Claimed by Stacey Kennedy - a Club Sin Novel

Presley Flynn is ripe to experience her secret fantasies . . . and Dmitri Pratt wants nothing more than to fulfill them. Once inside the elite Club Sin in Las Vegas, Presley is nervous but excited—and determined to surrender to her every desire. Dmitri is her Master, and his touch is like fire. With each careful, calculated caress, he unleashes her wildest inhibitions, giving her unimagined pleasure.

Presley is different than the other submissives Dmitri has mastered. The BDSM lifestyle is new to her, and so are the games they play at Club Sin. From the start, Presley stirs emotions in him far beyond the raw purity between a dom and the perfect sub. For the ecstasy they share goes beyond the dungeon igniting a passion that claims the very depths of the heart

***** 

“You said I was a long-lost submissive who needed the lifestyle. Which, apparently, is so far from the truth, since why am I on the verge of puking all over this fancy hardwood floor?”

I enjoyed Claimed, the first book in Stacey Kennedy's new Club Sin series. It's romantic, hot, and witty, while being neither too light nor too dark. It's a story for anyone familiar with the life, as well as just right for someone exploring the BDSM genre.

There are a lot of "club" BDSM series' out there so it's tough to find something new and entertaining, but Ms. Kennedy has given us a world filled with characters I want to know more about. They're people with pasts, people with heart, people whose stories need to be told. The story isn't without flaws - I wish the plot had been a bit more unique, something sorely needed in this genre - but I'm definitely looking forward to reading more in the series.

“Where will you be in the morning, doll?”

Happy tears filled her warm eyes, and she snuggled her head into his shoulder. “In your arms, sir.”

Note: This story is very hot and contains explicit scenes that include spanking, flogging, testing the limits, and anal sex.

My thanks to Random House Loveswept for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare

Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove's confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland.

Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be...anywhere but Spindle Cove.

These unlikely partners have one week to

• fake an elopement
• convince family and friends they're in "love"
• outrun armed robbers
• survive their worst nightmares
• travel four hundred miles without killing each other

All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night.

What they don't have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts and souls.

Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe...just maybe...love.

*****

5 Wickedly Feel Good Stars!

A Week to be Wicked is the second book in Tessa Dare’s thoroughly entertaining, completely brilliant Spindle Cove series. It’s funny, romantic, poignant, passionate, sexy, inspiring, clever, delightful… in a word – it’s wonderful!

The Series:

Not all young ladies are looking forward to seasons, balls, comings out, love matches - or any match at all, for that matter! But what’s a lady to do when her whole life will be defined by how well she marries? How do young misses cope when Marriage Minded Mamas won’t pass up any opportunity to introduce their daughters – in some cases, kicking and screaming – into polite society?

Welcome to Spindle Cove! On the surface Spindle Cove seems to be the kind of place Mothers can bring their daughters to prepare for their debuts. It’s a place to relax, recuperate, to gird up their loins and plan their attack. Again, this is on the surface. But what Spindle Cove really is, is a place where these young ladies can be themselves. Where they’re not just accepted for their eccentricities, they’re encouraged to nourish them! But don’t let their mamas find out!


My Review:

I have to say, I’m absolutely in love with Colin and ‘Millicent ... Madeira ... Michaela ... Marilyn ... Minerva! They’re such amazing people! Colin is so vulnerable, and he hides that vulnerability behind his sense of humor. Joking his way through any situation, never even considering the possibility he might fail at something...but not really. Inside Colin there's a nightmare so deep, so tragic, that I couldn't help but feel that he was just one short step away from a breakdown. He's strong, don't get me wrong, and maybe I'm totally off in how I'm reading him, but regardless... he's one tormented man. Thankfully, he has Minerva, an amazing heroine who cares little for what society thinks of her. She's accepted her "spinster" title, and has nothing to lose. So why not live her dream? Fortunate for her, she has Colin to help her do precisely that!

Apart they're wonderful, together they're perfect!

The Bottom Line:

I absolutely love the idea behind this series! What a fun, unique place to be, Spindle Cove. It’s the perfect setting for mischief, mayhem – intentional or otherwise – and romance, and I can't wait to move on to the next book, A Lady by Midnight.

This snippet had me giggling:

“Jesus,” he finally managed, pushing water off his face. “Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. For that matter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.” Still not enough. He needed to reach back to the Old Testament for this. “Obadiah. Nebuchadnezzar. Methuselah and Job.”

“Be calm,” she said, taking him by the shoulders. “Be calm. And there are women in the Bible, you know.”

“Yes. As I recall it, they were trouble, every last one..."

Excerpt From: Dare, Tessa. “A Week to Be Wicked.”      

Rock Chick by Kristen Ashley

CONTEST NOW CLOSED

Here we are, day 1, book 1, of my 

ROCK CHICK SERIES RE-READ REVIEW CELEBRATION!! 

Those of you who know me know I'm a HUGE fan of Kristen Ashley's writing, and so it stands to reason I'm a HUGE fan of her ROCK CHICK series. It's a series about romance, passion, action, adventure... but most importantly, it's a series about amazing women who become friends and love each other deeply and unconditionally. 

With the recent release of ROCK CHICK REVOLUTION, the 8th and final book in her ROCK CHICK series, I decided to do a re-read of all the books, 1-7, back to back. Over the next several days I'll be sharing my original review thoughts with you, as well as my re-read reviews.

And guess what???

At the end of this 8 day CELEBRATION, I'll be giving away 1 ebook copy of any ROCK CHICK book, to 3 winners, so be sure and stop by every day and post a comment to be entered for a chance to win 1 of the 3 copies, your choice, of Kristen Ashley's ROCK CHICK books. 

Open to US residents only.

You must comment on each book review to win!

Indy Savage, cop's daughter, rock chick and used bookstore owner, has been in love with Lee Nightingale, once bad boy, now the man behind Nightingale Investigations, since she was five years old. No matter what ingenious schemes Indy used to capture his attention, Lee never showed an interest and Indy finally gave up. Now Indy's employee, Rosie, has lost a bag of diamonds and bad guys are shooting at him. When Indy gets involved, Lee is forced to help. Complicating matters, Lee has decided he's interested, Indy's decided she's not. But she can't seem to keep Lee out of her life when she's repeatedly stun gunned, kidnapped and there are car bombs exploding (not to mention she's finding dead bodies).

Indy's best bet is to solve the mystery of the diamonds before Lee. Lee's challenge is to keep Indy alive and, at the same time, win back her heart.

*****

Re-read Review - August 19-21, 2013

You know, I've got so much going on in my life. Most of its great, but some not so great, so I decided I need to surround myself with some totally kickass women and hot, alpha males... So here I am doing a Rock Chick re-read! And I'm. In. Heaven!

Spending time with Indy, Lee, Ally...the entire cast and crew...exactly what I need. I've been giggling my butt off and loving every minute. I'm bumping my rating up to 5 stars because Rock Chick deserves nothing less!

Original Review

Indy Savage had been crushing on Lee Nightingale since she was five years old, but time and time again she’d thrown herself at him only to be shot down. The final and most humiliating rebuff came ten years ago when Lee told Indy that she was like a sister to him, and from that time on Indy did all she could do to avoid him. But when Indy’s friend and employee, Rosie, becomes the target of some very bad guys, and Indy gets dragged into it, hard-ass, won’t-take-no-for-an-answer, private investigator Lee makes sure that Indy’s days of avoiding him are over, once and for all.

Rock Chick is funny, fast paced, sexy as all get out… exactly what I’ve come to expect from a Kristen Ashley story. Macho, hot, obnoxiously über alpha men and strong, independent, but loving and compassionate women pulled me in and kept me coming back for more. Lee and Indy make a great couple, and the supporting cast of friends and family kept me up until the wee hours of the morning, laughing out loud, fanning myself, and hoping it would never end.

Such a great start to the Rock Chick series!

-----
Rock Chick Reading Order:

1. Rock Chick
2. Rock Chick Rescue
3. Rock Chick Redemption
4. Rock Chick Renegade
5. Rock Chick Revenge
6. Rock Chick Reckoning
7. Rock Chick Regret
8. Rock Chick Revolution  

Maya Banks' Forged In Steele

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.

Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.

Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t…

Steele, a KGI team leader, is an enigma not even his team mates understand. His emotions are tightly locked down and nothing can break that icy exterior. Nothing except Maren Scofield, a doctor on a mission, a woman who has gotten under Steele’s skin and threatens to crack that unflappable cool he’s legendary for.

Steele is determined not to allow Maren past his carefully guarded defenses, but when she’s in danger, there’s no way he’ll allow anyone else to protect her. She’s hiding something. He’s sure of it. But he isn’t prepared for the shocking discovery her secrets reveal. Or how they will forever alter the course of his destiny. He has a decision to make. Hold tight and shut her out. Or take a chance on something more powerful than he’s ever faced. Love.

*****

Lost in You by Lauren Dane

 

He’s faced down every demon…except one fast-talking Southern girl.

It hasn’t been easy for Joe Harris to live down his not-so-honorable past, but the military made him a better man. He’s determined to make up for past mistakes, starting with coming home to care for his ailing father.

Things are going as planned until his best friend’s little sister comes barreling into his life. Funny, quick talking, smart, beautiful, she’s a temptation he tries—and fails—to resist.

When Beth Murphy hears Joe is back in town, she makes sure she’s the first on his welcoming committee. Though he tries to pretend he’s gruff and unworthy of her, she sees the man who spoils his dog, who touches her like she’s precious. Cherished. But there’s one wall she can’t break down—the truth about what’s happening at home.

On the night the nature of his father’s illness becomes painfully, publicly apparent, Joe does the right thing—push Beth as far away as possible. But if he thought she’d go away quietly, he’s about to learn she’s made of sterner stuff.

**********

Lost in You is the second book in Lauren Dane’s Petal, Georgia series. It’s a wonderful story, poignant and heartbreaking on many levels, but truly, truly a wonderful story.

As the book opens, with Beth Murphy learning that Joe Harris is back in town and setting herself to doing everything she can to get him to see her as more than just his best friend’s little sister, I really expected this to be a fairly light, run-of-the-mill erotic romance. Well, it’s definitely erotic and it’s definitely a romance, but trust me when I tell you, it’s so much more.

Lost in You is a story about loving unconditionally. It’s about acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, and family. About opening yourself up and letting the people who love you help you, to lift your spirits and help carry your burdens. I laughed at Beth’s blatant flirting and no holds barred quest to work her way into Joe’s heart. She never gave up hope, and never stopped trying, because he was already in her heart, and she wasn't about to let him out without a fight. Joe’s story, his father’s story… just heartbreaking, but so, so inspiring, too. There were moments I wanted to smack our hero and heroine, but no matter. Their actions were, for the most part, understandable and in keeping with their circumstances.

Since this is a spin-off of the Chase Brothers series, we do get to revisit them and their families, and while I haven’t yet read those books, I wasn't confused and didn't feel like I was missing anything - well, other than some fantastic stories. But that's okay, because I will definitely be reading those now.

The bottom line: What more can I say than I’ve already said? Not much, really, except that I was totally sucked in, completely invested in the story and the people, and can’t wait to get back to Petal, Georgia again, soon!

Many thanks to Samhain Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review. It was a pleasure!

Fish & Chips by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Fish & Chips is the third book in the M/M Romantic Suspense Cut & Run series, and another fantastic read!

In this installment, FBI Special Agents Zane Garrett and Ty Grady are assigned to impersonate two high ranking members of an international antiquities smuggling ring. Now, in the previous books, Ty and Zane have done a pretty good job of keeping their personal relationship under the radar of their co-workers, and just as well because they themselves aren’t sure about where the relationship is going. But when it turns out that the men they’re impersonating are an openly gay, married couple, it gives our beloved heroes a chance to find out what it’s like to be an out-and-proud gay couple, themselves.

Wow, I don’t know what it is about these stories, but I got hooked from the very first page of the very first book and haven’t looked back. Not terribly surprising since Ty and Zane are perfect for each other and an absolute pleasure to read about. I love how alpha they both are because it brings a whole new level of romance to romantic suspense. While there used to be this silent struggle between them – a struggle I’m not even sure they were aware of – over who was controlling the direction of their relationship, they’ve finally settled into their roles as partners, both on the job and off, and I have loved watching every single minute of it. They are so fiercely protective and devoted to each other, and yet both so vulnerable and afraid of risking their hearts, and the closer they get to the love word, the more their vulnerabilities show. And then that just makes me all the more protective of them!

As you can probably tell by this and my previous reviews of the books in this series, the stories are very much character driven. I find myself fascinated not only by the great story plots, but by the dynamic of Ty and Zane’s relationship. In many ways, they remind me of two of my very favorite non-couple best friend males, Butch and Vishous from the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Although Butch and V are already in committed relationships with females, they have something in common with Ty and Zane, and that’s their need to be together. It’s not merely a 'want.' They are 100% essential to one another's existence. I honestly believe that if something were to happen to either one of them, the other wouldn't be able to go on. Slowly but surely, the one left behind would self destruct, or just fade away, because a person just can't exist without their heart.

Okay, enough rambling and failing miserably at waxing poetic. The bottom line – Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux have done it again! I am totally hooked on this series, and madly in love with both Ty and Zane. Apart they are perfection, albeit a flawed perfection, but together they are each the vital half that completes the whole that is the amazing pairing of Ty and Zane.