Intrusion (Under the Skin #1) by Charlotte Stein

Intrusion is a story I had a hard time reading, at the same time not being able to put down. To say it’s gripping is to say the least, and finding the exact words to do this story justice will not be easy.

Blurb…

I believed I would never be able to trust any man again. That kindness was only for fools and would lead me down that same terrible path into darkness. I thought so with every fiber of my being-and then I met Noah Gideon Grant.

Everyone says he's dangerous. He never comes out of his house-a place that looks like it could be featured in Serial Killers Monthly. But the thing is … I think something happened to him too. I know the chemistry between us isn't just in my head. I know he feels it, but he's holding back. The pleasure he gives me is unreal-if only I could give something in return. If only he would let me in. I think I can make him feel something good. And for the first time in forever, I want to.

He's made a labyrinth of himself. Now all I need to do is dare to find my way through.

Reading Intrusion… well, at first I wasn’t sure what in the hell I was getting myself into…

…because this story isn’t at all what I was expecting. This is not my first Charlotte Stein book, but it’s definitely turned out to be my favorite. I want to call it a psychological thriller, but that’s not exactly right. A dark, romantic suspense might be more apropos, but I also have to add it’s one sensually erotic, passionate, poignant, and romantic journey. It’s a tale about two people who, for all intents and purposes, should be ruined, but who find a way to protect themselves by hiding behind the carefully constructed walls of their lonely but comfortable lives. Their journey… and that’s what it is, a journey… to finding their way back into the light is one that will stay with me, and in some ways haunt me, for a very long time.

If you enjoy darker stories about the resiliency of the human heart and the undying hope of the human soul...

...then definitely give Intrusion a try. It’s typical Charlotte Stein in that it’s told from the first person (heroine)POV, with a lot of internal dialog – some of which had me laughing out loud at the absurdity of Beth's thoughts, and other times wanting to weep at the harsh reality of them, too. Such an emotional roller-coaster read!

Note: This story can be read as a stand alone. While there's an ongoing theme, a different couple is the focus of the next book.

An ARC was provided by Red/Avon Impulse via Edelweiss. In return I’m giving them an honest review.

One for the Wicked by Karina Cooper

In this thrilling finale to Karina Cooper's Dark Mission series, New Seattle's witches will rise again…or fall forever.

Dr. Kayleigh Lauderdale possesses the only cure for what's killing the city's witches. Desperate to acquire it, the resistance sends their best agent, but Shawn Lowe has his own agenda, and it doesn't include saving anyone—least of all, the daughter of his sworn enemy. He has to ignore the blistering attraction he feels the instant they meet, because he can't give in until he gets what he wants. He just never counted on wanting her…

Kayleigh can't believe how out of control Shawn makes her feel. He lies to her with one breath and excites her beyond reason the next. A reckless encounter could steal her heart, while the danger hovering over the city may prove too much for either of them to handle. When the world turns upside down, it will take everything Kayleigh and Shawn have to hold on…to life, to hope, to each other.

*********

One for the Wicked is the fifth book in Karina Cooper’s incredible Dark Mission series. It's the perfect balance of paranormal, urban fantasy, and suspense with a hard fought, well earned, happily ever after.

I was given books 4 and 5 to review and I wish I had taken the time to go back and read from the beginning. The plot is quite complex, and this is one of those series that, to be truly understood and appreciated for the masterpiece it is, needs to be read in order. But that said, One for the Wicked is an engaging story filled with twists and turns and characters who, no matter their role, are compelling people who drive this story, start to finish. It’s edgy, exciting, intriguing, complex, romantic, passionate… it’s a truly brilliant finale to the series.

My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer

“Another person has been reported missing in downtown D.C. in a string of disappearances that has police baffled. This brings the total number reported missing in the past six weeks to twelve. This last incident is believed to have occurred near George Washington University.”

And so it begins....

The Story:

Vampires live only for lust and pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City. But the city's magic is dying. The only person who can restore it? A beautiful woman from the mortal world...one who knows nothing of the power she wields.

Washington, V.C. is the backdrop of Pamela Palmer’s latest series, Vamp City. It’s a world on a different plane than ours, a duplicate of Civil War era Washington, D.C., supposedly created as a place where vampires, werewolves, and other immortals, could live in their version of peace. No sunlight, no laws but their own, able to hunt, enslave, torture and kill humans without fear of retribution. A true Vampire Utopia.

But even utopias have a dark side, and Phineas Blackstone, the powerful wizard the vampires had paid to create their dark city, had engineered a brilliant one—a death trap finally sprung two years ago. The moment the magic began to fail, all vampires within the city’s boundaries had become instantly caught, unable to escape. Soon, the sunbeams from the real world had begun to break through—slowly, at first, then more and more frequently until it became clear that their world was dying. And with it, every soul trapped within—vampire, werewolf, and immortal human alike.

Only by renewing Vamp City’s magic would they be saved.

Quinn and her brother Zack accidentally land in Vamp City, and it doesn’t take long for the Vampires residing there to figure out that there's much more to Quinn than meets the eye. In fact, unbeknownst to her, she’s a powerful sorceress who might just be Vamp City’s final hope for survival. But as the days go on and Quinn, who's being held as a slave, sees the world for the barbaric place it is, she starts to wonder if maybe it wouldn’t be better if Vamp City died, after all. The only problem is that Zack is also being held prisoner, and Quinn knows if V.C. dies, so will he.

My Thoughts:

Pamela Palmer is a name I frequently see running through my friends’ feeds on Goodreads, and always with high praise and impressive ratings. I actually own several books in her Feral Warriors series, but haven’t gotten around to reading them, yet. Well, after reading A Blood Seduction  and getting a taste of her writing, that’s going to change, and change soon.

This world Ms. Palmer has created has a decidedly Urban Fantasy feel about it, but the actions of the characters living in there make it a dark paranormal story. It's brutal, edgy, barbaric, and there are scenes of sexual violence, so anyone sensitive to things of this nature should consider themselves forewarned.

Arturo, the so called "hero" in this book, is one nasty, backstabbing, unfeeling ass. He reminds me of Anne Stuart's Ice heroes in his uncaring, selfish machinations. Truth be told, I'm not sure he's redeemable, but only time will tell.

I truly enjoyed Quinn. She's strong, smart, independent, devoted, caring... she really is a great heroine. I'm excited to see how things with her play out in the next book, A Kiss of Blood.

Fans of dark fantasy and paranormal romance will definitely enjoy this series, but be aware - this has an unresolved HEA.

The Bottom Line:

I love Paranormal Romance, especially vampires and shifters, but let's be honest here - the genre has been done to death. It's not often I run across a world as unique and compelling as Ms. Palmer's Vamp City is, so you can bet this is a series I'll keep following. It's fast paced, gritty, sexy, and downright disturbing at times, and I am thrilled to have found these books!

Note: The descriptions and quotes I used are taken from both A Blood Seduction and A Kiss of Blood.

Books in the Vamp City series, so far:

Beyond Control by Kit Rocha

 

She refuses to be owned.

Alexa Parrino escaped a life of servitude and survived danger on the streets to become one of the most trusted, influential people in Sector Four, where the O’Kanes rule with a hedonistic but iron fist. Lex has been at the top for years, and there’s almost nothing she wouldn’t do for the gang…and for its leader. Lie, steal, kill—but she bows to no one, not even Dallas O’Kane.

He’ll settle for nothing less.

Dallas fought long and hard to carve a slice of order out of the chaos of the sectors. Dangers both large and small threaten his people, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. His liquor business is flourishing, and new opportunities fuel his ambition. Lex could help him expand his empire, something he wants almost as much as he wants her. And no one says no to the king of Sector Four.

Falling into bed is easy, but their sexual games are anything but casual. Attraction quickly turns to obsession, and their careful dance of heady dominance and sweet submission uncovers a need so deep, so strong, it could crush them both.

*****

 

Beyond Control is the second book in Kit Rocha’s Beyond series, and just like the first book, one helluva read. This is Dallas and Lex’s story, and if you read the first book, Beyond Shame, you know their relationship is complicated, to say the least. Again, the dystopian society is incredibly complex, with the politics of The Sectors taking a front row seat in this installment.

My feelings about this book are even stronger than they were about Beyond Shame, in that I find myself even more invested in, and protective of, Sector Four. The people are like a family made up of society’s castoffs, coming together by necessity, but staying together out of love and respect. The entire Post-Flare world is complex and intriguing, but there's something about Sector Four that makes it one of the most amazing worlds I’ve ever read about.

The dynamic between Lex and Dallas is intense, and they have a sexual chemistry that's off the charts. Their passion burns incredibly deep, and even when they aren't having sex, they burn up the pages. Lex is most definitely the perfect Queen for Dallas, the King of Sector Four.

Despite how hard this book pushed some of my sexual comfort zones - even more than Beyond Shame, I can’t wait to read more of this series!

Sexual Content: It's hard to imagine possible, but there's even more sex in this book than the last. This story contains elements of BDSM, ménage, m/f, f/f, m/f/m, m/f/f/m, and another bunch of m's and f's coming together in a tangle of body parts that I can barely keep straight. There's also voyeurism, exhibitionism, orgies and anal play. I think that’s it, but in case I’m forgetting something, just assume there was more but rest assured that the kink not represented in this story is sex with children, with animals, or incest.

My thanks to Kit Rocha and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this amazing story in exchange for an honest review.

Own the Wind by Kristen Ashley Blog Tour!

Welcome to my contribution to the Own the Wind Blog Tour! 

Today I'll be sharing my review of Own the Wind, and giving ya'll a peek at my afternoon with Kane "Tack" Allen!

2012 brought me an amazing year of reading, and at the top of the "amazing" is Kristen Ashley and her incredibly romantic, sexy, passionate, edgy, thought provoking stories. And totally blown away, I had the honor of being one of the lucky recipients of a print ARC of  Own the Wind, Shy and Tabby's story, one of the best novels ever!

So go ahead, take a look around, but be sure and keep reading to learn about how my chocolate cake got me a teeny - but totally awesome - tidbit about Hop and Lanie's story in Fire Inside. Getting the information out of Tack wasn't easy, but I love yous so I put it out there and got what I got and now I'm passing it on to you all. So yeah, keep reading!

My keeper shelf just got bigger!!


Those of us who had read Motorcycle Man knew that Shy and Tabby would get their story someday, and it’s a story we’ve been looking forward to. Well, that story came much sooner than I had expected it, and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about that!

Own the Wind is totally, completely, amazing. It’s a beautiful tale filled with growth, passion and the kind of romance we mere mortal readers only dream of. It’s a story of letting go of the past, living in the now, with an eye to a future filled with nothing but the best things life has to offer. It’s sexy, romantic, funny... insightful, thought provoking and inspiring. It truly does not get better than this.

And for those who are concerned, I know a lot of us were worried that going with a publisher would change the way she tells her stories, that we'd lose the voice we've come to adore. I'm telling you now... No worries. Seriously, this is Kristen Ashley at her finest, and you won't be disappointed.

My thanks to Kristen Ashley, Chas, and Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishers, for providing BlithelyBookish Reviews with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was, start to finish, brilliant!

~~~My Afternoon With Tack~~~

So, here I am, standing in my kitchen frosting a cake, when suddenly I feel a presence with me. I look up and standing right there watching me is a tall, built man with messy, overlong salt-and-pepper hair (mostly pepper), a goatee that’s longish at the chin and lots of tats. He’s wearing faded jeans, a tight black t-shirt is spread across his wide chest, and on his feet, dusty motorcycle boots

“Yo,” he greets in his gravelly voice. His deep blue eyes drop to the cake on its stand and then move back to mine. I see his lips, surrounded by that goatee, are twitching. “That smells good.”

My mouth goes suddenly dry, and I have no reply.

He moves closer to me and I bite my bottom lip.

He notices this and smiles. I think he can tell he’s making me nervous!

My heart stops.

“You wanted a word?” he prompts.

“Umm.”

His brows go up and his lips are twitching again. “That the word?”

“Well…”

When I hesitate, he says, “Babe, Kit said you want a word. You want a word, you gotta give me a word.”

I clear my throat and say, “Uh… first, maybe we should introduce ourselves. But I know you’re Tack. I’m Ruth.”

He grins again and replies, “Yo, Ruth. Nice to meet cha.” His head tips to the side. “Now, your word?”

“Well,” I start hesitantly, “I wanted… that is to say…” I swallow hard. “I had hoped that maybe you’d teach me how to roast a hog.”

This time, his head jerks in surprise. “Roast a hog?”

“Yeah, like when you have hog roasts at the Compound.”

Slowly, he states, “You want me to teach you to roast a hog.”

“Well—”

Tack interrupts me, “You got a hog you want to roast?”

“Well, no, they don’t sell them at the market and I don’t have a hog hunting license, but that’s okay because I had an even better idea!” I smile real big, and this time, it’s him who appears uneasy.

“A better idea?”

“YES! I want to go for a ride on the back of a bike with a badass biker dude!”

To this, I get a full-blown smile before he replies, “Just sayin’, I can get you a hog. I can also teach you how to roast it. But if you want a ride, I can do that, too.”

I nod eagerly and Tack tips his head to the cake. “So, you wantin’ that ride now or are you gonna finish that? And, I’ll say this, darlin’, I’d prefer you finish that so I can have a slice of it before I put you on the back of my bike.”

Thinking of Tack eating a piece of my oh so fabulous cake, and getting to watch, I tell him, “I’m going to finish it, definitely finish it.”

He moves to a stool, still smiling and orders, “Then get to it, babe. As you know, shit goin’ down with the Club and got a woman and kids to get back to. But we’ll swing you by there if you wanna meet them. I know Red’ll wanna meet you.”

“I’m up for that,” I agree.

“Then get frostin’, woman,” he demands.

I go back to frosting, now finding it somewhat difficult, doing it while Tack Allen is watching.

To take my mind off things, things like Tack, and not just any Tack, but the Tack, watching me frost the cake, I ask, “So, uh… how are you with Tabby and Shy being together?”

“No man finds it easy to give up his girl. But, people read Own the Wind, they’ll get where I’m at,” he answers.

I look up at him. “I’m sorry about what happened to her.”

Tack gives me a soft look. “Thanks, darlin’. Me too. But she bounced back all right.”

“That she did,” I murmur, going back to the cake. “As you know, I’m sharing this with my readers so can I ask you to give me a little something for them?”

“And what little somethin’ would you want?” he asks.

I look at him again and bite my lip as I ponder how much I should ask. I take a deep breath and go for it. “I know Kit isn’t big on spoilers but maybe you can share something about what’s next. Maybe with Lanie and Hop?”

He shakes his head. “You’re right. Kit isn’t real big on spoilers, but, babe, you bake cakes, you’re sweet, I already know I like you so I’ll give you this. Folks got an idea about my brother Hopper. They also got an idea about Red’s girl Lanie. And I think, with both, they’ll be surprised.”

“How so?” I pressed on, hoping for more.

“Bob Seger,” he replies and I feel my brows inch together.

“Bob Seger?”

Tack grins. “All I’m gonna say. You’ll get it soon enough.”

I look back down to the cake, mumbling, “All right.”

I put the finishing touches on the cake and figuring Tack being a badass biker dude would probably like a badass biker dude sized piece of cake, I slice off nearly a quarter of it, put it on a plate and slide it across the breakfast bar.

“Milk?” I ask, then frown, thinking badass biker dudes probably don’t drink milk, so I amend, “Or, tequila?”

His eyes light and his brows shoot up. “You got tequila?”

“Well…no,” I have to admit.

“Beer?” Tack asks.

“Umm. No,” I reply, despondently.

He flashes another grin. “Then I guess milk is gonna have to do.”

After Tack finishes his cake and washes it down with milk, he asks, “You ready to ride?”

I look up, smile, and, channeling my inner Tabby state, “I’m livin’. So, let’s ride!”

So we did, and it turned out to be one of the happiest, most exciting rides of my life!

*****

Thank you, Kristen Ashley, for giving me this very special treat. It was such an awesome experience, and an incredible honor...

...and it turned out to be one of the happiest, most exciting rides of my life!