Tag: Jodie Griffin

Guest Review: Forbidden Fires by Jodie Griffin

Posted May 5, 2013 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 1 Comment

Judith’s review of Forbidden Fires (Bondage & Breakfast #3) by Jodie Griffin

A year ago, Detective Delia Robinson and Fire Marshal Colin Butler got up close and personal while working a case. But their sizzling relationship didn’t last. Now there’s a serial arsonist on the loose, and it’s up to Delia and Colin to bring him down—if they can resist their attraction long enough to concentrate on the investigation.

Delia quickly sees the connection between the crime scenes: elements of BDSM. Though she denies it, Colin is stunned by the realization that his former lover is aroused by the idea of bondage play. And suddenly he can’t stop fantasizing about being the one to bind her…

Unsure how Colin would react, Delia never revealed her desire to be dominated in the bedroom. But she’ll finally have the chance to find out when they go deep undercover—as a married couple at a B&B offering classes in domination and submission

The stories in this series are pure erotica and this third short novel in the series is even more intense than the two first stories, IMHO. Bringing together old lovers in the search for a serial arsonist and murder, the author interjects suspense, danger, and mystery into a story that is sizzling with romantic and sexual possibilities as these two main characters once again have to face squarely their still hot and heavy attraction to one another. Add in the fact that all the victims are connected in some way to the BDSM lifestyle and a Bed and Breakfast establishment that caters to those in the lifestyle or who are interested in becoming a part of that community. Now Delia and Colin are undercover as a couple who are investigating the lifestyle and in the process begin a journey of discovery about their relationship itself, about themselves, and about possibilities for the future. The sexual tension and intensity in this story are off the charts and there is no way that a reader can experience this piece of fictional writing in an uninvolved or detached manner. It’s going to drag the reader into Delia and Colin’s relationship and their experience and if I am right, the reader will need to keep some ice cubes handy to pass over their foreheads frequently, over the nape of the neck, down the front, and so forth.

Ms Griffin has pleased her readers with lots of great writing in the past and this wonderful piece of writing will not disappoint. I was delighted when this third story came along but was unprepared for how intense it turned out to be. Suffice it to say it is well worth the time and effort to read and enjoy, and it well may turn out to be one of those stories that readers will return to a few times over the months. It’s that good. And it takes a very good story to withstand multiple readings. I think this is one of those. And thanks to Carina Press for giving us the work of this really good author.

I give it a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

The Series:

You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

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Tagged: 4.25 Reviews, BDSM, Carina Press, Contemporary, Guest Reviews, Jodie Griffin, Judith's Reviews, Reviews

Guest Review: Forbidden Desires by Jodie Griffin

Posted December 2, 2012 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 1 Comment

Judith’s review of Forbidden Desires (Bondage & Breakfast, #2) by Jodie Griffin

When it comes to sex, Bella Massey wants a man who’ll get down on his knees and beg. And although she’s got the hots for firefighter Marcus Aiello, she can’t believe an alpha male like him could have a submissive bone in his body.

Marcus isn’t looking for a relationship, but Bella is not like any woman he’s ever met. When he discovers what the sexy librarian is really looking for in a man, he’s even more intrigued. But giving up control is difficult for Marcus—no matter how much he desires it.

Despite their intense attraction, Marcus and Bella’s budding relationship is at an impasse. Until a weekend at a unique B&B offering all manner of naughty nightly activities teaches them both just how good it can feel to lose control.

In this recent series from Carina Press, author Jodie Griffin has given a new definition to the initials B & B — not Bed & Breakfast as it is most often assumed, but Bondage & Breakfast. In both the stories in this series there are aspects of BDSM which come into the tale, mostly as people are discovering their inner and often deeply buried desires, the kind of kinky urges that make all the difference in their sexual relationships. So it is with the main characters in this story. Both Bella and Marcus are discovering lots about themselves as well as discovering that they share lots in common when it comes to behavior in the bedroom. What is the problem then? Well . . . for both Bella and Marcus there is the fact that neither are really comfortable with what they are learning about themselves. Both come from backgrounds that are very traditional and both are caught up in the view of male/female relationships that assign very clear roles as to who is in charge and who isn’t.

We all know, however, that what is often deemed socially acceptable is not how people are built, how they respond to life and live on the inside, what really makes interpersonal relationships come alive. L earning to accept what many would consider aberrant about themselves was the factor that kept Bella and Marcus from realizing how perfect they were for each other and it took a really awful crisis during a fire to make Marcus recognize that he needed what Bella could give him. It was then that Bella also began to wonder how much she was willing to sacrifice all for the sake of what others thought. It also took the wisdom and life experience of three ninety year old ladies in an old folks’ home to remind both Bella and Marcus that life is too short to forego a rich and satisfying love relationship just because of the judgments and criticisms of others.

This is a very intense, emotional story that draws on the heart strings, brings in the wisdom to age into the arena of you love and gives readers a story that also challenges the social “norms” and calls all of us to widen our views about the way people express their love for one another. It is a terrific read. It is a story that will be entertaining to the mind and the libido should like it, too.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.

The series:

You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

1 Comment

Tagged: 4.0 Reviews, BDSM, Carina Press, Contemporary Erotic Romance, Guest Reviews, Jodie Griffin, Judith's Reviews, Reviews

#DFRAT Guest Review: Forbidden Fantasies by Jodie Griffin

Posted June 12, 2012 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 1 Comment

Judith’s review of Forbidden Fantasies by Jodie Griffin

After fifteen years of marriage, Jessica Meyers’s sex life is, well, a little predictable. Her handsome husband turns her on, but missionary style once or twice a week? It just can’t compare to the hot new world she discovers in the pages of erotic romances. Her fantasies fuel the fire of her desire, adding a new spark to her and Alex’s lovemaking. But Jess is afraid to tell her husband what she really wants in bed—and her secrets start coming between them.

State trooper Alex Meyers is a master at uncovering the truth—except when it comes to his sweet, shy wife. She’s clearly keeping something from him. An affair? She wants out? When he finally confronts Jess, he’s shocked to learn she wants to turn her forbidden fantasies into nightly realities. But when he takes her to a unique B and B—Bondage and Breakfast—catering to couples and multiples, Alex is about to find out just how far he’ll go.

This is a winsome and erotic novella that takes a reader into a marriage that is, for all intent and purpose, a very good one. These two people really love each other, have managed to form a solid and loving connection to one another, love their children deeply and are willing to accept the responsibility that goes along with being parents, but in the midst of all of that, they are still lovers, or at least that’s what it seems. Alex loves his wife deeply and is very turned on by her still. Even coming home after a stressful shift as a state trooper, his wife’s beauty and sensuality keep him interested. But he is deeply troubled when after some of their most erotic and sensual encounters, Jessica turns away and seems to shut down. Something is truly wrong.

Perhaps the true curiosity that this writer highlights is that two people who are as close as it is possible for people to be find it so difficult to express their deepest desires to one another. We all know that there are indeed relationships that “hit the rocks” when one partner is massively offended to find out that the other partner wants to introduce some kink into their togetherness. That was the fear Jessica had. The more she and Alex were together, the greater her fear, the more she shut down, the more Alex came to believe that his marriage was in deep trouble–and perhaps when all is said and done, Alex was right. Yet the reader experiences some of the joy that comes when Alex surprises Jessica with his openness–more than even she anticipated.

This is a short read but is packed with emotion and sensuality and the stuff of which good romance fiction is made. It’s one of those litter literary gems that we like to revisit from time to time and I know I have already put it on my “to read again” list. It’s a good one, to be sure!

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.