Wild and Free (The Three #3) by Kristen Ashley @KristenAshley68

5 Brilliant Stars
Arc received from author in return for an honest review

HOLY SHITOLY!

What a magnificent finale to a kickass paranormal romance trilogy. This story was jam packed with amazingly hot…  

Vampires

And

Werewolves

And a

Hybrid

Oh my!

  

I could not tear myself away from my kindle. Held my breath with each turn of the page. Unable to let go because I had the absolute need to see where this story was leading me. Totally consumed within the world Kristen Ashley has created. Once again, this author wowed me by penning yet another 5 star read. 

As in the first two novels (which I highly recommend reading prior to “Wild and Free”), the ongoing threat to enslave the human race is looming and it’s up to ‘The Three’ to help save the world, or die trying. The fate of mankind lies in the hands of three gifted couples - the Mighty Vampire Lucian and his human bride Leah. Super sexy King of the Werewolves Callum and his she-wolf queen Sonia. And Abel, part vampire, part wolf, all Alpha yumminess and his badass biker bitch Delilah. With Gregor at the helm, the stage is set, enemies have aligned, the ugliness of war is inevitable and all is at stake. ‘The Three’ have now come together and they are a force to be reckoned with.  

Wild and Free is so much more than Abel and Lilah’s romance. KA treats her fans to a saga filled with angst, plot twists and a dynamic cast of characters which brought me laughter, as well as to tears, while overwhelming me with sizzling passionate moments practically setting my kindle on fire. Now, just one Alpha hero with all their dominant ways and sexy talk is enough to send my heart racing. Imagine the intensity of four gorgeous men! Holy shit, the sexually lethal combination of Callum, Lucian, Abel and Yuri (YES! Yuri!! He was one sexy bastard), floored me. I swear my ovaries went into hyper–drive and exploded. They were like the supernatural Hot Bunch of the PNR world.

On a quest to find a way to fill the life long emptiness within her soul, Lilah is drawn to a small biker town, Serpentine Bay. She soon discovers her life is in danger and is attached by a wild pack of immortal bad guys. Her hero…a powerful and incredibly strong stranger. He’s handsome, he’s a biker badass and he freaks her the hell out as he claims her. 

Abel, sensing danger, is instinctively drawn to Lilah and saves her life. Clueless as to whom she is and the sudden need to protect her, he immediately finds the missing piece of his soul. For centuries he has been searching for someone to take away the constant yearning and pain. With one look at Lilah, Abel knows she’s the one. Together, they realize that destiny has united them, their souls are forever tethered with a connection so powerfully strong and they are the final couple fated by the prophesy of ‘The Three’. 

“Searchin’,” he whispered, his different colored eyes burning into mine. “My whole life, searchin’ for something, missing something, something I did not know. Until I found you. And my whole life is a long fuckin’ life to be needing something I could not find.”

Holy freaking hell, Abel was HOT! Take the intensity of Lucian, add the raw animal magnetism of Callum and sprinkle a heavy dose of a growling, sexy Chaos biker bad boy and voilà! We have an over the top dirty talking hybrid with a sexual appetite that had me swooning.   He could be a major jerk at times, majorly pissing Lilah (and me) off, but Abel was tender, passionate and sweet. Each time he called Lilah ‘pussycat’ and ‘boa  bei' (meaning precious) I melted. 

”I love you too, bao bei, with everything I am, 
and I’ll do it until the sun falls from the sky”

What touched me the most was the air of sadness and lack of confidence that surrounded Abel. The more I saw into the depths of his character, the deeper I fell in love. Left abandoned by his parents, Abel was taken in by a loving Chinese family. Never encountering another supernatural, he felt misplaced, believing he was a monster. This pulled on my heartstrings as I ached for his pain. I was overjoyed seeing Abel’s journey of self-discovery, coming to understand the ways of both vampires and werewolves and realizing his life has meaning. No longer seeing himself as a monster, but the protector and lover of his life mate. 

Can I just say that as a heroine, Lilah totally rocked. The perfect compliment to Abel, she was funny, stubborn and sassy. She accepted her destiny instead of annoyingly fighting it (what a refreshing change from the typical female lead). Her character was nurturing, but with an edge of ‘tough love’. I respected the way she stood her ground when facing her fears and adversaries. And she was one hell of a fierce chick when someone dared to flip her biker bitch switch. I loved her and her crazy family (especially her dad, Hooker). I adored the way she loved Abel unconditionally, feeding him confidence and sharing her strength. Lilah has become one of my favorite female characters. 

The biggest surprise for me in this read was Yuri. Oh man, did he turn my feelings for him around. At first glance, Yuri was annoyingly arrogant. But let me tell you, his suave and sophisticated sexiness was highly erotic.  He was de-lish-ous. 

As much as this was a love story, Wild and Free focuses on the ugliness of war and the constant battle of good versus evil. This read was long (I love savoring an epic tale) with a constantly moving storyline. There’s a fair amount of brutality, which brought me to tears, bawling my eyes out as my emotions were sent into a tailspin, especially reading the epilogue. It’s no secret that Kristen Ashley’s passionate and intense novels touch my soul, but I am never prepared for how deeply her characters and their situations affect me.

It goes without saying that like the first two novels, Wild and Free was exceptionally written. I liked seeing this story told from various points of view throughout and loved the ingenious way the battle scenes were depicted. I should note that sexual boundaries were pushed a bit in a way I have never experienced from this author, which added a different and edgier level to her writing style. But regardless, this story captivated me with its romance, passion, and love of the heart, of family and of friends. A truly fantastic way to end a great series.

Bad Romeo (Starcrossed #1) by Leisa Rayven

4.5 Stars

Arc received in exchange for an honest review

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou… Bad? Broken? Broody?

Wow! What a new and refreshing spin on the age-old tragic star-crossed lovers story. Our hero, Ethan, really isn’t bad in the stereotypical “bad boy” sense. He is bad because his spirit has been broken so severely, tainting his belief in the power of love. Poor misguided Ethan. In Leisa Rayven’s first installment of this series, we are lured into the tragedy that is Ethan and Cassie’s relationship and romance. Be warned, this is not your ordinary run of the mill love story. It was more of a holding my breath seeing where this dysfunctional couple will lead me, type of tale. It was funny, it twisted my emotions, it was maddening, and it was intense. Definitely held me captive from the beginning, leaving me wanting more at its end. 

The story begins with famed Broadway actress Cassandra Taylor bracing to once again share the stage with her one true love and greatest heartache, Ethan Holt.  Tension is immediately built into the plot. The mere thought of Ethan flashes Cassie back not only to the love they shared, but also the devastation he left behind six years ago. But now, Cassie is older, wiser and determined to not let the past interfere with her career.  Easier said than done.

Ethan is desperate to find his way back into Cassie’s life and being casted as her leading man in an upcoming production presented the perfect opportunity. Determined to break through Cassie’s emotional walls, Ethan seeks forgiveness, and trust me this is no small feat. She is no longer the naïve, innocent young girl who once played Juliet to his Romeo in drama class, falling hopeless in love. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and Cassie’s heart was shattered in a way that never mended over their long separation. 

“I’m going to prove I’ve changed. Then you’re going to fall back in love with me, and we’ll get the happy ending we should have had the first time around.” 

The story is told through Cassie’s eyes in both present day and flashing back to their beginnings. I liked seeing their history, how they met in acting school, the dynamics of their relationship starting as friends then falling into lovers and the contrast of their past and present personalities. Can’t blame Cassie for falling in love with the handsome, sexy and extremely moody Ethan. He is mercurial and highly irresistible. I immediately sensed he was suffering from seriously deep seeded emotional issues and that always makes the story more interesting.  The reasons Ethan has for resisting Cassie’s affections are his alone, but are slowly revealed in Bad Romeo. I have the feeling we are just barely skimming the surface of his multifaceted personality.

“Sometimes, he’s behind my eyes, weeping and exposed, and he’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. But it was an act. He’s an actor. And he’s very, very good.”

My feelings toward each character depended on where they were in the story.  Ethan was the perfect tragically flawed hero. But during the flashback episodes, he frustrated me to no end in the way he disregarded Cassie’s feelings. The constant denial of his love and affections had me all twisted, believing he was nothing more than a cold heartless SOB. Infuriated me when he broke her heart. I despised him for his actions, but adored him when seeing into his broken soul. 

Present day Ethan pulled on my heartstrings. Seeing him broken in all his sadness had me championing his cause in winning back Cassie’s heart. Getting a glimpse into his pain, the emptiness in his life and struggle to heal his emotional wounds, totally changed my feelings from frustration to empathy. In the end, Ethan won my heart.

Cassie was a likeable character. She was witty, comical (a girl who talks to her va-jay-jay and writes fantasies about Ethan’s penis has to have a sick sense of humor) a bit sassy and very tenacious. She wanted Ethan and made no bones about it by putting her heart out on the line. However, she vexed me. The younger Cassie had me tied in knots seeing how truly desperate she was trying to win Ethan’s affections. The constant push and pull in their relationship drove me insane (in a good way). Their relationship’s ups and downs added angst to the tale, which I always savor.

I connected more with the mature Cassie. I admired her ‘tough as nails’ attitude in not trusting the man who once ripped her to pieces. There were times I wanted her to succumb to Ethan’s charms, but respected how she guarded her heart. Ethan needs to atone for his past actions and Cassie is strong enough to stand her ground in assuring she won’t be fooled again. It was interesting how they seemed to switch personalities once they were reunited. 

Bad Romeo was a well-written story, filled with much sexual tension yet not passionately steamy. The end left me feeling hopeful, but plagued with so many questions. Ethan and Cassie’s story is far from over and I have the feeling many secrets (especially on Ethan’s part) are yet to be revealed. There is no doubt both are still madly in love. However, breaches need to be healed; feelings of hurt and anger need to be addressed; and in order for their relationship to move beyond the ruins, there needs to be forgiveness. Looking forward to seeing how this drama-plagued couple rebuilds their relationship in Broken Juliet.

The Fantasy (A Desperate Man #1) Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine

4 Stars Arc received in exchange for an honest review  Reading The Fantasy (A Desperate Man #1) was a head-trip and unlike anything I’ve read from author Ella Frank. Brooke Blaine’s work is new to me, but I’m a fan of Ella’s Exquisite series and come to like her sensual writing style. This story is by no means romantic. It was an introduction into the life and world of a man, Evan James, whose sex life is raw, primal, essential to his existence and desperately animalistic. Evan has an addictive personality. His ‘drug’ of choice is sex – and he will take it in any way, shape or form. His obsession sets him on a path of self-destruction. Trying to piece the shatter remains of his life back together, he struggles greatly, allowing his baser instincts for sexual release to control his life. Evan’s character came across as both intelligent yet almost cave man like in his lustful search for satisfaction. Totally intrigued by the variety of ways he got his groove on. Adding to his troubles is an immediate unhealthy obsession with a woman he thoroughly screwed, Reagan Spencer. This all made an interesting beginning for what I hope will become a good series. The story’s focus was on Evan’s sexual need and determination to reach an orgasmic ‘high’, helping him to escape reality and numb his pain. Whether he gets his rocks off from a one-night stand, or in most cases, his own hand, it doesn’t really matter. Yep, this story was jam packed with lots of masturbation. Evan, a little lube and his palm were very entertaining to say the least. He gets an A+ for creativity.  The Fantasy  was a raunchy ‘quick and dirty’ read, but I have to emphasize that it was very well written. Even though it lacked the element of love and not what a typically read, the plot did hold my interest. The ending left me with more questions than answers. Will they fall in love? Will Evan gain control of his life? Exactly who is Reagan Spencer? (There was some mystery surrounding her character). And more importantly, will they fall in love? I enjoyed reading this tiny morsel and looking forward to discovering more about this wild couple.