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: Win Me (The Outback Bachelor Ball #1) by Joan Kilby

Title: Win Me
Series: The Outback Bachelor Ball #1
Author: Joan Kilby
Publisher: Joan Kilby
Published: October 20th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 143
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Author
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Joan Kilby | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

She’ll do anything to get him to see her as a woman...

Feisty, fearless Ellie McFarlane has tried forever to get cattle station manager, Rick Drummond, to notice she’s not another cowhand. So when her gal pals talk her into glamming up for an Outback Bachelor and Spinster ball she’s eager to prove she’s all woman, all the time, and leave her boneheaded cowboy eating dust.

Sexy wrangler Rick is crazy about Ellie just as she is but her father – his boss – told him long ago that his daughter was off limits. Even though she’s all grown up now, Rick still feels it’s his job is to protect her, not seduce her. Plus, he’s finally got an opportunity to buy back his family farm, which means moving far away.

Ellie’s transformation from Cinder-Ellie to belle of the ball has Rick’s jaw dropping – and all the other cowboys falling at her feet. Ellie tries to revel in her new-found sex-pot status but without Rick it’s a hollow victory. Has Rick left it too late to claim the only woman he’ll ever truly love....

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

Joan Kilby was nice enough to send me eARCs of all 3 books in this series. The blurb sounded interesting and fun for Win Me and the only other book I read by her, while I didn't love it, I liked it well enough to be curious about trying another one of her other books and felt like this was the perfect opportunity to give that a go. I find myself in the same position that I was with the previous book. I didn't love it, but I most definitely didn't hate it. It was fun and kinda quirky but I had a really hard time connecting with the characters.

The concept behind the Outback Bachelor and Spinster Ball, which is a real thing by the way I looked it up, was so interesting and cool. I liked the idea behind why it started way back when, how it was an event for people who lived out in the country to get together and meet potential partners. You camp out, there's alcohol, live bands, dancing. Sounds like a lot of fun for young people and it was a fun setting full of possibilities for romantic antics.

Like I said in the beginning, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Actually individually both Ellie and Rick were good solid characters and I thought I was going to like them a lot more than I did. However, most of the time, when they were together, I just wasn't feeling either of them and they became less likable. Ellie became a bit childish in a way, in that I felt like she was purposely trying to make Rick jealous. Plus once she was all "glammed up" and in the slinky dress she was wearing to the ball and not just a tank top and cutoffs like normal, she got kind of conceited. She'd talk to Rick and it'd be like "I'm so hot tonight and I'm gonna take advantage." I didn't like the Ellie that was trying to appear more bold and confident. Because on the inside she really wasn't 100% feeling it. I liked the sweet, down to earth Ellie way better.

Rick wasn't that bad either and I definitely liked him more than I did Ellie throughout the book. I feel like the issue I had with him was the fact that he was just so bad with the whole communication thing. He would be thinking one thing but when he would talk to Ellie, what came out of his mouth was a whole other story and then I felt like he'd be confused as to why she's all bent out of shape over their conversation. Totally clueless. But with that aside I loved how much he cared about Ellie and her dad and how protective he was over her even at the expense of suppressing his own feelings. Or how passionate he was about the farm and the work he did. He had a lot of admirable qualities.

One thing I didn't waver on, believe it or not with everything I've said so far, was the fact that I really did want Ellie and Rick to work things out and end up together. When they were good and not misunderstanding or trying to show the other one up, they were just so sweet and playful and absolutely adorable. Oh and steamy like you wouldn't believe. I mean there was one brief scene towards the beginning of the book where there was no kissing involved or anything like that, it only involved the grabbing of a shirt and it was probably almost as hot, if not even more heated than when there was actual physical contact. Lots of yummy sexual tension that's for sure.

So, true, it wasn't perfect but I really did have fun reading the first book in this series. I liked both of Ellie's friends and I'm so curious as to find out what exactly happened when they both disappeared on the night of the ball. Interesting start to the series!

Thanks to Joan Kilby 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: True Deceptions by Veronica Forand

Title: True Deceptions
Author: Veronica Forand
Publisher: Entangled Suspense
Published: October 19th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 271
Genres: Adult, Romantic Suspense
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars

Veronica Forand | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Temptation. Seduction. Murder. It's all part of the game...

After his partner was murdered, Simon Dunn was done with MI6. But the cold, violent world of British intelligence never lets anyone go free. Now Simon has been blackmailed into a new job...with a beautiful new partner who's going to get them both killed.

Robotics expert Cassie Watson is a newbie field agent with as much sophistication as...well, a pacifist, vegan computer nerd. Now she's abruptly thrust into the cutthroat world of espionage with a partner who is as cold as he is brutally-and brutishly-handsome.

But when their mission is betrayed from the inside, Cassie will be forced to place her life in the hands of the one man who's anything but trustworthy...

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.

My review for True Deceptions may end up being a bit confusing, or at the very least contradictory, because that's how my feelings are for this book. Very contradictory. On the one hand I was sucked deeply into the story and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Hence not feeling like I could go below three stars for my rating. On the other...well, it was very easy to put down or get distracted with other things or have my mind wander. You see what I'm saying? I liked it, but I wasn't over the moon in love with it.

The whole suspenseful aspect and the mystery of what was going on within the story was very solid. I highly enjoyed that part of the story. Especially when you have something extremely dark and sort of "holy crap what am I reading?!" happen within the first few pages. I loved that start and the shock it gave me.

Where things got iffy for me was within both of the characters and the romance. The romance itself felt like it was happening at warp speed and was difficult to believe at times. I feel like they never really talked to each other about themselves, the things they did know about each other for the most part came from them doing some digging and internet stalking of each other. There weren't many conversations besides "you work for me you will do as I tell you and stay out of my way" types of conversations. And all the "sexual tension" I just was not feeling, like I didn't get it, couldn't understand how they would end up in bed together. How all of a sudden they each meant so much to the other one. It was just kind of silly to me. Yep, basically insta-love. So that was a strike against it.

Cassie's character was extremely hard to like, most especially in the first half of the book. She has zero backbone and gives new meaning to the word passive. When Simon starts insisting that Cassie do something that goes against the lifestyle choices she's made for herself the fight she puts up against him is basically nonexistent. It's like "no" "yes I insist" "fine". I mean this wasn't like some tiny little thing it was a huge deal and she just caved to avoid confrontation. I have zero respect for people like that. It wasn't until a majorly traumatic event happens somewhere around the middle that I actually start to like her a bit but even then her change is just so drastic that it doesn't feel real you know? Like she went too far in the other direction for as meek as she started out.

And Simon really wasn't that great either. I feel like controlling would be an understatement in describing his personality. If I go into very much detail or facts to back up my assessment it'd be too spoilery. He's got a few moments where he seems descent and sweet and thoughtful but he always seems to find a way to ruin it by being a complete jackass. I truly didn't understand how someone with a personality like Cassie's could have taken an interest in him at all.

Just so I'm not completely dumping on the book and to show that I did get into it quite a bit, one thing Veronica Forand did a really good job of doing was making you second guess your first impressions of the characters she's created. You get this gut instinct about someone and then their actions are constantly making you waver back and forth with are they good are are they bad? I actually liked that. Nobody was ever really quite what they seemed.

Overall I'm very in the middle on my feelings with this book. It was engaging and pulled me in and at times even had me on the edge of my seat. I feel like the romance really got in the way when it comes to True Deceptions though. It was one of the few times where I could have done without a romantic entanglement and I live for that stuff. And there were moments of pure frustration and aggravation. But regardless of how I felt about the romance and all that I did enjoy the rest and felt it made it worth the read.

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

ARC REVIEW: Her Unexpected Detour (Checkerberry Inn #1) by Kyra Jacobs

Title: Her Unexpected Detour
Series: Checkerberry Inn #1
Author: Kyra Jacobs
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
Published: September 15th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 206
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars

Kyra Jacobs | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Sometimes it's not the destination, but the detour...

Kayla has the perfect strategy for a broken heart: work, work, and more work. Then a storm sends her car skidding off the road, stranding her in Mount Pleasant. Fortunately, rescue comes in the form of the incredibly handsome but gruff Brent Masterson. And he's hot enough to tempt Kayla into doing something she never thought she could do... 

Brent Masterson swore he would never give into the fierce attraction that's been sizzling between him and Kayla since they first met. He has his own demons, and he won't risk his heart again. Not even for someone as gorgeous and amazing as Kayla. So...how exactly did he end up in Kayla's bed last night?

But sometimes all it takes is an ice storm to show two broken hearts the way home… 

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!

This book was so cute and so much fun to read. Well at least up to the ending. Why insta-love? Why? I'm starting to feel like a broken record in saying so. And if this weren't the 4th or 5th book within the last month alone where I encountered it, I probably wouldn't be feeling the frustration so deeply because I was completely adoring this book up to the end. But I'm at the point where I just need to say...enough is enough.

The thing is, I was instantly sucked in by the lovable characters, the quaint setting and the wonderful writing. This book had everything going for it. I just can't take something seriously like expecting me to believe and understand that two people can say "I love you" after a week. A week. Had that not happened I could've probably gone 4.5 stars, it was honestly that endearing and heartwarming. But enough about my huge frustration. Let's get into the good stuff.

The storyline sounded like it was going to be so much fun that I couldn't resist putting in the request for this book. And it definitely was. I'd love to get stranded somewhere like Mount Pleasant at the Checkerberry Inn. Especially with two distractions like the Masterson cousins!

I loved the entire cast of characters in this book. Brent, Kayla and both of their family members that we meet. They were all just so much fun. Most especially Brent's grandmother Ruby, who owns the Checkerberry Inn and always had matchmaking stars glinting in her eyes. She was so completely adorable I wanted her to be real!

I feel like Brent and Kayla, having both experienced great loss in their lives, were able to find something in each other they didn't even know they needed. And could understand and relate to one another on a level that others couldn't. Watching them develop their feelings was both frustrating and extremely sweet. I was rooting for them from the very start and so every time they would find a way to push the other one away or there was a miscommunication I could feel the frustration bubbling within me. Once they stop fighting though it makes everything worth it.

I'm not sure what else to say about this one. I'm just still so distracted by that ending. And I was falling so hard for this book before hand too. That's the only reason I kept my rating up to 3 stars. I feel like I'd definitely give a Kyra Jacobs book another chance in the future. Hopefully the "I love yous" will hold off for more than a week or two.

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

ARC REVIEW: One Night with the Billionaire (Men of the Zodiac #9) by Sarah Ballance

Title: One Night with the Billionaire
Series: Men of the Zodiac #9
Author: Sarah Ballance
Publisher: Entangled Indulgence
Published: September 14th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 151
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Sarah Ballance | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Sign: Sagittarius

He's the perfect kind of trouble...

Zoe Davenport is on her way to a perfect, idyllic, private resort, where there's no ex-fiancé and definitely no public scandal involving said ex-fiancé. But one look at the exceptionally sexy resort owner, and Zoe wonders if she's escaped scandal just long enough to land herself in even hotter water...

Except that Ryder Nash isn't exactly a stranger. He and Zoe used to live next door to each other. She was the sweet little temptation who couldn't stand him-the bad boy with a loud car and a new girl every weekend. What Zoe doesn't know is that all those years ago, her father paid Ryder off...to keep him away from her.

And if Ryder gives into the fiery attraction that rages between them-even for a moment-he'll lose everything all over again...

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!

So this series really hasn't spent much time on my radar. However, last month I picked up the previous book since it was by one of my favorite authors. So when this one came up not long after I finished that one and I happened to notice it was centered around "my sign" I figured why the heck not. I had also read my first book by Sarah Ballance and adored it mostly so it just furthered my decision to read this. The good news after finishing, I really liked it. Well, once again, mostly. The bad news? The ending has left me, well disappointed if I'm being honest.

See, I'm sensing a pattern. And not in a good way. Sarah Ballance writes wonderful characters that you can easily and very quickly get attached to. Her storytelling is absolutely lovely. Both good things. The bad is that you have a couple who meet for the first time, and yes basically Ryder and Zoe count because even though he was the bad boy next door...they never spoke or interacted, except maybe to stare at each other from the other side of the fence. They knew nothing about the other one. In both books I've read, things get intense and heat up really fast. Which is perfectly fine, I always feel the strong connection and sparks within the pairing. But from the point they meet you get like, 2 weeks worth of mostly sex or lusting after each other and very little of the "getting to know you" phase. Then by the end of the book, once again 2 weeks later, L bombs are dropped.

I had been hoping it was just a fluke with the first book I read, but now with this other one...I'm guessing that's not the case. Insta-love is such a bummer. I truly feel this would be my only complaint in both cases. But that's a big one.

The characters were so much fun though. Ryder was very much the gruff alpha male type. Oh my word and he had the most delicious dirty mouth. I swear when he would get all up in Zoe's personal space and start whispering all the naughty things he wanted to do to her...I had the urge to start yelling at my Kindle for him to start acting on those things. Sigh. His intensity was all kinds of sexy. I think I should kind of take back what I said earlier because I do have one complaint about Ryder. He had a pretty rough childhood that was mentioned but it felt somewhat pointless, except maybe to explain his drive and acceptance of Zoe's dad's payoff. I wish it would have added more depth to his character though and maybe be more of an issue in the present.

Zoe was pretty awesome herself. I appreciated the fact that she wasn't completely spineless. Her dad has basically controlled her entire life and all of her decisions since she was little. So I was expecting her to be more of a pushover, but she was far from weak. I loved watching her grow even stronger than she first appears and really stand up for herself. See that fire inside her when she takes control of her own life. She was a really great character.

Insta-love aside, there is a lot to love within this book. Like  I said the characters are all completely lovable. Even the side characters, I love Sarah Ballance's writing style, and the setting was total paradise. Like I want to go stay on Ryder's resort island and never leave! However, as desperate as I was to want to continue with the Chase Brothers series of hers that  I fell in love with...doubts are sinking in. I feel like I'm willing to take one more shot and keep my fingers crossed the relationship doesn't develop at warp speed. There's only so much of the early I love yous a person can take.

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

ARC REVIEW: Wilde at Heart (Wilde Security #3) by Tonya Burrows

Title: Wilde at Heart
Series: Wilde Security #3
Author: Tonya Burrows
Publisher: Entangled Ignite
Published: September 7th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 260
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Tonya Burrows | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A thrilling category romance from Entangled's Ignite imprint...

He has everything under control.Except her .

Reece Wilde put everything in his life on the back burner to protect his brothers and their struggling company, Wilde Security. With a major contract on the line, Reece can't afford any mistakes...like getting caught in a red-hot, X-rated moment with wild child Shelby Bremer, who's more trouble than he can handle. Now he's being blackmailed. 

Shelby's mile-long impulsive streak gets her in more trouble than she'd like to admit. Between her sister's wedding, her coffee shop set on fire, and getting down and dirty with the groom's brother, things are definitely coming off the rails. With both their careers and their safety on the line, Reece is determined to keep them both safe...even if it means a Vegas-style shotgun wedding. 

But gambling on a wild card-and a wild soul-is risky...and sometimes, it can get a guy killed.

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!

Even after taking a couple days to soak it all in, I'm still feeling just as "meh" as I did when I finished. I mean, there was plenty of stuff about Wilde at Heart that I absolutely loved, but along with that, there were just as many things that I didn't care for. The first book in this series, Wilde Nights in Paradise, was a huge hit for me. I absolutely loved it and I fell in love with the Wilde brothers and their different personalities and the really fun vibe and family dynamic that they shared. I couldn't wait to get to know the other four brothers better. While this one was just okay, I feel like the first book was so much better.

Reece and the oldest Wilde brother Greer were the two brothers I was drawn to the most. So this was one of the books in the series that I was looking forward to the most. Both guys seemed like very responsible, workaholic and driven guys. I love characters like that. The ones that are wound up tight, don't allow themselves to let loose and be playful or have fun. Because you know the moment they do let that side of themselves out, even just a little bit, it's going to be so much fun. That's exactly how Reece was. I absolutely adored him and he surprised me so much in this series. Especially his little secret that had me completely lose my heart to him.

I loved Shelby to pieces. She is the exact opposite to Reece in every way possible. She's tattoos and colorful hair, she's bold and pretty wild, she was just a whole lot of fun. She's also made a whole lot of mistakes in her life and it always seems like she's letting those close to her down. My heart went out to her so many times. It was like a tornado of crap just followed her everywhere and wouldn't let up.

I think that's what made this so difficult to get through at times. A situation would go from bad to worse to holy crap when will this end and then still the stuff would just keep piling up on top of it all. There were times when I felt like it was all just too much. I like obstacles, I like angst and drama. But the things that went wrong weren't just a bunch of little things here and there. These were huge, intense and crazy things. I guess I just constantly felt defeated like there was no way things could get better...ever. Even the good moments between Reece and Shelby were tainted because of her own personal demons and secrets. So even when I'd feel moments where my heart wanted to soar for these two I'd think about how bad things where going to be when truths would come out and it would mar everything and leave a dark spot where the lightness had been.

This story was definitely not lacking in the suspense department. Don't get me wrong, I loved the storyline. Truly. It is a romantic suspense after all so that's not what I'm complaining about. I guess I wish there had been more straws of hope for me to grasp for.

I really, really did love Reece and Shelby together though. There was a sweetness to their relationship mixed in with all the intensity. They had a very strong connection and it was so much fun seeing the things they brought out in each other. Opposite as they were, they were each exactly what the other one needed in their lives.

Overall it was a fun read, but not everything I had hoped it would be. I'm just kind of right down the middle with this one. It definitely wasn't bad and I'm glad that I read it, but I wasn't in love with it either.

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

ARC REVIEW: Just Say Yes by Alyssa Goodnight

Title: Just Say Yes
Author: Alyssa Goodnight
Publisher: Entangled Select Contemporary
Published: August 25th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 264
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Alyssa Goodnight | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Single mom Jade Moran isn't ready for any big changes in either her horrible '70s kitchen or her romantic life. Her ex did a number on her, and she isn't interested in getting hurt again. But when she meets a super-hot contractor, she wonders if avocado appliances are on the way out and romance is on the way in.

Max Gianopoulis doesn't have a clue why he's so enchanted by Jade. She's almost as big a mess as her kitchen, and he's a guy who likes to keep things simple. But Jade has turned up the flirty heat - and he can't keep his hands off her.

With everything moving too fast and coming too easy, Jade's insecurities kick into high gear. She's not sure she can trust another man again - and she definitely doesn't believe in happily ever afters.

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'm not exactly sure how this review is going to go. Usually I have basic ideas in my head and just flesh them out as I go along, but I'm still on the fence with this one. To be honest, and I don't mean this in a bad way or a good way for that matter, it just is what it is, but, this book was just...strange. There was quite a bit that I really liked about it, but then there were the other parts that had me scratch my head and wonder what on earth I'd picked up.

What truly had me baffled and second guessing my feelings towards this book was the big focus on magic in food. You meet a secondary character at the very start of the book, Opal, who is known as "The Witch in the Kitchen". It's kinda her brand and she has lines of food with all these descriptions of what they promote and inspire. Love, openness, etc. It's not something I was expecting when picking up a contemporary novel and while it was interesting it threw me off quite a bit.

Witchy and magical aspects aside, the storyline was a fun and interesting one. One filled with an equally interesting and odd assortment of secondary characters and I do mean odd in an endearing kind of way. Even though I was thrown off a bit by the magic I did have lots of fun reading Just Say Yes. I mean how could I not with all of the comic book hero, Firefly and Doctor Who type of references. My inner nerd greatly appreciated and geeked out pretty hard over those.

Jade, when not in a relationship, was a really fun character. I loved the relationship between Jade and her daughter, Evie. They were sweet and funny and had a bond that put a huge smile on my face when I'd read their interactions. However, once Max was thrown into the mix and he showed romantic interest in her, my feelings for Jade wavered. A lot. There's insecurity and untrusting and then there's Jade. Jade is on a level all of her own. I think my issue was the fact that her ex had been her ex for thirteen years and yet still she was letting that affect her budding relationship with Max. It got tiring all the questions that would tumble around in her head about him and about taking risks. Questions that never seemed to let up for very long.

Then there was Max who was just...so sweet, such a great guy. I mean, how many guys, after only knowing you for a few weeks and only a couple of those days where you're actually "seeing each other" would not only be the one pushing you to tell your child that you were dating (that's not as bad as it sounds Evie and Max had a really sweet and fun bond going themselves) but stay and take care of you while you were sick. Even when you tried to make him go away so he didn't see you looking like death! I didn't think they actually existed. I mean there was no commitment, no talk of the future, he just genuinely fell into place in their life during the kitchen remodel and didn't want his time with them to end. And still she did not trust him. "He's just a player and their time was going to end soon." I just felt so bad for him and there were times when I just wanted to say run far and run fast!

Whenever her mind was quiet from doubts though, I couldn't deny that Jade and Max were completely adorable and perfect for one another. Their chemistry heated up the pages. I just wish she would have had a little less neurotic tendencies.

Overall I had fun reading it and was happy with how this book ended. There were hints towards two other pairings in the eclectic group of characters that have me very curious and I'm hoping that means this is going to end up being a series and I won't be left hanging! I really want to learn more about all four of them. Even strange, witchy Opal!

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

ARC REVIEW: Beauty and the Werewolf (San Francisco Wolf Pack #2) by Kristin Miller

Title: Beauty and the Werewolf
Series: San Francisco Wolf Pack #2
Author: Kristin Miller
Publisher: Entangled Covet
Published: August 25th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 176
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Kristin Miller | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A paranormal category romance from Entangled's Covet imprint...

This lone wolf falls hard...for his enemy.

Unmated werewolves don't normally live past three hundred years old...and billionaire Jack MacGrath is cutting it close. Sure, he has almost everything-the respect of his peers, a mansion in San Francisco, a private jet, and fast cars. But without a mate, Jack's in trouble. Then he sees her. Gorgeous, proud...and his enemy.

Isabelle Connelly is good at hiding things from her father. Like her success as a painter, or the incredibly intense attraction she has to Jack MacGrath. After all, she's royalty and falling for anyone lesser-to say nothing of a rival pack-would be, er, unseemly. Now she must choose between her duty to her family and her pack...or her perfect fated mate.

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 felt the need to throw a little paranormal romance into my life to break up the huge amounts of contemporaries I've been stuck on lately. After reading the blurb for Beauty and the Wolf, it seemed like the perfect book for the job. Now, I wasn't exactly blown away, but as I whipped my way through this story I found myself drawn in deeply and filled with a need to know how Jack and Isabelle's story would end.

I became very fascinated with the lore of this world. The fact that werewolves don't normally live past 300 unless they find the one. The mate they're fated to be with. I was intrigued by all the possible "what ifs" that presented.

Jack's character was like a breath of fresh air when it comes to the normal werewolf male characters. I mean, sure he had a very powerful alpha like air about him but that side of him was minuscule compared to how sweet and kind hearted he was.

I'm always immediately drawn in to a good forbidden type of a romance. It was the huge draw that this book in particular had on me. It wasn't quite everything I had hoped it would be in that area, but it was fun all the same. I guess I had hoped there would be more of a backstory where the two families were concerned that would cause lots of back and forth. Some big, dark family secret that would be nearly impossible for either side to get past and make Jack and Isabelle's feelings seem more taboo. Even though that's not how it played out, I was still pulled in and didn't want to put the book down.

There was a lot of chemistry and sizzle between Jack and Isabelle. The only problem, which is pretty much what I expected to happen, was the whole insta-love thing. It's generally what makes me unsure about picking up a shifter/werewolf book. Romances always seem to be filled with "the one", "the fated mate" type of a situation and with that comes that instant connection and instant feelings. It's a bit frustrating, well maybe a lot frustrating, when you have a really good and pretty solid story...only to have the premature I love yous put a smudge on what is an otherwise pretty fantastic story.

Regardless of the insta-love and my desire for Jack and Isabelle's story to be filled with more roadblocks, it was a very sweet and heartwarming read. It was quick and steamy and lots of fun. Exactly the type of book I needed to mix up my reading schedule!

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