’t afford to get involved again. Her life is complicated enough without throwing in a slew of kink.

Now if only Reese would stop making her feel like the goddess she used to be…and showing her who’s been the boss all along. Then…and now.

Warning: Contains thousand-dollar, custom-tailored business suits, fuzzy green boots, goth eyeliner, and fishnet sleeves. We’ll let you discover who wears what.



 
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Review

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Megan Hart is "best known for writing erotic fiction that sometimes makes you cry", and that is what keeps me coming back to her books. Beg for It didn't make me cry, nor did it make me sad as some of her other books did, but I still liked it. Truth be told, I didn't pick it up looking for a good cry, but to see if Megan Hart's books with BDSM elements work for me or not, because that seems to be the direction her newer stories are taking. The verdict is that yes, they could work. I liked the really sad, vanilla ones better, but this was all right, too.

Beg for It is the love story of Corinne and Reese who were a couple when they were younger. A happy couple in love who in the bedroom were Ma'am and boy. BDSM-wise their relationship was DS. No SM, for which I was glad. They were happily in love, but life took them in different directions. Corinne wanted a career right where they were living, and Reese wanted to get as far away as possible, which he did. She got her career, got married, had children, got divorced. He became a successful businessman. After many years he came back to his hometown, and in Corinne's life. The anger they had towards each other showed its ugly face, but so did the attraction that was still there. Old flames were reignited, and Corinne and Reese were once again Ma'am and boy, only older and wiser that hopefully wouldn't repeat their old mistakes.

Almost all the books by Megan Hart were the ones she wrote for Harlequin MIRA, and to me those were stories about women's lives with romance as one part of it. Beg for It was mostly focused on the romance. We learn about the other parts of Corinne's and Reese's lives, but romance is in the spotlight, and we get to read about both heir past and present relationship. I like it when stories alternate between past and present, and Megan Hart does it especially well.

Megan Hart's writing skills plus second-chance romance equals a winning combination.


***ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
 
Until next time, happy reading!


XOXO,
 






ARC Review: 24/7 (The Subs Club, #4) by J.A. Rock




Summary


We started the Subs Club to make the kink community safer for subs. Except now the others are so busy chasing their happy endings, it’s like they’ve forgotten what Bill did to Hal and the fact that he got away with it. They used to think I was betraying Hal’s memory by hooking up with the owners of the club where he died. Now they don’t seem to care about any of it anymore.

Maybe I am sometimes angry with GK and Kel for giving Bill a second chance, but they’ve been mentoring me for a year now, and whatever else they’ve done, they make me feel incredibly safe. So I want to try something: I want to offer them my complete submission, 24/7. To serve the people who forgave Bill. That’s the way I want to hurt.

Except I’m starting to care about them in a way I never meant to—and I think they feel the same way. But after Hal, I don’t know if I want to be in love again. Because what I really need, more than anything, is to see Bill brought to justice. Even if I have to do it myself. Even if it means losing GK and Kel.

—Gould
 
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Review


Rating: 5 stars!


Saying goodbye to a beloved series is a sad, sad occasion, so for the time being I'm going to pretend my wish of more future installments came true. I refuse to say goodbye to Dave, Miles, Kamen, and Gould. I can't, and I won't.

24/7 is the fourth book in The Subs Club series, and so far I've felt my reviews don't do these stories justice no matter how much love I express for them. Gould's story won't be an exception. 

As expected Gould's book was a great one, just like the previous three were, and just like the previous books were perfect for the character they were about, 24/7 was perfect for Gould. As such it had quite a sad tone.

The effect Hal's death had on his friends had been present throughout the series. They created the Subs Club to help prevent what happened to Hal happen to anyone else, and in the previous stories the main characters shared their views on what happened and on Hal himself. From the get-go, it was apparent Gould, as Hal's ex-boyfriend, was the one most affected by Hal's passing. This book revealed just how much, and it was a lot. Hal was in Gould's thoughts more than not, and guilt over his death was a burden Gould carried with him all the time. Anger towards Bill, the dom Hal played with the night he died, was another burden. While Dave, Miles, and Kamen had found their significant others, and moved on, Gould was far from it. 

Gould's relationship with Kel and GK, the owners of the BDSM club where Hal died and who had let Bill come back, may have appeared as a betrayal of Hal's memory, but to Gould by submitting to the people who forgave Bill, it was a way to make himself hurt.

The Subs Club, Pain Slut, and Manties in a Twist were all M/M romance novels. 24/7 is a M/F/M story that I wouldn't really label as a romance. Kel and GK had been Gould's mentors for awhile; Kel was his Mistress, and GK was second-in-command. The more they spent time together, it became obvious Gould had deeper feelings for Kel even if he didn't want to. GK and Gould were friends. Well, friends who had sex with each other. Things were going well among them, so Gould mustered up the courage to ask for what he wanted, and that was to try 24/7 Master/slave relationship with them. That was good for Gould, but it also brought to light his deeper issues, which could have ended badly, underlining once again the importance of communication in BDSM.

Gould's kinks, humiliation and dehumanization, were not ones I'm most comfortable with, but it fit with the story, so no complaints will be coming from me.

As always, reading scenes with Dave, Miles, Kamen, and Gould was something I enjoyed very much. Nothing better than when these friends come together. Another reason why I like those parts is because I get an update on the established couples, and see how their relationships are progressing. It was in that theme the book and the series were wrapped-up. Everyone, Gould included, settled down, and were heading for a bright future. I was left all tears-eyed and unable to start a new book.

In the end all I can is that this series was a wonderful read. It's something special. I hope someday some of the side characters get their own books. It would be a shame not to revisit this world. In the meantime, I'm going to read as many J.A. Rock books as I can.


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




My reviews of the previous installments: The Subs Club | Pain Slut | Manties in a Twist


Until next time, happy reading!




XOXO,
 

Jun 16, 2016

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: ALWAYS by Nina Lane

Nina Lane's ALWAYS releases next week and we actually have TWO stunning cover to share with you today!

 

And if you've been buying the Spiral of Bliss series in paperback (or would like to start!), Nina Lane's paperback design for ALWAYS will match the paperbacks for the rest of the books in the series! Check it out below:

 

Cover designs by Victoria Colotta, VMC Art & Design, LLC (www.vmc-artdesign.com)

About ALWAYS (Spiral of Bliss #5)

Without darkness, there can be no light.
Dean has always been Liv's white knight. Not once has he retreated from battle. Not once has he failed to keep his wife safe. Not once has he broken his promise to slay monsters for her.
Then Dean encounters a monster he can’t destroy. A monster he can’t even face. And for the first time ever, there is nothing he can do to protect the woman who owns his heart.
The love story of Liv and Dean West that started with AROUSE and continued in ALLURE, AWAKEN, and ADORE now comes to a breathtaking conclusion as the professor and his beauty fight the battle of their lives.


ALWAYS releases June 21st - sign up for Nina Lane's mailing list here to be notified when it goes live!



Need to catch up on the series? Find out more about AROUSE, Spiral of Bliss #1!

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Nina Lane is giving away a set of Spiral of Bliss series e-books and a $20 Amazon giftcard! Just enter via the Rafflecopter below! a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

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About Nina Lane

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances and spicy erotica. Originally from California, she holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she's that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.


XOXO,
  

Jun 3, 2016

Spotlight Tour & Giveaway: Defined By Deceit by A.E. Via


Defined By Deceit
By
A.E. Via 

Genre: Gay contemporary romance
Publisher: All Romance eBooks
Date of Publication: June 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-943576-91-3
Number of pages: 289
Word Count: 77000
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill

Book Description:

He tried to drown his demons, only to find they could swim.

Life isn't always fair. Llewellyn Gardner knows that first hand. He was on the fast track—college dreams, a boyfriend—until one night of extreme passion changed everything. Eight years later and out of prison, he still lives with the aftershocks of that night. Everywhere he turns there’s another reminder of crime people insist he committed, so he runs away to a new town to start over.

For Shane Smith, Jr., owner of Smith Construction, there’s something about the gorgeous, misunderstood man with the overly expressive eyes and dark past. Shane sees the good in Llewellyn— it’s why he hired him—and he isn’t going to let the man cut himself off from the world.

Llewellyn isn’t sure what to think about Shane. After years of protecting himself from being tricked twice, he’s worried. What will happen if Shane doesn’t believe the truth about his past?


Excerpt:

“Llew, don’t break anything!” Moss half-yelled, half-laughed while his boyfriend chased him around his parents’ mansion-sized home.

“Your ass is mine when I catch you… literally!” Llewellyn yelled as he rounded the large kitchen island. His boyfriend was his best friend as well as his lover. In the small town of Emporia, Virginia, they were likely the only gay students in their high school. That anyone knew about. A kid that moved there from Los Angeles a few years back was gay and unashamed of it. He was colorful and flamboyant because he felt free to be himself. The community had been so cruel to him and his family, that they were run out of town so fast Llew didn’t remember the pretty boy’s name. He did remember being envious, though.

It was by sheer accident that Llew and Moss discovered each other’s sexual orientation in the first place. They were football teammates and both attended a party hosted by one of the cheerleaders during their freshman year. Rosie Jameson’s parents were traveling salespeople who left her and her twin sister home alone every couple of weeks. So that meant at least twice a month the teenagers had something fun to do in their dreary-filled-with-retirees town. Llew and Moss got shit-faced drunk, and ended up alone in Rosie’s father’s den watching WWF Smack Down. Moss couldn’t hide his hard-on while watching the oily, ridiculously hot, and ripped wrestlers writhing and rolling all over each other in the small wrestling ring. When Moss looked horrified that Llew had busted him and was ready to bolt, Llew smirked at him, and pulled up the hem of his long hoodie, exposing his own erection. The conversation they had that night changed their lives. They didn’t immediately fall in love, but things progressed fairly quickly from that point.

They were so young back then; they just wanted to be friends. They needed someone to talk with openly, a friend they could drop the mask with. The mask they had to wear twenty-four-seven with everyone else.

When Llew got pneumonia in their sophomore year, neither his mom nor dad could afford to take time away from work to stay home with him all day. Moss was there every day before and after school, taking care of him the same way a significant other would. Llew knew then that things had changed between them. He suddenly saw Moss’ blond shaggy hair as sexy instead of messy. He’d noticed that his friend’s once scrawny frame had benefited from their hours in the weight room after school. Now his best friend was seventeen years old, with fashionably tousled hair, bright blue eyes, and a tightly packed body.

“Stop chasing me, I’m tired.” Moss rounded the corner of the media room, and hurdled over the couch in the formal living room like the track star he was.

“Then stop running,” Llew huffed back, quickly closing the distance when Moss slowed down. Llew tackled his boyfriend onto the plush carpet, pinning him beneath his much larger body. He gripped both Moss’ wrists together above his head, and used his other hand to push back the long bangs that had fallen over those blue eyes. He loved Moss so much. They’d been inseparable from the moment they met six years ago. Seamlessly transitioning from friends to lovers, now all they talked about—well, Llew talked about—was leaving for college where he could love on Moss freely.

When they first moved to Emporia, Llew’s father owned a small landscaping business and was contracted to service the mayor’s property. Llew was ticked off he had to help his father every summer. Kids would tease him when they looked out their windows or rode by on their bikes on their way to the YMCA pool. While he hauled away overflowing bags of cut grass, Moss had come out of his mansion and started shooting baskets at the hoop in his immaculately paved driveway, but not before giving Llew a bottle of water and extending him an invite to play along. Although Moss was wealthy, the son of the mayor and sixth generation heir to the McGregor Empire, he never looked down on the working class like his parents did.

The mayor and his wife weren’t bad people; they were wonderful to the townspeople. In spite of that, they always felt that their son could do better than the company he chose to keep. After Llew’s parents died last year in a car accident, they took pity and stopped giving him and his older brother dirty looks. His now twenty-six-year-old brother was his only living relative and had moved back home to take over their father’s business and make sure Llew graduated.

“You get sexier every day, babe.” Llew ground his stiffening cock into the hard thigh beneath him. “What time are your parents coming home?”

Moss opened his eyes. The usually bright blue irises were the color of the sky before a thunderstorm, dark and smoldering with lust. “Mmm. In about an hour.”

“Damn. I could fuck you so hard right now.” Llew spread his legs wider, and drove down hard, pulling a strained moan from his boyfriend.

“Would you throw me around first? Slam me against the wall and take it has hard and fast as you wanted?” Moss moaned, his hips rising up to meet Llew’s punishing thrusts.

“Ahhh, God. Hell yeah, I would. You’re such a fuckin’ pain slut, babe.” Llew groaned, pulling hard on Moss’ hair. His guy was into hardcore fucking, and Llew couldn’t deny that he loved that shit, too. It was smoking hot. Moss would scream his name, bite, and scratch him while he pounded his tight ass. No matter how hard he fucked him, Moss would beg for more. He loved being tied down, gagged, and even slapped a little. Llew had almost twenty pounds on his track star, so he was careful with him, but oh, how he got a head rush from controlling him. They were limited to backseat fucks most of the time, but every now and then Moss’ parents would be out late at a charity dinner, or some official function, and they’d have well into the night to explore their ever growing need.

“I would love for you to be bad right now, Llew, but you gotta go. I don’t feel like hearing my parents’ shit.”

“Damn. How come they think I’m not a good enough friend for you?” Llew sat up, turning his back to his boyfriend. He pushed his hand through his thick, brown hair. “I’m the fuckin’ star running back on the football team, and I have the eighth-highest GPA in our class. Goddamn. You think they’re setting the bar a tad high on who’s worthy to hang around you?”

Moss rose to his knees and draped his long arms around Llew’s neck. He kissed him softly behind his ear, whispering in that voice that always calmed him. “Soon we’ll be away at college. I’ve already gotten into UCLA, and I know your acceptance letter is coming any day now. The scout couldn’t say enough good things about you, right?”

Llew just slightly nodded his head.

“Okay, then. We’ll be together. No one will give us a second look if we’re holding hands there. Or kissing. Or touching.” Moss punctuated each statement with a kiss to Llew’s neck.

“What if your dad finds out we’re seeing each other while you’re in school? What if he stops paying your tuition, or rent, or some shit? Would you like… stop seeing me?”

“Stop worrying. Damn. You’re driving me crazy with all these questions.” Moss stood abruptly, walking further into the media room, fixing the pillows they’d knocked off the couch during their roughhousing. Eliminating any trace that Llew had been there.

Moss had begun to insist that Llew not be around when his parents were home, anymore. Said it was easier for him. How? Llew had no idea. As far as anyone was concerned, they were friends. Just like so many other kids at school.

“Hey. Alright, I’m sorry. You’re right. Being together is all that matters. We’ll always be together.” Llew cupped Moss’ cheek, tilting his head up to look at him. He didn’t comment on the look he saw in his guy’s eyes, but he noted something was off. He’s probably stressed with exams and everything coming up. He didn’t have time to think about it any longer, since the front door beeped to indicate someone was coming in.

Moss pushed him away, almost causing him to fall over the low coffee table in front of the couch. “Shit, babe, calm—”

“Don’t fuckin’ call me that. Are you crazy? Hurry up! Get your stuff,” Moss whispered harshly, his eyes wide and terrified. It wasn’t like they were in there getting high or something.

Llew shouldn’t have let Moss’ words bother him, but they did. You would’ve thought he was on the Feds’ most wanted list the way his boyfriend was acting. He yanked his backpack off the floor and slung it over his shoulder. When he got to the marble foyer, he tried to ignore the disdainful look Moss’ father threw him.

“Good evening, Mayor McGregor, Mrs. McGregor, how are you?” Llew said in his most polite voice.

“Oh. Hello, Llewellyn. I’m just fine, thank you. If you’ll excuse me,” Mrs. McGregor said, on her way past him. She never wasted time on pleasantries with him.

“What are you boys up to at this late hour?” Mayor McGregor stood eyeing them cautiously, one hand in the pocket of his dress pants, the other leaning on the mahogany foyer table.

Llew looked at his watch. It’s not even seven o’clock. “Um, I just stopped by to give Moss his AP History notes back. He loaned them to me—”

“Why don’t you have your own notes, Mr. Gardner?” Mayor McGregor said, standing taller and removing his suit jacket, his face tight and impassive.

“Father. Remember I told you—”

“Mr. Gardner can speak for himself.” Moss’ dad cut him off.
Llew looked back at his friend and saw how he hung his head at his father’s tone. “A couple guys on by brother’s crew caught the flu, so I missed my last two classes on Monday to help out at the business.”

“I see,” Mayor McGregor said casually. “Why don’t you two step into my office for a quick chat?”

“Father, Llew’s brother is waiting for him.”

“Sir, I know you’re extremely busy. I didn’t mean to infringe on your family’s time.”

Both of them were trying to avoid any type of chat, conversation, pow-wow, or anything else with Moss’ father. He was intolerant to say the least; but whatever he wanted to discuss with them wasn’t going to be fun.

“I’ll be brief.” His tone and his expression said that it wasn’t an option.

Moss sat ramrod straight in one of the two wingback chairs facing his father’s large desk. Llew placed his backpack on the floor and gingerly sat in the other chair. He wasn’t slouching, but he wasn’t about to sit at attention like he was in front of the President of the United States, either. Although the design of Mayor McGregor’s office could fool you into thinking you were; it was even oval-shaped. The American flag stood tall behind him, just in front of the royal blue curtains flanking the window. The wall was adorned with degrees from UCLA and Harvard. Expensive-framed pictures of Mayor McGregor with influential politicians were mounted on the adjacent wall, and sat on three large bookcases. Llew’s head whipped around from the massive thirty- by-twenty-inch framed family painting when Mayor McGregor cleared his throat.

“How’s the business going for your brother, Llewellyn?”

Llew looked to his boyfriend, but of course, his head was tucked low, not meeting his father’s eyes. Well, this pompous bastard didn’t intimidate Llew. His father had instilled good moral values in him and his brother before his death. Llew had no reason to hang his head.

“Business is doing well, sir. Leslie’s even picked up some commercial properties in Colonial Heights. He’s had to hire a third crew to cover the demand,” Llew said proudly. His brother had really done well with his father’s legacy.

“Are you going to be joining his crew after you graduate in a couple months?” Mayor McGregor inquired casually. He had dismissed Llew’s proud statement, continuing to follow his own agenda, without bothering to look at Llew as he shuffled some papers around on his executive-style desk.

“Yes, sir. I’m going to work for him like I do every summer. Then I’ll be leaving for college in the fall,” Llew said, trying unsuccessfully to meet Moss’ eyes.

Mayor McGregor’s bushy eyebrows shot up, almost to his hairline. “Oh, really. Ahh, yes. You probably got an athletic scholarship.”

“Yes, sir, I did.”

 “What school have you chosen?”

“I haven’t yet, sir. I’m still waiting to hear back from my first choice.”

Moss finally turned his head towards him, eyes begging. What the hell? Llew looked tiredly at his boyfriend, knowing that he was pleading with Llew not to mention the possibility of him attending UCLA. Honestly, though, how was that going to be a secret any longer, once he was accepted? Word traveled quickly in their parts. No doubt, his big brother would be bragging all over town, too. It had been his parents’ dream for both of their sons to go to college. Unfortunately, Leslie had to leave during his second year in graduate school to bury his parents and take care of Llew.

“And your first choice?” he asked impatiently.

Llew and Moss continued to watch each other. Moss’ brows scrunched together with annoyance. Fuck that. Llew was pissed now. True, they were both in the closet; because it just wasn’t worth the trouble to come out in their town. He hated when Moss made him feel like he wasn’t even worthy of being his friend. Why couldn’t they go to the same school? UCLA was ranked number twenty-three in the nation’s top universities. It took more than just the ability to catch a football to get in. Moss should be proud of him, not only as his boyfriend, but as his best friend.

“Virginia Tech, sir.”

“Mmm. They have a good athletic program. You should fit right in, Mr. Gardner.”

Llew’s jaw was clamped shut so tight, it ached. He released a calm breath before adding, “They have a top-ranked engineering program, sir; since I also have an academic scholarship.” Llew held back his grin at the faint redness that was creeping over the mayor’s pristine white collar. Llew had already been accepted to Virginia Tech, but he couldn’t stand the thought of being twenty-four hundred miles away from his boyfriend.

If his father were here, he’d tell Mayor McGregor exactly what he thought of his son’s athletic and his academic accomplishments. He wouldn’t let anyone talk down to him. He wanted to do his father proud, but he loved Moss, he’d do anything for him. They only had to endure this bullshit a little while longer.

“You know Moss will be attending the family alma mater, UCLA, to carry on the McGregor tradition. You boys have been inseparable since middle school and I’ve tolerated it because it—”

“I’m sorry, sir. Tolerated it?” Llew interjected, his anger quickly bubbling to the surface.

Mayor McGregor sat forward, his hand tightly gripping the polished surface of his desk. “Yes, tolerated it. Boys will be boys. Now it’s time for Moss to grow up and be a man, leaving childish things behind. He has a duty and obligation to his family’s name.”

Llew didn’t know why he looked at Moss then, but he did. How could he sit there and allow his father to degrade someone he loved like that? Did Moss consider him to be a “childish thing” in his life?

“I understand, sir. I best be getting home now, my brother and I have plans,” Llew said as respectfully as he could muster, already standing and slinging his book bag over his shoulder. They had nothing more to discuss.


About the Author:

A.E. Via is a best-selling author in the beautiful LGBTQ erotic genre. She’d been reading gay romance exclusively for over ten years before she decided to submit one of her own stories for publication. Her writing embodies everything from spicy to scandalous. Her novels often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths. When she’s not clicking away at her laptop, A.E. devotes herself to her family—a husband and four children.

Although she’s still a fairly new author, she has plenty more to come.

For more information on other books by A.E., visit her website:
www.AuthorAEVia.com
https://www.facebook.com/aeviaauthor
https://twitter.com/AuthorAEVia

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