Mister Romance (Masters of Love #1) by Leisa Rayven @LeisaRayven

4 Stars

WOW! This certainly was one heck of a slow burning, all consuming romance and true to Rayven’s style, an exceptionally well-written tale filled with loads and LOADS of relationship angst. Honestly, the sexual tension was so thick I savored this steamy read from beginning to end. Sparks ignited when Eden Tate, the ambitious and opportunistic reporter looking for her big break, wormed her unwelcomed way into the life and heart of New York’s most infamous male escort – the mysterious Max Riley – aka the overly sexy Mister Romance.

It’s so easy for me to fall in love with Leisa Rayven’s leading men and Max was no exception. A perfectly flawed, lovable book boyfriend that had me gushing over his oh-so-dreamy charismatic ways and witty sense of humor from the very moment I met him. Totally charmed by his off the charts sexiness and tortured soul, Max pulled on my heartstrings and made this entire story for me. His character intrigued me. A man with so many secrets and a past that controlled his current situation, Max held his cards close, slowly unraveled bits and pieces of himself throughout the story leaving me wanting more. In every sense he was a true romantic hero that possessed a beautiful and sincere heart.

I like a sharp-witted, sassy and strong willed heroine who holds her own and Eden certainly had all of those qualities. She was fiercely tenacious, determined to reveal and report Mister Romance’s salacious story to better her career. But hidden beneath her driven character was a vulnerable girl with her own painful past, which tainted her views on relationships. To her core she was a doubter and at times, I found her to be a little too cynical. With a solid disbelief in true love and quick to distrust Max at almost every turn, Eden was exceedingly skeptical, and it was a challenging to connect with her character for part of this read. However, as she opened her heart and mind to the possibilities and promise of all that was Max, I warmed up to the softer side of Eden and walked away for this story liking the heroine she grew to be.

All in all Mister Romance was an enjoyably fun read with just the right mix of passion, intrigue, sexual tension and heart pounding angst. With laugh out loud shenanigans, witty banter, tender moments and steamy passion this story captivated me from the first page. I always relish loosing myself within the pages of Rayven’s tales, getting to know her characters and their experiences. Can’t wait to devour her next romance!

 I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this publication

Twist (Dive Bar #2) by Kylie Scott

4 Stars Here’s to a second round at the Dive Bar with some pretty loony characters, another adorable couple and a fun-filled spin on Kylie Scott’s friends-turned-lovers romance, Twist. A blossoming online relationship with the dreamy and outrageously gorgeous Eric Collins caused Alex Parks to impulsively step outside her comfort zone and travel cross-country to finally meet the swoon-worthy man behind the keyboard. As she entered the Dive Bar unannounced and smack in the middle of his birthday celebration, the huge surprise was on Alex when discovering the man she strongly connected with through emails was not pretty boy Eric, but his brawny and bearded brother Joe. Poor Alex. Already dealing with trust issues, she was far from thrilled about being played and embarrassingly caught off guard.  Did not blame her one bit for ticked off BIG time over the deception. However all that was Joe ~ his magnetism, his patience and immeasurable tenderness, made him irresistible. From their awkwardly comical beginnings, to their hysterical banter and scorching sexual chemistry, Twist was a passionate and enjoyable love story. Alex is everything I adore when it comes to this author’s heroines. Intelligent and sassy, she’s a witty chick who’s quirky yet a bit vulnerable. Her inner monologues, which were very entertaining, had me laughing out loud. “When it came to Joe Collins, my pussy was a wanton whore. And seriously, who could blame it? His body was one big beautiful playground. There wasn’t an inch of him I didn’t want to explore.” She had a headstrong stubborn side, giving Joe a tough time when it came to understanding the reasons behind his duplicity, which added some push and pull drama within the story line. I savored the build up of sexual tension between this couple, as it made their journey to love even more exciting and the chemistry between them explosively hot. Alex was the perfect woman for Joe. She was a positive force, persistent in encouraging him to pursue his dreams and helped boost his self-confidence. Sweet Joe. The gentle lumber sexual, who was patient, kind, and downright sexy. A rugged sex-god who cuddles – what more can a heroine wish for? Once my guard was down, due to complete and utter exhaustion, Joe had cuddled me. It was terrible, disgusting. Fingers caressing me, lips pressing soft kisses to my shoulder and the back of my neck. Normally I’d never allow it, but it felt so good. I adored the way he tended to Alex and his determination to prove that despite his deliberate misrepresentation, his online exchanges were his truths. He worked hard to regain her trust and eventually, to earn Alex’s heart. Aside from using his brother’s identity, Joe was a sincere and compassionate guy who went above and beyond for his friends and family. I loved that about him the most. Joe had me in the palm of his hand, adoring everything about his character, up until nearly the end. Somewhere along the way, Joe lost just a tiny piece of my heart with some of his actions and choices he made. In his defense, there were some intense, tear-jerking events that totally threw me for a loop and utterly devastated me. The tragedy absolutely messed with Joe’s mindset and I fully understood his pain. But, his missteps affected the dynamics of their relationship as well as my feelings towards his character. Regardless, in the end I walked away from this read liking Joe for all his big hearted, caring ways. Twist was another well-written, steamy romance from Scott that I truly enjoyed and hope you do as well. A good choice for when you are in the mood for a humorous contemporary romance with just the right amount of relationship angst and emotional drama. Joe and Alex’s romance captivated me, as well as the story lines involving the secondary characters. Looking forward to revisiting Coeur D'alene, Idaho in Eric’s story – Chaser.  I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this publication

The Deep End (Honey #1) by Kristen Ashley @KristenAshley68 @InkSlingerPR

 4 Stars 

The Queen of all Alphas finally entered the BDSM genre realm with her latest release, The Deep End. Welcome to the decadent world of the Bee's Honey Club and prepare yourself for Olivier and Amèlie’s wildly erotic ride.

I'm always excited when hearing there's a new series in the making and Kristen Ashley, my favorite author, now writing BDSM stories is like making all my literary dreams come true. Her romances are extremely steamy, I could only imagine what a full-blown D/s read would be like. Reading the synopsis piqued my curiosity and all these wicked thoughts flooded my mind…

A love story set in a sex club! Sign me up!

A hedonistic den where all dark desires are fulfilled;

Limits of sexual fantasies are boundless;

The promise of sizzling mouth-watering kinkery;

And gorgeous Alpha males submit to the salacious commands of their Mistresses...

Wait. What??

Okay, so the concept of an Alpha submitting to a Domme was nerve-wracking and screwed with my mind a little. It was inconceivable that KA, the author who spoiled me with so many beloved and incomparable heroes, would write about an Alpha-sub. (Not even sure what an “Alpha-sub” was for shit's sake – but I certainly do now). I LOVE the way her fictional men dominate both in and out of the bedroom. How can I possibly love a hero who sexually submits? It's their overly controlling nature that melts me into a big pile of goo and one of the countless reasons why I love getting lost within her stories.

Nervousness be damned, I trustingly laid my heart in KA's hands knowing full well that she would never - could never let me down. Delighted to say she hasn’t. Admittedly, the beginning of this read had a different feel than what I'm used to and it took some time for me to connect with Olivier and Amèlie. However, the vividly descriptive writing that I am familiar with surfaced as the story progressed. Once these characters revealed themselves, and their relationship evolved from sexual encounters and club scenes to feelings of love, I was all in. And note ~ it is a testament to Ashley's story-telling talents to pen an extremely different kind of tale, one that really tested my comfort level, while remaining true to her a style. That's why she's my queen of romance. Whether writing about badass bikers, anti-heroes, vampires & werewolves, ghosts that haunt the living, insanely hot PI's, brooding sexy cops or D/s erotica - I know down to my bones the very essence of a KA story that I relish will ultimately shine through. This time, she sprinkled a heavy dose of delicious kink into her goodness.

Olivier (Olly) is a KA hero through and through, who could be extremely dominant at times, despite his sexually submissive nature. He's all sorts of sexy, swoon-worthy manliness and I love him. A cocky and cheeky S.O.B who's insanely intense, temperamental, possessive, controlling and most importantly... ALL ALPHA-MALE. Amélie is undoubtedly his woman, and Olivier goes about claiming her in every way, in a very clear and dominant way, inside and out of the Honey Club.

Olivier is a mighty beast. Strong, passionate, devoted – he possesses some of the important qualities I look for in a storybook hero. But it was his internal conflict that fascinated me.

He struggled with submitting, regardless of his deep-seated yearning to surrender control. I loved the way Amélie sensed his hesitations and as his Mistress, handled him with care by freely giving exactly what he desired during their scenes.

Amélie was both patient and forceful when opening up her world to Olly. She broke through the barriers while allowing him the time to find comfort with his sexual proclivities. Conversely, being a dominant herself, Amélie willingly accepted the man Olly needed to be when playtime was over. It was an essential part of their dynamic relationship that I needed to understand in order to connect with this couple.

Amélie's (Leigh-Leigh) character took me by surprise and not what I expected a Domme to be. Overly sophisticated, reserved and confident in her sexuality, she wielded her dominance and riding crop with finesse. However, she was burdened with insecurities. Tired of entertaining temporary "toys", Amélie wanted to share her life with a man who could own her heart and satisfy her desires. I adored the way Olivier recognized Amélie's vulnerabilities and affectionately tended to her needs as well. Together, this couple’s relationship grew sexually and emotionally, both giving and taking. They balanced each other beautifully. I savored every moment of their journey from building bonds of trust to discovering a shared deep-rooted connection from their play/love relationship.

Now with a new series, a new genre and taking a great departure from the norm, fans may be apprehensive fearing the unknown. After all, this is unchartered territory for Ms. Ashley. Having read The Deep End and expressing the same concerns, I would encourage both fans and those who enjoy BDSM reads to open their minds, take a faithful leap into this couple’s story, and judge it for themselves. I had my doubts, it was unfamiliar to me in the beginning, but happy to say I enjoyed it. I will warn that Olivier and Amèlie's sexual play was wildly kinky and outrageous at times. More than once I needed to take a step back, catch my breath and wrap my head around the scenes – they were extremely intense and scorching hot. A good start to what I believe will be a great series. I cannot wait to play with more sexy bees from the Honey.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this publication  

Roman Crazy by Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci @ninabocci @alice_clayton

4 Stars Rome. The city of love and the beautiful setting for Avery and Marcello’s second chance at love romance. Roman Crazy was an amusingly funny yet incredibly steamy lust-filled tale of self-discovery, reinforcing the bonds of friendship and rekindling lost love while experiencing all the wonders of Italy.  The writing duo of Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci had me laughing and swooning as this couple struggled to overcome the heartaches of the past, in hopes of finding a future together. Coming to terms with her failed marriage, Avery Bardot jets off to Europe to clear her mind and spend some quality time with her bestie, Daisy. The last thing she expected was seeing her old flame, Marcello Bianchi - the one who got away. (Mamma Mia! Trust me, he was as sexy as his name – totally panty melting). Long ago, she broke his heart by ending their torrid affair without explanation, which made their reunion both painfully awkward and hysterically funny. Seeing Marcello and all his fury made Avery’s situation much more complicated. The story made many references to the past where we see Marcello and Avery’s beginnings, the intensity of their lust, and the circumstances that ended the relationship. Young and misguided, Avery made some terrible mistakes, which she needed to rectify in order to move their relationship forward. After nine long years, she finally had the chance to apologize and reveal the truth behind her actions. I will say there were times I found myself exasperated with Avery’s decisions, involving unfaithfulness on her part, which hurt Marcello. It took some time for me to warm up to her character. But seeing how this couple healed, their chemistry and the feelings they shared, I was able to move beyond and enjoy their second chance. Although the story is told from Avery’s point of view, it was Marcello who stole the spotlight for me. The quintessential tall, dark and handsome hero - I adored his larger than life sensual character, which exuded fiery passion. He had my sympathies seeing the way Avery left him alone and heartbroken. Loved how he took control of their relationship, taking his time to rebuild trust, as the love they shared strengthened. There was a moment Marcello had me cringing with a misstep in his actions, but seeing his undying love for Avery, he managed to charm his way back into my good graces. In the end, I simply fell in love with his alluring character. Marcello è molto bello. Roman Crazy was an enjoyable read and one of my favorite parts, aside from the insanely hot Marcello and the comedic team of Avery and Daisy (their hijinks had me in stitches) was the beautiful descriptive imagery these authors wove into the storyline.  The food, the sights and the history – The vivid Italian countryside came to life. The story flowed so seamlessly, it gave me the feeling as if I was whizzing away on the back of Marcello’s motorcycle, experiencing all the beauty first hand. All in all, Roman Crazy was a playfully fun and flirty read. Looking forward to more from the creative minds of Clayton and Bocci.     Arc provided in exchange for an honest review

Bossman by Vi Keeland @ViKeeland

4 Stars Vi Keeland is one of my favorite go to authors. My fondness for her stories all began with Nico in “Worth the Fight” and with each subsequent read, I fell a little more in love with her writing style and characters ~ especially her luscious heroes. “Bossman” did not disappoint. It was just as steamy hot as the gorgeous man on the cover. A sweet, heartfelt romance filled with loads of passion, moments of laughter and a hint of drama. Sexual tensions ran high as I was immediately hooked within Chase and Reese’s world. Reese Annesley’s a strong willed and sassy New York City girl who’s down on her luck when it comes to her career and love life. While in the midst of a boring date from hell, she crosses paths with the dynamic Chase Parker. He’s drop dead sexy, charismatic, overly confident, and a colorful storyteller. I loved how his magnetic personality managed to both attract and piss off Reese from the moment they met. He definitely caught her attention; despite the fact their first encounter was a rocky. Reese was immediately consumed and intrigued by all things Chase, which put her in a precarious position when hired at Parker Industries…Chase’s corporation. I liked Reese’s cheekiness and wit. She was sassy and stubborn, which caused oodles of tension in the story-line, as she fought her attraction to Chase.  It had me on edge at times, patiently anticipating the moment where she finally…finally caved. Reese certainly took her time surrendering to her desires. I adored the tall, dark, handsome and oh so charming Chase. Loved his relentless pursuit to bed Reese, not giving a crap she was an employee. Although mostly funny and quick witted, Chase had an air of mystery surrounding his character. He slowly unraveled all the reasons why he was total commitment phobe. The complicated love affair with the feisty Reese not only heated up in the bedroom, but it stirred feelings and fears buried deep within Chase’s heart. Chase was an incredibly lovable hero that had me swooning. I adored his personality, which oozed so much sexiness. But man, was he a stubborn boy at times. Consumed by past heartache and anxieties, Chase made some poor decisions. I wanted to (lovingly) bop him over the head and snap him out of his funk while reading the last few chapters. Nevertheless, even though he vexed me at times, his character shined. My heart went out to Chase, seeing all his sorrow, guilt and regrets. All in all, another enjoyable and well-written romance from Vi. From beginning to end this read held me from the funny, lighthearted moments, through to the emotionally driven heartaches. I must confess that I wanted more insight into this couple’s future and explore their relationship further. That happens to me sometimes when I become invested within the lives of certain characters. Regardless, “Bossman” was a hit for me and it had all the feels. I highly recommend this fun and flirty read.  Received from author in exchange for an honest review     TRIPLES with EMMA

Dirty (Dive Bar #1) by Kylie Scott

I’m a huge fan of the Stage Dive motley crew and was excited to hear about this new spin-off series. There’s always a good time to be had whenever reading one of Kylie Scotts’ stories. I look forward to her lighthearted, enjoyable reads that are filled with swoon worthy heroes, sassy chicks, outrageous antics and steamy moments. In Dirty, we got to know Vaughan Hewson and the girl who literally fell into his life, Lydia Green. Together, this loony couple and a new cast of crazy characters made for a fun and flirty romance. Poor sweet Lydia ~ All set to marry her prince charming only to find out (mere minutes before the nuptials) that the relationship with her fiancé was great big sham. To avoid making the biggest mistake of her life, she makes a break for it by seeking refuge in a stranger’s home and hiding in a bathtub. Not the best of plans, but that’s how Lydia rolls…she’s insanely impulsive. It all works out as she finds the homeowner to be one hell of a broody, sexy man that lucky for her, is kind enough to deal with all the craziness. “The guy stood tall, looming over me with his hands on hips. Tattoos covered his arms to his wrists. Still, he had a whole lot of sinew on show. Definitely not the kind of man you’d want to mess with. Dude could probably snap me in half in a second. I bet he was a tattoo model, or a biker, or a pirate, or something. Something a lot hot and more than a little scary.” The fallout from her almost wedding was a spectacle. She’s now homeless and jobless.  Her life is in absolute shambles and Lydia still managed to make me giggle as she tries to sort herself out. She’s a little quirky, flakey and a whole lot of nuts… I absolutely adored her. Her character may have lacked self-confidence, being plus size and all, but she was the perfect girl for Vaughan and a likable heroine. He only saw the best in all that was Lydia… and her voluptuous rack. “Crap. It’s your first night at work and I’m putting all my drama on you again.” He hung his head. “Yeah, you are.” “I’m so sorry.” Such a long and gusty exhalation. The man had big lungs. Also, bad friends, namely me. “Vaughan?” “On the plus side, when you get worked up your tits start heaving up and down with each breath. Magnificent. Honestly, I can’t get enough of it.” Finding himself lost and broke after the dissolution of his band, Vaughan’s back home and working in his sister’s bar. The poor dude went from a rocker to temporary bartender, who’s struggling to get his career back on track. Vaughan has no intention to stick around the small town he grew up in; too many memories from the past haunt him. To top all of this off, he has to deal with the lunatic woman that broke into his house. Turns out, Lydia was the perfect distraction from his troubles, even though she turned his already muddled life upside down. All the chaos that surrounded her was exactly what he needed to help not only in lifting his spirits, but also in discovering the importance of love and family. I really liked Vaughan’s character - He was the perfect combination of edgy, sexy and sweet especially when it came to Lydia’s needs. There were times he was stubborn and I wanted to bop him over the head, but I grew to love him regardless, seeing how affectionate he was with Lydia.  All in all, this was a good introduction into what I think will be a fun new series. I found it less steamy than Scott’s previous books, but these two kept me laughing with their often insane back and forth banter. There’s a hint of drama involving some of the secondary characters that I’m hoping will conclude in future installments. Oh! And so happy to see more of my favorite Stage Dive rocker… Mal. He’s as wacky as ever. Love him. I really enjoyed Lydia and Vaughan’s journey from friendship to love and it’s a good read if you are in the mood for a faced paced, upbeat and comical insta-romance. ARC received in exchange for an honest review  TRIPLES with EMMA