Tag: Erotic Romance

Guest Review: Buck Naked by Evangeline Anderson

Posted April 6, 2017 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: Buck Naked by Evangeline AndersonReviewer: Tracy
Buck Naked by Evangeline Anderson
Series: Cougarville Series #1
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, Swerve
Publication Date: April 4th, 2017
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Sadie Becker is not herself. A 40-year-old, divorced mother of two, Sadie wakes up one morning and realizes that she looks and feels like she did in her twenties. Suddenly she’s unable to walk around in her new town of Cougarville without men falling at her feet. Confused and alone, Sadie isn’t sure who to turn to…except answers to her problems might reside with her broodingly handsome reclusive neighbor, Mathis.

An alpha shifter, Mathis lost the love of his life, and he knows he’ll never find another mate. But his innocent new neighbor clearly doesn’t know the danger she’s in, and he's the only one who can save her.

But when the attraction pulls too strong, will Mathis’ animal nature be unleashed and claim Sadie for his own?

Sadie wakes up on her 40th birthday, looks in the mirror, and can’t believe how she looks.  She looks about 20 years younger and she’s a bit freaked out by it.  She starting a new job so she has to get to town.  She’s just got divorced from her cheating husband and moved to a cabin in a town fondly called Cougarville by its residents.  Her mother left the cabin to her after she died but neither Sadie nor her twin, Samantha, knew anything about it.

Her first day in town doesn’t go exactly as she thought it would.  No one will serve her, they keep calling her “Juvie,” they act like she’s got leprosy and they keep kicking her out of her businesses.  Someone even slashes her tires!  When she ends up crying on her hot neighbor’s porch he eventually explains that everyone is calling her “Juvie” because she’s got a shifter gene in her that makes her someone who rejuvenates when they hit anywhere from 40-50 years old.  They are the only ones that can breed new shifters and they’re very rare.  Apparently her mother was one as well and now all the men want her and all the women hate her because they’re not a juvie as well.  Sadie is stunned by this news but soon handles it with aplomb – probably because she gets to get naked with her hot neighbor, Mathis.  Unfortunately the mayor of Cougarville, Liam Keller, wants Sadie for himself and he’s not afraid to play dirty to get her.

Buck Naked was a cute erotic PNR.  Anderson put a nice twist on the whole shifter/mating thing which made things a little more interesting.  What also made things different in this story was the fact that all of the shifters in Cougarville shifted into animals from the Paleolithic era (yes, the Stone Age).  We only got to read about Mathis’s Irish Elk and Keller’s cougar which was more like a saber-tooth tiger.  I’m sure there were other animals in town but I have no idea what they were.

Sadie was a sweet woman but was more than clueless when it came to the town.  I wouldn’t have put up with the town’s shit they were shoveling out but she just kind of ran instead of getting answers.  Mathis was great to her and I loved how he cared for her when she needed him.

Mathis was a good man.  He had been married before and loved his wife.  He has sworn to after she died that he would never take another mate and hadn’t been with a woman in 20 years.  He tried his best to stay away from Sadie but found himself falling in love with her.  It happened quickly but it was still cute.

Overall a good start to a paranormal series. Of course there is A LOT of sex in the story because it was an erotic romance.  Anderson always writes good sex scenes, that’s for sure.  If you want a quick, sexy read then grab this one.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Totally apart from the story…what is up with the guy on the cover of this book? I can’t stop laughing! Is that supposed to be a sexy smirk? Fail. He looks like he’s trying to get something out of his teeth. And his eyes…he’s not cross-eyed but the way he’s looking to the side certainly makes it look that way. Weird.

three-half-stars


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Guest Review: Big Package by Opal Carew

Posted November 21, 2016 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Big Package by Opal CarewReviewer: Tracy
Big Package by Opal Carew
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: October 25th 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance
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three-stars

Baby it’s cold outside…but things are about to heat up.

I missed the last bus to my sister’s for Christmas, and now I'm stranded in a bus station—in the middle of a blizzard—with a giant package covered in naughty wrapping paper.

Then he shows up: Kalen Welles, the football star from my high school fantasies—and offers me a ride.

Just when the car is getting cozy, the roads get shut down due to snow.
Luckily there’s a nearby cabin where we can hole up for the night.

A warm fireplace, cozy blankets, pent-up longing we both spent years ignoring… maybe I’ll be able to unwrap Kalen's big package before Christmas morning.

But when the snow clears and the ice melts, will the former football star and the shy nerd finally get a happy ending?

Holly broke up with her boyfriend a week before she’s supposed to go to her sister’s house for Christmas.  She thinks he’s being nice when he offers to drop her off at the bus station but then gets her there late and leaves her with a big Christmas package.  The bus driver won’t let her on and won’t stow it because there’s only 1 bag allowed.  She can’t leave it cuz the jerkwad told her that her grandmother’s necklace was inside.  She’s sitting there contemplating her options when a gorgeous man notices her.

Kalen’s on his way to Ottawa too and strangely enough she knows him from high school.  She was heavy in high school but had always had a crush on him.  They head off to Ottawa but the snow storm gets worse and the road gets closed.  Luckily her sister’s cabin isn’t far and they head there to spend the night.  One thing leads to another and soon they’re in bed together and Kalen has really big package for her. She’s intimidated but ready to roll.

Holly has some self-esteem issues so when Kalen says he’s always liked her but never asked her out she doubts him.  He wants to keep seeing her but there might be other obstacles in their way that keeps them apart.

This was a cute story that was pretty sexy.  I liked Kalen – he seemed like a good guy for the most part.  Holly was so very insecure it almost ruined the relationship a couple of times but she came through in the end.

The whole thing with the big Christmas package was funny.  Holly’s ex was a total ass and when she found out the contents of the box it was funny – not for her but for the reader.  Now, Kalen’s big package?  I didn’t care for that as much. I mean, he’s got a 12-inch penis that’s got a head like a billiard ball.  I know it’s supposed to be the whole play on words but it just got a little…old.  Maybe it was me but I didn’t find it erotic – just kind of annoying.

Anyway, in the end I found this to be a cute erotic Christmas novella.

Rating; 3 out of 5

three-stars


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Guest Review: The Silver Chain by Primula Bond

Posted December 28, 2013 by Judith in Reviews | 0 Comments

The Silver ChainJudith’s review of The Silver Chain (Unbreakable Trilogy #1) by Primula Bond

Bound by passion, she was powerless to resist.

One dark evening in London, photographer Serena Folkes is indulging her impulsive side with a night-time shoot. But someone is watching her – mysterious entrepreneur Gustav Levi. Serena doesn’t know it yet, but this handsome stranger will change her life forever…

Serena is fascinated by Gustav, the enigmatic owner of the Levi Gallery, and she soon feels an irresistible pull of attraction. The interest is mutual, and Gustav promises to launch Serena’s photographic career at his gallery, but only if Serena agrees to become his exclusive companion.

To mark their agreement, Gustav gives Serena a bracelet to wear at all times. Attached to it is a silver chain of which he is the keeper. With the chain Gustav controls Serena physically and symbolically – a sign that she is under his power.

As their passionate relationship intensifies, Gustav’s hold on the silver chain grows stronger. But will Gustav’s dark past tear them apart?

This book is one that you’ll either like or you won’t.  It’s the kind of story that grows out of a chance meeting in a foggy London square and moves on to a much more formal relationship.  It was not an easy book to read in its style which I didn’t feel comfortable with much of the time, and it was uncomfortable to read of the intensity of these two people when they knew so little about each other.  I’m still uncomfortable with the idea of people falling into bed with someone they really don’t know, sharing their most intimate selves with a stranger with the ease of sitting down at MacDonald’s and sharing a large order of fries with someone you’ve just met.  Yet there was a sense to the story and one I did pursue through the  novel.

There’s lots about BDSM that makes lots of us uncomfortable, perhaps the deep needs for it that are the most curious.  That is not a judgmental statement.  I know it’s a matter of “different strokes for different folks.”  I guess there is a sense of belonging that Serena needed and Gustav provided that for her.  As a person who has been surrounded by loving family most of my life I do know that the emptiness of not belonging has to be excruciating.  The symbolism of the Silver Chain is important for someone who needs that belonging and overt connection.

My greatest problem with this book was its style.  Sometimes it was so easy to read no matter how involved the story became.  At other times the way the book unfolded really “lost” me and I had to struggle to keep on.  I just had the feeling . . . and this was only a feeling, mind you . . . that the author was trying out different ways of telling the story, as if one style became boring and now it was time for another way of relating the tale.

I guess my summary is that I was not thrilled with this novel and found it to be troubling in a number of ways.  I thought the heroine was shallow–yes, she had baggage that was not enviable and it is always a difficulty when one feels that they must live through their career or their photographic connection to others.  But I was uneasy with some of her childish behavior at times.  I have to say that I liked Gustav, a caring and considerate Dom and a man who knew what he liked and what he wanted.  That he cared deeply for Serena was never in doubt, but I am not sure that his life was enriched by her participation.  I guess that’s for him to decide, eh?

Tough book which will appeal to a very particular audience.  I have my favorite BDSM books but I have to report that this isn’t one of them.  I give this novel a rating of 3 out of 5.

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

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


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Guest Review: Claiming Her Warriors by Savannah Stuart

Posted December 11, 2013 by Judith in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Claiming Her Warriors by Savannah StuartReviewer: Judith
Claiming Her Warriors (Lumineta, #2) by Savannah Stuart
Series: Lumineta #2
Also in this series: Claimed by the Warrior
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: July 22, 2013
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 78
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Two brothers want to possess her…

After her planet was destroyed, Brianna was rescued by two fierce and desperately gorgeous warrior brothers. Aeron and Hauk. They want to keep her, protect her, mate her. But what the brothers wanted from her was too much to handle. Settling into a new culture was hard enough without dealing with the custom that dictates she mate with two males. So she pushed them away.

They’ll do anything to protect her…

An attack sends Brianna back into the arms of the sexy brothers. Now they'll do whatever it takes to win her over. But can Brianna go against the conventions of her human nature and accept both warriors as her mates? It might not matter because someone is out for blood and it’s up to Aeron and Hauk to defend her against a deadly enemy.

I  have long admired writers whose creativity takes them into the future.  I’m not sure I could ever dream up some of the scenarios they do and make them so realistic and believable.  It’s probably one of the reasons I am not much of a sci-fi/futuristic fiction lover.  But when I saw that this book was authored by one of my favorites under a pseudonym I was a sucker and had to download it.  I’m glad I did.

Perhaps one of the reasons I liked this novella was the fact that the heroine struggled with the culture of the world in which she finds herself.  We all know how much stress we experience when we encounter significant changes in our lives–loss of or change of jobs, a wedding or funeral, moving out of an area that has been home for a long time and so forth.  Imagine finding oneself in a totally alien environment where the expectations are completely foreign to one’s upbringing as well as one’s understand of “normal” or what is “moral.”  So it is with this heroine and her story unfold with a lot of emotion inwardly for her as well as the intensity of the two brothers who are determined to make her their mate.

This story is beautifully written and flows so seamlessly from page to page and scene to scene.  The characters are well-defined and there is balance between dialogue and that inner monologue that all novels include, some more than others.   It’s sexy and full of spice, and the brothers are the stuff of which fantasies are made.   This author has put lots of story in a small number of pages.  It’s not long or time consuming but is a very nice little literary treat for an afternoon or short evening read or one of those nice things we do for ourselves amid the busyness of our day.  With the holidays approaching, this would be a nice little “personal time” kind of indulgence.

I give it a rating of 3.75 out of 5

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

This book is available from Katie Reus (self-pub).  You can buy it here or here in e-format.

 

three-half-stars


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Guest Review: Exposed to You by Beth Kery

Posted February 25, 2013 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Exposed to You by Beth KeryReviewer: Renee
Exposed to You (One Night Of Passion, #2) by Beth Kery
Series: One Night Of Passion #2
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: November 6th 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Erotica
Pages: 307
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

From the author of the unforgettable Because You Are Mine...

Losing control is just the beginning…

“What would you do if the sexiest man in the world was bent on bringing you unbearable pleasure again and again? Joy Hightower wasn’t sure she could survive the experience…or live without it."

It’s not often you’re hired to paint a body tattoo—and what a body—on a total stranger at a Hollywood film set. A reserved and careful art teacher, Joy would never forget it. In a rare fit of raw desire she gave herself completely, knowing she’d never see him again, or ever repeat such a shameless, naked impulse.

Little did she know, the man with whom she shared that lightning bolt of lust was star Everett Hughes. For Everett, women and sex came as easily as fame. But how could he hope to convince the guarded Joy that beneath the hard body and sexy façade of celebrity was a real man who wanted only one, real woman?

In the heat of an intoxicating affair, Everett endeavors to break down her barriers, gain her trust, and expose himself as the real deal. But can Joy do the same, and reveal to him the vulnerable woman who longs to be loved, wanted, and desired forever?  

Read the incredibly hotExposed to You excerpt“.  In the excerpt, Joy, reeling from a cancer diagnosis, is asked to apply special effects body makeup on Everett, an actor. The chemistry and tension that builds between them as she works on his tattoo leads to an intense sexual encounter that’s contrary to Joy’s typically cautious nature.

After reading this combustible opening (the excerpt is taken from the first chapter of the book) I was really curious to see how the author could build Joy and Everett’s relationship beyond their obvious physical attraction into something deeper and more lasting. The rest of the book takes place over a year after their first encounter–and after her cancer treatment, and while they are still drawn to each other, Joy especially, has changed greatly in the interim.

Through both blisteringly raw and intimate encounters, and time spent outside of the bedroom, Joy and Everett get to know each other. They reveal their vulnerabilities and their history. I really like that time was spent on developing their relationship through many levels of sharing, and that they each found qualities in the other worth exploring. Joy sees Everett’s grace and confidence. He is so comfortable in his own skin, and she is just wowed by that. Everett loves that Joy is unimpressed with his celebrity, seeing him as a whole person, not just the guy on the supermarket tabloid.

However, Everett also finds Joy a bit of an enigma. Her sexual connection with him is so open. She responds to his dominance with a willing acceptance, allowing herself to be incredibly vulnerable to him. Yet, Joy also keeps a part of herself closed to him in the aftermath of their sexual encounters. She pushes him away, and he can’t figure out why.

And, this is where I have some issues with Joy. I really got how she would pull away from Everett some times, protecting herself from anticipated future hurt. His reputation and all the baggage that comes from being a celebrity sometimes gets in the way of letting her believe that Everett’s feelings were genuine and lasting.

But, I had a harder time understanding her insistence on secrecy around having had cancer. It becomes an elephant in the room that Everett can sense, but not identify.  I felt so frustrated for him at times. I really worried that the author wouldn’t be able to resolve this issue in a way that felt true to the character and story, and allowed for a believable HEA.

However, I shouldn’t have worried. Beth Kery’s ability to convey deeply emotional issues really allowed me to see Joy’s growth, and believe in their HEA.

When I read Exposed to You, I didn’t realize until about halfway through the book that is was the second book in the One Night of Passion series. It stood alone well, and now I’m really excited to read the first book, Addicted to You (written by Beth Kery as Bethany Kane) and 2 related novellas.

4 out of 5

The Series: (including novella’s 1.5 & 1.6)

Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover

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

four-stars


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