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.

Haevyn by Darcy Abriel

Duty and honor demand the ultimate sacrifice.

Haevyn is the second installment in Darcy Abriel’s Humanotica series and one of the best, most exciting dystopianesque stories I’ve read to date. There are so many great things to say about this book, but for me the most stand-out aspect is the unique, complex society created by the author. Using words instead of a brush, Ms. Abriel paints a vivid landscape of a sometimes harsh, sometimes beautiful world that I can’t help but want to explore and be part of.

And it wasn't just the world that grabbed my attention and didn't let go! Haevyn, Grisha, and Entreus are complex characters who drew me in and gave me no choice but to become invested in them and their story. Even though I didn’t read the first book (which I plan to remedy soon) I had no problem following this story and connecting to the people who make up the very erotic Humanotica world.

The bottom line – If you don’t already get that I really enjoyed this book, then I’ll spell it out… I. Really. Enjoyed. This. Book! It isn’t without some flaws, and generally speaking, I’m not a big fan of Sci-Fi or futuristic stories, but overall, this enticingly sensual tale is one to savor and the series is one I’m looking forward to continuing.

Sexual Content Advisory: This book contains m/m, m/f, f/f/f, menage, and can not be considered light erotica.

From the book blurb: Warning: Watch out for oiled-up, naked trinespined warriors battling for top position, feisty tracer females that fit oh-so-snugly in between, and sexy nights that segue into complex relationships. Beware of tebitcheckers wielding those nasty little contulators at illegal, testosterone-drenched cage confrontations.

This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Title: Haevyn
Series: Humanotica
Author: Darcy Abriel
Publisher: Samhain
ISBN: 9781609288631
Rating: 4/5 stars

No Holds Barred by Callie Croix

Eyes wide, Caitlin set her wineglass on the granite counter and stared at her fiancé in disbelief. “You would share me? Actually share me with another man?”

Cait and her fiancé, Nathan, have a very satisfying sex life – or so she thought. But when out of the blue, Nate asks Caitlin if she’d be interested in a three-way with his best friend Liam, it not only shocks her, but has her worried that Nate might be getting bored with the way things have been.

Based on her reaction, it’s clear to Nate that this isn’t something Caitlin is interested in, and that surprises him. But he’s head over heels in love with her and isn’t going to force or coerce her into anything she doesn’t want. The thing is, he’s pretty damned sure she does want it, but fear of what might happen afterwards is standing in her way of letting go and experiencing this with him.

Liam is staying the weekend with Nate and Caitlin before his leave is up and he returns to Afghanistan. He adores Cait, and has for as long as he’s known her, so when Nate suggests a threesome, Liam is more than okay with the idea. But truth be told, he’s also pretty shocked because he knows how much Nathan loves Caitlin and never dreamed that he’d want to share her.

Will they be able to convince Caitlin to give into her desires and let them take her to heights of pleasure she has only ever fantasized about? Of course they will, silly! Otherwise there wouldn’t be a story, right? And oh, sweet Mary! What a hot story it was! But that said, when reading ménage, I’m always concerned about the fallout of these one-time-deals. Will everything be okay, or will there be jealousy and hurt feelings? In this story, I was glad to see that it bothered Nate when Cait kissed Liam goodbye, because it made Nathan seem more like a man in love rather than just a guy who didn’t mind sharing his fiancé.

 

The bottom line - No Holds Barred was a short, hot read, and I’m hoping, really hoping, that we’ll get a story for Liam, who sounds like a man in need of some lovin’. Generally, I like more intensity in these kinds of stories, where military men are involved, but this was okay, otherwise. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by Callie Croix, who also writes romantic suspense as Kaylea Cross.

This ebook was provided by netgalley.com in behalf of Carina Press, in exchange for an honest review.

Tangled Past by Leah Braemel

When I requested this book from netgalley, I knew it would be a hot historical western, and because I’ve read Ms. Braemel’s writing before, I knew I’d enjoy it. Well, Tangled Past turned out to be more than just another erotic read.

This story addresses racial prejudice – two of the characters are “half –breeds”; and sexual intolerance – two of the characters are gay. So as you can imagine, there’s a good, emotional story to go along with the sex.

Nate and Jackson are two cowboys in love, but they keep it under wraps because hey, who wants to ruin a perfectly good day by being hung? But due to a misunderstanding, Jackson is forced to marry Sarah McLeod, and even though he doesn't want to marry her, he vows to do right by his new bride. So where does this leave Nate? Well... pretty lonely for a good deal of the book, and that was a problem for me as a reader because I often found myself wondering about how Nate, the odd-man-out during this part of the story, was handling everything that was taking place. Unfortunately, it had me questioning Jackson’s affection for him beyond anything but the physical and negatively affected my hope for a happily ever after that I could believe in. Which leads me to another point; this book is tagged “ménage” but I have to say, it took a long time to get there, so I’m more inclined to call it a m/m, m/f, m/f/m romance with a ménage scene thrown in.

I enjoyed the epilogue, getting a glimpse into their lives about 20 years down the road, and I’m hoping there will be a story for Nate, Jackson and Sarah’s descendants.

3.5/5 stars

This book was provided for review by netgalley.com and had no influence on my rating.