ARC REVIEW: Mine (Club Sin #7) by Stacey Kennedy

Title: Mine
Series: Club Sin #7
Author: Stacey Kennedy
Publisher: Loveswept
Published: October 27th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 170
Genres: Adult, Erotica, BDSM, Romance
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
★★★ (3/5) Stars

Stacey Kennedy | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Dmitri and Presley—the scorching-hot couple who started it all in the USA Today bestseller Claimed—return to save Club Sin in the exhilarating new short novel from Stacey Kennedy. 

Dmitri Pratt is living out his dream. Not only does he own the ultimate playground for the BDSM lifestyle, he’s found a special connection with his deliciously sexy sub, Presley Flynn, the woman who complements him in ways that go far beyond the bedroom. But when an anonymous blackmailer threatens to expose the elite, high-profile members of Club Sin in a notorious tabloid, Dmitri’s perfect world spirals out of control.

Before she met Dmitri, Presley never imagined she would find a Master who could deliver on all her hottest fantasies. Dmitri’s love and his sensual artistry surprise her every day, until he suddenly turns distant and cold. For the first time, Presley wonders where Dmitri’s heart truly lies: with her, or with Club Sin. As the life they’ve built together begins to crumble, Presley can only trust that Dmitri has what it takes—to defend what’s his, and win back the woman he cannot live without.

Mine is intended for mature audiences.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Boy is this a tough one. I have been in love with this series ever since I read Claimed back in 2013. I've fallen in love with all of the Club Sin Masters and their subs, their stories, their struggles, just everything. They've not all been top of the list favorites for me, but I've had a love for each one all the same. So it's hard to come back to the beginning, back to Dmitri and Presley and not feel those same emotions one last time. In the end I basically got through the end of this one for one to see how things would end up for Club Sin itself and two because I was interested in meeting Micah who starts off a sort of spin-off type of series. So in those two instances I was satisfied.

Now in book one I absolutely adored Presley. She was just so cute and adorable and I wanted to put her in my pocket and take her everywhere with me. However we fast forward to Mine and oh my word I could not stand her! I'm sure there will be some that disagree with me but all throughout this book all I got from her was how selfish and whiny and ridiculous she was. I mean you see what it says in the first paragraph of that blurb right? Dmitri had all of that crap on his plate, all those club member's privacy and personal/public lives basically hanging over his head about to be exposed and all Presley could think is "Why isn't he here comforting me and talking it through with me?" "And wait! Also why hasn't he asked me to marry him yet? I mean we've never talked about marriage but he should just know!" Blah. Blah. Blah. Like I wanted to bang my head against a wall she was so annoying.

That's not to say Dmitri was Mr. Perfect. Even though up to a point I was mostly on his side, I did think that him shutting her out wasn't fair. I could see what he was trying to do and how he was trying to protect her, but he went about it wrong. But there was an incident at a certain point when he goes out of control that I lost all respect for him. I understand that what he did to Presley was supposed to represent his loss of control and all that jazz but I really felt that as far as it went was way out of character for him.

I truly felt like I was reading about two totally different characters and so it was really hard to want to keep going. I feel like just forgetting most of the Dmitri/Presley stuff and focus on seeing all my other favorite characters and enjoying how the club issue was resolved and that sweet, romantic, wonderful bit at the end between two characters I was so angry at through most of the book! Sigh. It really was a super sweet ending. Which is the only reason why I didn't do what I was tempted to do and go lower with my rating.

This book aside, I truly am going to miss the Club Sin gang, thankfully though I can just open my Kindle any time I want to revisit them. This has been a truly great series. It was my first dip into the world of BDSM and it really opened up my comfort zone reading wise. I can't wait for Micah to be released and see what these new Doms are all about. From what I hear things are going to be even more heated with these guys! Yikes!!

Thanks to Loveswept for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: Seven Sins [Anthology]

Title: Seven Sins (Anthology)
Author(s): Natalie Anderson, Amy Andrews, Michele de Winton, Robin Covington, Avery Flynn, Carmen Falcone & Talia Hunter
Published: October 19th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 423
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Erotica
Source: Author (Talia Hunter)
★★★  (3/5) Stars!

Seven Sins: Seven Sizzling Stories! Bikers, Stepbrothers, Bosses, Baseball, BDSM and more!

Can't get enough of hot contemporary romance? For a LIMITED time buy this sexy, EXCLUSIVE anthology with seven ALL NEW stories from top authors, including USA Today Bestsellers, and discover your favorite sin today!

I received a copy of this book, from one of the authors, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Big thanks to Talia Hunter first of all for the opportunity to read and review this book. As an all around average for the entire book I'd give it a 3 star rating. However each individual story inside I had very different feelings for. So for the rest of this review I'll give as brief of a summary of my feelings for each one and what I would have rated it if it were an individual novella!

Envy

Blaze for Me by Natalie Anderson

★★★ 3 Stars!
When Austin Tate busts Nicoletta Valeri in a blistering moment of voyeuristic orgasm-envy, it’s the perfect chance for some payback, but instead she’s lit a fire than can be extinguished by only one thing…

So this opening story definitely gave me a crash course for what to expect within this book. The opening scene was this incredibly hot voyeuristic scene that kind of shocked me at first. There was no slowly breaking into it, it just happened on page one. It was fun in a naughty sort of way though.. As for the rest of the story, well, I liked it and enjoyed it but the dialogue very nearly ruined it for me. That and the couple was very immature at times. I probably would have enjoyed it a whole lot more if that dialogue had backed up the fun and steamy storyline.

Gluttony

Glutton for Punishment by Amy Andrews

★★★★ 4 Stars!
With a sudden hankering to be spanked, Darcy Henderson figures Mitch Callaghan is the man for the job. But is she woman enough to take it?

This story was everything I've grown to love and expect from Amy Andrews. Lots of steamy, characters you can instantly love and plenty of humorous funny moments. I think my favorite part of the whole thing was Darcy's grandmother and her friends from the retirement community. They had err...some very surprising sides...to not give anything away. They were so dang funny! I think my biggest complaint about this one would be that it was a shame it was a short story because I would have loved to spend more time with Darcy and Mitch!! Over way too soon!

Lust

Burned by Lust by Michele de Winton

★ 1 Star (DNF)
Biker, Hade Corban is set to take over the Raising Hellfire Gang and love isn’t on his agenda, but lusty goodtime girl Lee Delevinge is hell bent on burning up his heart.

To be perfectly honest...I only read about 5 pages of this one tops before I had to DNF it. You either know or you don't if you're going to like something. And it wasn't because this was about an MC because I've been reading one that I love. I guess what happened was, at least from what I could tell, one of the new guys in the gang had taken a couple of girls upstairs to try and "prove something" to the rest of the guys but was so wasted he passed out so when Hade goes upstairs because of all the banging going on up there one of the naked "ladies" on the bed catches his eye. I lost interest before they said a word to each other. No thanks. Done.

Wrath

Sleeping with the Enemy by Robin Covington

★★★ 3 Stars!
All’s fair in love and baseball…but when Kat Carter, the newly-minted GM for the Virginia Venom, is determined to recruit rival superstar shortstop (and former lover) Derek Foxx the last thing she expects is a sexy ultimatum… Best-selling author Robin Covington proves that rivalry outside the bedroom leads to sparks between the sheets.

This one was really cute and fun and even made me tear up a bit. I really loved getting to know Kat and Derek especially since I'm such a sucker for a really good second chance at love story. And this was one of them, even as short as it was. I feel like the reason my rating for this one was on the lower side was because of the abundance of the word "tits" used even by Kat at times. I have no idea why this word always bugs me so much but it there were points where it made me want to cringe. Still though I pretty much adored this one and it was probably one of my favorite of the seven.

Sloth

Princess Sin by Avery Flynn

★★✩ 2.5 Stars
There’s trouble on the horizon when Cynthia Aston, who the tabloids have nicknamed Princess Cyn for her slacker party girl ways, stows away on a yacht that belongs to workaholic billionaire Hunter McKenney, her older brother’s sexy best friend.

Not counting the story I didn't even make it through, I'd have to say this one was my least favorite. I feel like any one of the seven sins, most especially sloth, would be very easy to convey eitehr through characters or storyline without having to spell it out. However, more times than I cared to count the word sloth or slothful was thrown around to describe Cyn. It really bothered me. To me it just felt like a lack of creativity if you have to use the word sloth repeatedly to try to prove to me that this is what your story was about. But not only that the dialogue was lackluster as well. I mean there was other stuff that put me off about it too but just so I'm not completely Negative Nancy about this story I will say that there was one shining, bright moment in the book. At the end Hunter gives the perfect best man speech/grand gesture that would have had me swooning and tears if it were me. I wish the rest of the book could've been like that speech!

Pride

Accidentally Sinful  by Carmen Falcone

★★★✩ 3.5 Stars!
Stranded due to a snowstorm, Santiago Cruz must let go of his pride and acknowledge forbidden feelings for the woman he loves but can’t forgive—his stepsister.

What is it about these stepbrother stories that always makes me want to love them? The very beginning of this one was actually hard to follow and understand what was going on. But once things became more clear, the reasons for the rift between them and so on, I actually kinda liked this story. It wasn't perfect I mean it resolved way, way too quickly, almost got whiplash it snapped into place so fast, but nonetheless very enjoyable. Plus Santiago was pretty yummy!

Greed

How to Seduce a CEO by Talia Hunter

★★★ 3 Stars!

Hot shot CEO Marcus Bolton’s decided who to hire for the top job, and it’s not Angel Moore, no matter how temping she might be. But Angel will do whatever it takes to land the job of her dreams—even seduce the boss.

So I'm guessing that this was probably a novella in Talia's series The Rich List, which I read the first book in and loved. Angel isn't normally the type of female character I'm drawn to. She's almost overly driven and will do basically anything to get what she's after career wise. I didn't like a lot of the choices she made nor the fact that it really felt as if she was using her sexuality and her budding relationship with Marcus to get him on her side and to get him to fight for her for a huge promotion. But it really was hard to not like her or respect drive and ambition in a very male driven job and environment that she was in. And to feel bad for her for being so much better at what she does than most of the guys combined at her company but because it was so much a good ol' boys club she was overlooked. A lot. I probably would've gone 4 stars on this one but towards the end I lost quite a bit of respect for Angel and how she treated Marcus when things weren't going her way. Overall I liked it but I wavered for a second at the end there.

***

Sorry this was so long but I felt like trying to convey all my thoughts on the book as a whole would have been too hard since my feelings were really all over the place for each story. I had more fun than not reading this book and I feel like the majority of the novellas really made reading this book worth it and are worth getting it for. Lots of steamy, naughty and super fun times to be had!

ARC REVIEW: Bind Me Before You Go (Serve #8) by Harper Kincaid

Title: Bind Me Before You Go
Series: Serve #8
Author: Harper Kincaid
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Published: July 21st 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 132
Genres: Adult, Erotica, BDSM, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Harper Kincaid | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A sexy category romance from Entangled's Brazen imprint...

His heart is bound tighter than the bondage he craves...

Determined to put her past behind her, Cassidy Peyton moves to the Big Apple. But New York has a few dark secrets of its own, including Serve, an exclusive BDSM club. It's a place she isn't sure she's ready for, until she sees him watching her. Hot. Intent. Knowing. With eyes that leave her stomach tied in knots, because the loneliness he's trying to hide matches her own.

Security expert David Cavill has more secrets than any man should. Secrets that forever shut down any possibility of love, marriage, or family. Yet Cassidy draws him in, an intoxicating combination of strength, candor, and sensuality that David can't resist. But as their bond deepens, Cassidy must decide if she can love a man whose heart is bound tighter than the form of bondage he craves...

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

I have so much love for Entangled's Brazen line. They are short, quick reads with a lot of feelings and a lot of naughty. The perfect thing to pick up when you want to get through something quickly, a nice little appetizing snack to whet your whistle. I think, in a way, that was sort of a negative when it came to Bind Me Before You Go. Don't get me wrong, and don't let that 3 star rating fool you, I loved this book, the characters and the storyline. I just feel like, had there been opportunity to really flesh out this book, add a couple hundred pages. really expand on David and Cassidy's back stories this book could have gone from great to amazing. As short as it is though, everything is crammed in and just happens like bam, bam, bam with no time to breathe and truly absorb.

As far as I can remember from the past 7 books in the Serve series, I'm pretty sure that both David and Cassidy are new characters in this world. I really liked both of them though. A lot. They have these very heart wrenching back stories. Things from their past that could easily break the best of people, probably would have broken me. But these two are survivors. They've both found their own ways to cope and to retreat into themselves. I wanted more of that. More of what had made them the people they were today, instead of the quick explanations. More of David dealing with his brother and Cassidy dealing with her past as well.

The one thing I could find no fault in was the incredible chemistry between these two. When they would come together there was this rightness between them. And this nearly tangible heat. Made me want to find the nearest object and attempt to fan myself with it! So much yum!

Though I guess I shouldn't have said I found no fault because if I had one complaint it would be that, once again, it all happened too fast. Too quickly Cassidy opens up to David. Too quickly and easily they could just read each other and know what the other one needs. Too quickly they fell hard. So, yes. It was pretty insta-love in a lot of ways. Yet that didn't really bother me or leave me frustrated, deep into the eye rolls. There was just too much sweetness to them.

In the end, yes, everything happened at warp speed and wasn't as drawn out as I would've liked for it to have been. But by the time I was done reading it really didn't matter because the characters still stole my heart and made me feel for them. I would definitely read more from Harper Kincaid in the future!

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: Commanded (Club Sin #6) by Stacey Kennedy

Title: Commanded
Series: Club Sin #6
Author: Stacey Kennedy
Publisher: Loveswept
Published: July 7th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 195
Genres: Adult, Erotica, Romance, BDSM
Source: Publisher/NetGalley
★★★★ (4/5) Stars!

Stacey Kennedy | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Club Sin comes alive once again in this decadent new erotic romance from USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy, perfect for fans of Fifty Shades of Grey.

A dedicated cop, Sawyer Quinn blows off steam by immersing himself in his role as a Master at the hottest club in Las Vegas. But when Sawyer goes after the perp who brutally beat his sister, he teams up with Chloe Nash, a sexy private investigator who awakens a sweet new need: to keep her to himself, away from the dungeon of Club Sin. Chloe is beautiful, smart, and too innocent for the BDSM lifestyle. Sawyer’s never wanted a woman like this before. Is her love worth swearing off the one thing that keeps him sane?

There’s something different about Sawyer: a commanding strength that pulls Chloe into a vortex of heady desire. But when she learns about his double life as a Dom, she’s shocked—and afraid she could never complete him. Then he saves her life, and just like that, Chloe knows she will be able to give him anything he desires. She is his—wherever and however he wants to take her.

I receive a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each one of the Masters of Club Sin.  I've loved the mix of lightness and intensity that each of their books has brought. There were things that worked well for me and a few things that didn't, but all in all I think Sawyer's story was the perfect way to close out all the new stories from the Club Sin series.

Each of the Masters has had their own pull, their own little something that has drawn me to want to read each one of their books very badly. With Dmitri he was my first foray into the world of BDSM, he brought something new and exciting to my very skeptical mind. With Aidan, he seemed very serious and controlled, all business, yet I could see the passion and heart ready to break free. And then there's Kyler. Sigh, oh Kyler. Even now, after all this time, I am still totally into this guy. I knew before I even read his book that he was going to be my guy. It was his playful and teasing nature that drew me to him. I think Porter would be a very close second to being my favorite from this series. Anyone who can tame Kenzie was someone I wanted to get to know better, plus his close relationship with Cora, from book two, and the way he looked out for her after all this time was heartwarming.

And then there was Sawyer. Sawyer was still almost a mystery to me from the beginning of this book and that was his draw. He's been around in the first five books of course but not enough to get a real good grasp on his personality and what was going on in his head. I have really loved getting to know his character. He's fiercely loyal and protective, plus, like Kyler, he's a cop so...hello sexy man in uniform! The storyline with his sister's abusive boyfriend kind put a different light on this book. It showed a more human side of Sawyer. Instead of this powerful, controlled Dom you really get to see the guy behind the Dom.

Chloe, well, I feel like I did like her character in the very beginning and even before that from the previous book. But she became a bit of an annoyance for me. She did stupid things and put herself in bad places or situations all in the name of trying to understand Sawyer better. Instead of just talking to him and asking him the questions she talked to everyone but him. It was just frustrating and I guess sometimes I felt like she wasn't the right girl for him because of this.

Even though I had those few moments where I questioned things, still there was a sweetness to Sawyer and Chloe's relationship. I liked how her character stayed true to herself and within her limits and comfort zone.

I guess the thing I'd most like to stress about this series as a whole is that if you've never read a BDSM novel before but are curious, these books are the perfect starting point for indulging in that curiosity. I'd say it's like a spiced up erotica, it's very light and not at all cringe worthy. The men are very alpha and the women are submissive...with spunk. They've all be a lot of fun to read and this one was no different.

A huge thanks to Loveswept, Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: Rules of Seduction (Serve #7) by Joya Ryan

Title: Rules of Seduction
Series: Serve #7
Author: Joya Ryan
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Published: June 9th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 142
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Erotica, BDSM
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Joya Ryan | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

He'll be the dream and the dirty fantasy...

Through with both her controlling ex and relationships, Ava Webber is determined to explore the spicy and sometimes forbidden appetites of the exclusive BDSM nightclub, Serve. Here, she'll get exactly what she needs...as long as it's from a man she doesn't know.

Nolan Hart ensures that Serve's clients get what they want, how they want it. But with one look at the curvy brunette, Nolan knows he's the man to fulfill her desires. As the anonymous lover, he's Ava's dirtiest fantasy. Outside of Serve, he's her charming, smartass friend.

But Nolan wants more. More than Ava is willing to give. And as long as the blindfold stays on, she'll never discover that the two men she's falling for are one and the same... 

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating.

Bliss. That is the current state I am in right now. I just knew when I saw Joya Ryan's name on the cover that this book was going to be nothing short of perfection and oh my word...I was right. They could not have found a better person to add to the Serve series.

I have been wanting this book for quite a while now. Sometimes when you have a series like this, where each book focuses on a different couple, and you get little glimpses here and there of characters for future books, there will always be one character that stands out for me. He or she could do something as simple as walk into a room and say hi and that will be all it takes for me to feel this connection to them. It's been that way with Nolan ever since he first appeared. And for those who have read the previous books I have felt this way since before he played that, er, eye opening part in Will's book. There's just something about Nolan that made me feel like he was going to be my guy. I think it's only fitting that one of my absolute favorite authors wrote the story for my favorite guy in the series. I am over the moon right now.

Normally when I start a book with what I know is going to be a favorite character I worry a bit about whether or not I'll end up liking the partner that's been written for them. In this case there was no worry because Joya Ryan has this gift for writing brilliant characters with inferno strength chemistry. I absolutely adored Ava to pieces. I loved that she was the one who was seriously broken and outright frightened of the big C word...commitment. She was like the perfect mixture of fragile and toughness. Structured, serious and pretty closed off in her real life and yet wild, adventurous and more open within the club. But she fought very hard to keep both of those versions of herself totally separate in order to protect herself and her identity of self.

Nolan was everything I knew he was going to end up being. He's sweet and protective and funny and playful. Plus he is the perfect, panty dropping level of yummy male alphaness. By that I mean he's all gruff dominance, but he's not at that overly cocky level where that's all he is. Control and dominance. No, Nolan has the security within himself to be what his woman needs him to be. Whether it's taking over and consuming her or sitting back, in some cases laying back *grins*, and allowing her to take what she needs from him. He's just perfection.

I loved the storyline. The fact that there was no one that Nolan could trust to take care of Ava the way she needed to be taken care of and still give her the fantasy that she desired with the anonymity so he takes it on himself. I just knew that eventually Ava would find out and, already being very mistrustful of guys and connections, lying to her would be a huge betrayal in her eyes. I love feeling that almost utter hopelessness, that how on earth are they going to come back from something like this type of feeling. It makes the end and the happily ever after that much sweeter.

So as I've probably already said a hundred times in this review, I'm so glad that Joya Ryan was brought into this series. I am such a huge fan of her writing and characters, most especially her characters. She writes the type of characters that make you fall in love with them instantly and wish that they were real. They don't just add to the storylines they enhance them. And Rules of Seduction was no different. I highly recommend this one, it's sweet, angsty, funny and holy jeebus is it steamy!

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

ARC REVIEW: Say My Name (Stark International Trilogy #1) by J. Kenner

Title: Say My Name
Series: Stark International Trilogy #1
Author: J. Kenner
Publisher: Bantam
Published: April 7th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 368
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Erotica
Source: NetGalley/Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

J. Kenner | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner kicks off a smoking hot, emotionally compelling new erotic trilogy that returns to the world of her beloved Stark novels: Release Me, Claim Me, and Complete Me. Say My Name features Jackson Steele, a strong-willed man who goes after what he wants, and Sylvia Brooks, a disciplined woman who’s hard to get—and exactly who Jackson needs.

I never let anyone get too close—but he’s the only man who’s ever made me feel alive. 

Meeting Jackson Steele was a shock to my senses. Confident and commanding, he could take charge of any room . . . or any woman. And Jackson wanted me. The mere sight of him took my breath away, and his touch made me break all my rules.   

Our bond was immediate, our passion untamed. I wanted to surrender completely to his kiss, but I couldn't risk his knowing the truth about my past. Yet Jackson carried secrets too, and in our desire we found our escape, pushing our boundaries as far as they could go. 

Learning to trust is never easy. In my mind, I knew I should run. But in my heart, I never felt a fire this strong—and it could either save me or scorch me forever.

Say My Name is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

It always baffles me when I read a book and I absolutely love it and yet when it comes time to write a review I'm at a loss for words. It's been two days since I finished Say My Name and I'm still having difficulty getting my thoughts down. I was hooked from page one. It was sort of emotionally beautiful and wasn't what I was expecting in a heart wrenching and yet wonderful at the same time kind of way.

First and foremost this book has a deeply intense storyline. Everyone has secrets, hell everyone has lots of secrets. Some were easy to figure out and a lot of them haven't even been revealed yet. I love how much this book twisted and turned and kept me guessing and yet even though I'm down one book I know that it's not even close to being done messing with my heart. With just this one book this series has done a proper job of keeping my heart and my gut all twisted up.

The storyline though would have been nothing special if not for the complex and highly intriguing characters. Sylvia is who we really get to know in this book. Sylvia is pretty messed up. When I say messed up I mean that I don't even think broken would begin to describe her. Her secrets and her past, as they were slowly revealed, had me on the brink of being physically ill. It was tragic and my heart hurt for her so much. The more that comes out about her the easier it is to understand her actions and reactions to certain situations or her fears. She's kept so much locked inside of her for, like, ten years, not even her best friend knows the whole story. And the way she deals with all of the demons inside her isn't exactly healthy.

Which is where Jackson comes in. We've just barely scratched the surface when it comes to him and he's still a huge mystery for the most part. He's got lots of secrets of his own, only one of which has been revealed so far. I really like this guy so far, even though he has the very real possibility of breaking Sylvia's heart, and even mine for that matter, with the things that he's still keeping from her. The thing is Jackson does this amazing job of not letting Sylvia run and hide from what's going on in her head. He won't let her draw into herself. He pulls her out and gets her to open up. He's very dominant and alpha and yet with Sylvia he's so sweet and tender and loving. I'm actually pretty worried of what his secrets will do to all my feels!

One thing this book is not lacking in at all is the hot and steamy! It is erotica and so there was a lot of sex. A lot. And you know how sometimes that's all these kinds of books are? Just two people constantly falling into bed and lacking any real substance? Definitely not the case here. It had such a good and heartfelt storyline to it that the sex never once overpowered or overshadowed it. I loved the chemistry between these two characters and nearly every single time Jackson and Sylvia are together their heat and intensity was positively scorching. I will say though that the one thing that bothered me, and it's so ridiculous of me when you think about it, was the fact that Sylvia always, constantly referred to her lady parts as her sex. Which I mean is okay but the moment she said it out loud to Jackson when he was having her be vocal about what she wanted...it just felt awkward to me. I could never picture myself or anyone for that matter actually saying the words my sex out loud and having it be sexy. I don't know though. That's just me.

So this was my first book by J. Kenner and I feel like I started off on the right track. Since I have a bit of a wait until book two comes out this summer I plan on buying and devouring the Stark Trilogy that this spun-off of. Since Damien Stark is Sylvia's boss we get to see quite a bit of him in Say My Name and I have to admit...what I've seen so far I think I like. I want to get to know both him and Nikki a whole lot better. I'm loving the intensity and the mystery of this series so far. Lots of emotions and depth. It was a perfect start to the Stark International Trilogy and I can't wait for more!

Thank you Bantam for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

ARC REVIEW: Protecting Fate (Serve #6) by Katee Robert

Title: Protecting Fate
Series: Serve #6
Author: Katee Robert
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Published: March 17th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 172
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Erotica, BDSM
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Katee Robert | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

He’ll keep her safe…but who will protect her from him? 

Fixer Sara Reaver is in serious trouble. She’s stepped on the wrong toes, and now her uncle is sending her out of the city in an effort to keep her safe—and he’s assigning her a glorified babysitter. The last person she expects to show up is the gorgeous Z, or for him to tempt her and then reject her in the space of a single night. Twice. Now she’s out to prove to him just how good they’d fit up together in every way imaginable.

Mercenary Z Loreto hates protection jobs, but he’s willing to make an exception for his best friend’s little sister. The only problem is she calls up things he’s been doing his damnedest to keep under wraps for the last seven years. But when she pushes him too far, it all comes rushing to the fore, and the fact she’s willing to submit to his every desire only makes the loss of control sweeter.

Sara and Z have a boatload of issues between them, but they’re sure they can make things work if they take it one day at a time… Right up until things spiral beyond their control. Now Z’s playing for keeps in a big way, and Sara’s got to decide if a chance at true happiness is worth the risk of repeating history.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

A bunch of two word phrases are rattling around in my brain after finishing Protecting Fate. "Hell yes!", "Oh...wow...", "More please?!" just to name a few. The rest gradually build up until there's lots of cursing involved so I'll just let you use your imaginations. I seriously cannot get enough of the Serve series and all of these characters. They are just the right amounts of romance, angst and mind blowing naughtiness.

I'm just going to cut to the chase and tell you why this is my favorite book in this series otherwise I'm going to have a hard time concentrating on what I want to say. Z. I don't think I've loved that letter of the alphabet more than I do at this moment. As most of you probably know I am crazy about my alpha males. Z brings a whole new meaning to that phrase though. I don't think I've ever quite come across a guy with his level of alphaness (It's a word!) before and not ended up completely annoyed. I love Z though. He's got this quiet protectiveness that once you draw him out just a little all you want to do is engage him more and bring everything to the surface. And I love the fact that his quiet protective side tempered the alpha side of him in some ways and that beneath all those hard and commanding layers there was also a softer side. And even a funny guy. He wasn't completely rigid, he knew how let loose a bit, well as loose as you can get with a mercenary.

I have been so excited to have a story for Sara Reaver. I absolutely adored her after reading Mistaken by Fate, her brother Garrett's story. She was the female that I was most hoping would eventually get a book. Sara's one of those girls who is submissive...but very feisty. I like the girls who don't just, for lack of a better phrase, lay down and take it. I like my characters to have fight and a little bit of backbone and Sara has both of those things. She keeps Z on his toes and really gets under his skin and makes him lose control. Something he never, ever does. Sara's story was everything I had hoped it would be and more.

I loved that there was a bit of a dangerous element to this book. It was fitting having a character like Z that there should be some sort of threat to showcase the protective, soldier side of him. Though I guess if I were to have one complaint, and it will be the only one I do have, I think I would have liked to have seen more happen with that since it was the whole point of the storyline. As it was it just sort of cleared up and I felt just the tiniest bit of disappointment that the danger didn't get kicked up a notch or two. Though an even bigger part of me feels like if anything had happened Z probably would have snapped so maybe it was for the best.

The relationship between Sara and Z was the swooniest of all swoons. I couldn't get enough of these two and I was happy that for a good portion of the book they were sort of in a state of house arrest and away from other people. That the focus was just on them in this giant house. A house that, as big as it was, still ended up being too small to contain all the sexual tension that built up between them before Sara finally made Z's control snap.

Sigh.

Where was I?

Oh yes....

I really hope this isn't the end of this series. I don't know what I'm gonna do without new Serve books in my life! I tell you who else I would love to see get a story now that I've read Sara's, Nolan. *Gives Tessa Bailey and Katee Robert puppy dog eyes* I mean he's only been briefly in Will and Penelope's book and now in Sara and Z's, well to where it's more than a mention of his name that I remember anyway. But there's something that intrigues me about him. Regardless this series has been such a fun and exciting ride to this point. And Protecting Fate has been my favorite by a landslide.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

REVIEW: Tamed (Club Sin #5) by Stacey Kennedy

Title: Tamed
Series: Club Sin #5
Publisher: Loveswept
Published: March 10th 2015
Format: eBook | Pages: 256
Genres: Adult, Erotica, Romance, BDSM
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Stacey Kennedy | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy returns to the tantalizing world of Club Sin in an enticing novel of control and surrender.

Porter Marshall has nearly achieved his goal of becoming a Club Sin Master, but his new sub poses a much bigger challenge than he anticipated. Despite their mutual attraction and red-hot dungeon sessions, Kenzie Hart plays her own games. Her bratty, you-can’t-break-me attitude masks terrible personal hurt—pain that only the exquisite touch of a skilled Dom can release. But when Porter suggests taking their connection to the outside world, Kenzie denies him . . . which only makes him want her more.

Kenzie can’t ignore the raw, fierce bond she has with Porter. But she can’t give in to his dangerous demands, either. Is the passion they share real, or is he using her to solidify his status at Club Sin? And yet, who else can she trust with the shattering secrets she holds within? As Porter expertly brings her to the point of no return, Kenzie surrenders her body—and, piece by piece, her heart.

Tamed is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

The moment this book hit my Kindle I had the urge to run around shoving my Kindle in everyone's face as I excitedly shouted "Porter and Kenzie! Porter and Kenzie!" The only things that stopped me was, well, it was midnight and I'm sure waking people up out of a dead sleep wouldn't do very good things for my likability. And second, well nobody  I know outside the blogging world is very much of a reader so they'd probably respond with something along the lines of "That's...nice?" which would only end up dimming my excitement. I've been wanting this book the come out for so long that I dropped everything and started it immediately! It was so worth the wait and kind of perfect.

It worked for her, because it meant that they all saw her exactly as she wanted them to. A brat.

What had me the most excited for this book was the fact that Kenzie is kind of infamous among the members of Club Sin. Her fame in the world of Club Sin among the Masters, Doms and subs is the fact that she was...kind of a brat. Literally just about every time someone mentioned her name in the previous books she was always referred to as being a brat who liked to be punished so she would push all the Doms that worked with her until they would give her the punishment she was seeking. Most of them ended up dreading having to work with her. It always made me grin and wish that one of these days there would be a story for her so I could experience the wild child first hand.

Had he pegged her entirely wrong? Was she simply a little lost, not insolent?

The thing is that everything I thought I knew and expected I would see when reading this book when it came to Kenzie was just so wrong. I didn't expect all the hurt and emotional pain behind the tough and spunky girl that she showed to these people. This surprising side of her made me love her all the more. She's just a very, very broken person that's been let down and kicked in the gut by life one too many times and her story made my heart ache. Aside from all of that though the thing I did expect, her spunk and defiance was in full bloom and it was everything I hoped it would be. She was so, so, so much fun!

Perhaps it was his manhood talking, but he quite liked the idea of going up against the strongest sub he'd ever known.

Porter was absolutely incredible. I had already liked him before starting this but the deeper I got into this book the deeper my feelings for him got, to the point where he's just barely edged past Kyler as my favorite Master at Club Sin. I think what really did me in with him is the fact that he isn't just Powerful, protective and patient, there's this softer side, this sweetness to him and he would do anything for the people he cares about. Most importantly though was the fact that everybody else that comes across Kenzie just sees past her and only sees the brat who uses disrespect to get what she wants and they all just give in. That patience that Porter has though along with his incredible ability to read people really saw Kenzie. And where others would likely want to get rid of that spark she has that makes her mouthy and push buttons he embraced it and thought it was sexy and truly loved that side of her.

She wondered if that was simply because a Club Sin submissive was being threatened, or if it was because she was being threatened.

I loved the fact that Porter and Kenzie's storyline had so much depth to it. I mean, of course there was the heat and the sizzle. There was nothing tame about these two when they got together. And that first scene they had together right at the beginning of the book? Oh. My. Word. You almost need to turn up the AC to get through those passages! But really I loved that it wasn't just focused on their chemistry and that there was a darker and more dangerous element to it. One that showcased Porter's protective and possessive side. I'd feel sorry for anyone that posed a threat to what was his!

"Those girls are ours to protect, aren't' they?"

The best thing about this entire series though is the fact that once you finish a couple's book they're not really gone. They're like this little family and so they're always in each other's lives and an amazing support system to one another and look out for each other. It's always fun to see Dmitri and Presley, Aidan and Cora, Kyler and Ella and even Sawyer and see what's happening in their lives since their happily ever afters happened. Now I just have to try to make it through to July to get to Sawyer's book. I already adore him so much and briefly met Chloe in this book and can't wait to see her give him a run for his money in Commanded! Tamed was a perfect addition to the Club Sin series and it surpassed my expectations! Bring on Master Sawyer!

ARC REVIEW: Driven by Fate (Serve #5) by Tessa Bailey

Title/Series: Driven By Fate | Serve #5
Author: Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Published: February 16th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 235
Genre: Adult, Erotica, BDSM, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Tessa Bailey | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The first rule is obey... and she already broke it. 

Francesca "Frankie" De Luca always pays her debts. Even when it means stepping inside Serve, the sensuous Manhattan club that caters to particular adult desires. For Frankie, it's a taste of something she's always wanted—and never received. Until a sharply dressed Brit orders her into his room, and instructs her to undress before delivering the carnal punishment she so desperately needs...

She wasn't the woman Porter Evans was expecting. Not this wild thing with the pale, silvery eyes. And such cheek. But she violates Porter's strict rules of control. Temptation is a dangerous thing indeed. Yet everything about Frankie cries out for schooling about the tantalizing interplay of pleasure and pain. So Porter offers Frankie a deal she can't refuse—and the only thing she owes him is submission...

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Ever since opening up the first book in the Serve series, also by Tessa Bailey, Owned by Fate, I have been crazy about it. It's intense, steamy and just the right amount of BDSM to not quite push me out of my comfort zone reading wise but just linger right there on the edge, well except maybe this one. The men are all true alphas, filled with dominance and yet not so tough that there doesn't seem to be a heart deep inside there waiting to be brought out by the right woman. And the women are feisty and independent in a lot of ways that don't give up total control too easily. It's been the perfect blend of give and take.

I was so excited to see that Frankie was getting a book of her own. She makes some brief appearances in the first couple of books in the series and she was very memorable. She's a tough cookie. We're talking New York, tom boyish, raised by a bunch of New York male cabbies, including her uncle, kind of tough. Full of attitude and pride. I had already admired her spunk and sense of determination before starting this book and in finishing it I like her so much more. I figured it would be interesting to say the least to see someone with a personality as strong willed as Frankie's allow herself to be dominated. Boy was it. She's become my favorite female in the series at this point.

On the other hand, normally someone like Porter would be my ideal guy, someone I'd be attracted to beyond all reason. He's British (my weakness...), very alpha, powerful, controlled, a bit dangerous and intimidating. I'd be falling at this guys feet! But there were too many times throughout this book that I just did not understand him. He seemed so contradictory and at times and not in a good way. It was just a bit too confusing to me. Plus his intensity was just too much. I mean he literally scared me at times with his very dark side. It had been mentioned in previous books that Porter did have this side to him and I think for me most of the time he was going way out of my comfort zone. By the end he went from being my ideal to someone I just sort of...tolerated to finish the book, which left me sad.

I did enjoy the storyline though which had everything to do with Frankie. The realness of her and her depth made up for everything I felt Porter was lacking. I still enjoyed parts of it even though it was my least favorite book in the series. I love Tessa Bailey's writing quite a bit so it leaves me feeling sad to say that. I guess I'd say read it if you don't mind having your limits pushed and going into a much darker side of BDSM.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!