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!

ARC REVIEW: Exposed by Fate (Serve #2) by Tessa Bailey

Title/Series: Exposed by Fate | Serve #2
Author: Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Published: October 27th 2014
Format: eARC | Pages: 226
Genre: Adult, Erotica, BDSM
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Tessa Bailey | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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

He’ll train her to lure another man. She’ll lure him instead.

When interior designer Eliza Ballas accompanies a friend to New York’s premier BDSM club, she’s taken aback by the sheer want that overruns her body—especially when a sexy Brit assumes Eliza is adept at dark, sensual arts. If she’s going to play, she’ll need an erotic education, and she knows just the man to teach her how to submit…

Oliver Preston isn’t one to turn down pleasure, but Eliza’s his sister’s best friend, and he’s torn between a sense of duty and his rock-hard need to find out if she tastes as delicious as he’s dreamed. Unable to handle thought of another man owning her body, he draws Eliza deep into his world of exquisite pain and pleasure.  He has three lessons to instruct her. Three lessons to drive them both to the brink of ecstasy. And three lessons before he must give her to another man...if he doesn’t lose himself first.

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!

Having read the first book in this series last month there was one character that had caught my eye and had me intrigued and wanting to know more about him. The main character's brother, Oliver. He had this rouge-ish, playboy air about him even with the brief moments he was on the pages that had me grinning and hoping that one of these days he'd have a book all of his own. Imagine my extreme delight to get a copy of Exposed by Fate earlier this month. Oh yes, there were squeals of absolute glee. I couldn't wait to get my hands on Oliver...err...you know what I mean.

I thought I had enjoyed Caroline and Jonah's story but it has nothing on Oliver and Eliza's. Oliver even had my eyes fill up with tears on more than one occasion. He's never been very passionate about anything, except maybe women, which he tended to go through a lot of. He never really felt like he fit in within his own family, like he was an outcast. It manifested into his playboy lifestyle. Even when reading his sister Caroline's book, when he wasn't being taken seriously and sort of treated as the family joke in a sense.... my heart hurt for this guy. So you throw me into his head and it multiplies beyond belief. Seeing him become so defeated to the point where he didn't even think he was worthy of Eliza and would only bring her down absolutely broke my heart. I love this guy! He cooks for Eliza and freaking feeds her! I think my ovaries exploded. And then when Eliza refers to this look he often gives her that screams babe-I'm-inside-you-already....yeah forget it. I'm done for.

Okay, one second while I step back and remind myself a few times that there's more to this book than just Oliver Preston. I think...

I was so excited for this story to be about both Oliver and Eliza. There were these vibes I was feeling from them in Owned by Fate that I couldn't wait to explore. Plus I already started to like Eliza by that point. She's smart and confident and together. Well, except when it comes to her sex life...which doesn't exist. I loved how she was more on the innocent side yet knew she wanted more and when she attempted to go after it and try something new she chickens out...until she runs into Oliver. They compliment and challenge each other and their chemistry is intense in ways I can't even begin to explain.

As if you couldn't tell by all that nonsense and rambling I'm sort of in love with this book. It blows the first book out of the water and has me itching to read more by Tessa Bailey...asap! It's sweet and unbelievably steamy and it stomped all over my heart towards the end in the best way possible. It really had me feeling everything. I want more, I want to read it again and savor every last word and detail.

Sigh. Okay I swear I'm done fangirling now...

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

ARC REVIEW: Owned By Fate (Serve #1) by Tessa Bailey

Title/Series: Owned By Fate | Serve #1
Author: Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Published: September 29th 2014
Format: eBook | Pages: 200
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Erotica
Source: Publisher

Tessa  Bailey | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Her mind rejects his world. But her body knows its master.

Journalist Caroline Preston arrives at Serve, New York City’s hottest BDSM club, with one goal—to hate it. If her brother wasn't trying to turn the family’s respectable financial magazine into a publication that features “lifestyle” pieces for the wealthy and adventurous, she wouldn't even be there, trying to write an article about a world she doesn't understand. But then she sees him.

Jonah Briggs doesn't leave his post for just anyone. As the owner of the club, his sole purpose is to ensure that his clientele get everything they need, but when he sees Caroline, his only thought is what he wants—to dominate the sexy little reporter and give the most exquisite pleasure she’s ever experienced.

Caroline has no intention of entering that particular lion’s den—not with her family’s reputation at stake—no matter how dark, sexy, and complex the lion in question may be. But with every encounter, she craves more, and with every slide of his lips, she realizes Jonah might just be the man to break down all her defenses…if she’ll let him.

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

I'm having a difficult time rating this one. It had a very strong start, went downhill a bit towards the middle, and finished with a strong ending. So everything is still up in the air and I'm not sure yet what to do. Though it's not completely out of the question three stars sounds a bit too low being as bold and fun in the beginning and end as it was. Three and a half stars would work but is it enough? This book hooked me almost instantly and I couldn't stop smiling with the end, but did that middle trip my feelings up enough to make a four completely out of the question? Sigh. I've never been so conflicted. I guess the only solution is to type out this review and hope it inspires me.

Like I said the start was awesome. Caroline was great. She was very strong and confident, when she was in her element that is. From the opening of the book when she's entered Jonah's BDSM club for the first time I had the feeling she was going to be lots of fun in this book. She wasn't at all comfortable and I couldn't wait to see what was in store. Jonah was every bit the delicious alpha male. From the moment he appears on the pages he just oozes confidence, dominance and sex. I was in pure testosterone heaven.

Normally when characters jump right into something it kind of kills the book for me. I mean come on play a little bit hard to get guys! But seeing as how I knew this would be starting out in Jonah's BDSM club, Serve, it was kind of expected and oh my word, the heat between these two? I'm surprised my fingers didn't burn as I scrolled through the pages. It was pretty intense. Like I also said earlier though the middle sort of went downhill for me. The relationship between these two started to dip into the unhealthy territory for a while. Between Caroline's guilt, denial and shame, and Jonah's fascination and borderline obsession I went through bouts where I wanted to knock their heads together and say, "Get it together!"

All in all though by the end I really do think I kind of loved it you know? It was sexy, it was fun, it was even a bit heartwarming. In going for complete honesty here, this has been the second book I've read by Tessa Bailey and while I wasn't really into the first one, Owned By Fate is the perfect example of why I like to give authors a second chance and not write them off completely. I'm really looking forward to reading more from her now! And if the signs I saw in this book really were signs and not just my hopeful imagination, I think I know who the next book will be about in this series and I'm excited for it!!

Thanks Entangled for giving me a copy of this book to read and review!

The verdict.... 

★★★★ (4/5) Stars!!

Yeah I liked it too much for the middle to bring it down far :)

Entangled Brazen Mini ARC Reviews

Back in 2013 when I went on a NetGalley requesting binge I got approved for 3 different Entangled Brazen books. I was so excited because I'm a sucker for wanting all the Entangled books! But life happened and that's how I find myself here... reaching the end of 2014 and just now getting to these books. Better late than never. There was one I was finding it hard to expand more than a paragraph on so I figured I'd do my first set of mini reviews and include all 3. Without further ado..

These three books were received from NetGalley and Entangled Brazen in exchange for an honest review. This in no way swayed my review or my rating of the book.

Officer Off Limits | Line of Duty #3

by Tessa Bailey

Published: June 10th 2013

by Entangled Brazen

Adult, Contemporary, Romance

★★ (2/5) Stars

His need to possess her is non-negotiable. 

Story Brooks’ fiancé just called off their wedding two weeks before the happy day. As if that isn't bad enough, her semi-estranged father, an infamous NYPD hostage negotiator, has suffered a heart attack. Not wanting to examine her lack of emotion over the broken engagement, she hops on a plane to reconnect with her father before it’s too late.

Playboy hostage negotiator Daniel Chase has never, not once, been refused by a woman, so when a debate over hospital snack foods with a delectable kindergarten teacher ends in flat-out rejection, he makes it his mission to seduce her. His only obstacle? She’s the daughter of his mentor who implicitly forbade Daniel from pursuing her.

Despite her father’s warnings and Daniel’s troubled past, Daniel and Story can’t resist their intense attraction to one another. But when the reason for her fiancé’s abrupt wedding cancellation comes to light, can Story and Daniel's already forbidden relationship survive?

This one was a pretty big disappointment for me. It felt like the storyline fell flat and sex was the main focus. I'm a huge fan of the steamy scenes as long as there's a story of substance to go along. I just didn't get Story, I mean within hours of meeting Daniel she was humping his leg. Literally. And Daniel, sometimes a guy can be cocky and I'll find it adorable, humorous and attractive...on Daniel it's just annoying and over the top. How he gets any women is beyond me. If a guy ever talked to me the way he did to Story I'd most likely laugh in his face. Three lines he used the first time they had sex, within 48 hours of meeting each other but who's counting right? Anyway:

"Are you ready to scream, gorgeous?"
"Very good. Now you get more."
"Hold on to the headboard if you can't take it."

Word for creeptastic word. Needless to say this book and I just didn't get along. Oh well, you win some you lose some. I feel like I just didn't really like the characters with my first impressions of them and it got in the way of my enjoyment of this book. Things that normally wouldn't bother me just became irritating. The storyline was fine I just didn't like the people it was about.

Wilde Nights in Paradise (Wilde Security #1)

by Tonya Burrows

Published: June 10th 2013

by Entangled Brazen

Adult, Contemporary, Romance

★★★★ (4/5) Stars!

He’ll guard her body all night long.

Former Marine Jude Wilde’s motto has always been “burn bridges and never look back,” so nobody is more surprised when Wilde Security is hired to protect assistant district attorney Libby Pruitt, the woman he loved and left. Although she makes it clear she wants nothing to do with Jude, they’re forced to fake a relationship for her safety. He can’t ignore the heat still simmering between them, and when her stalker’s threats escalate to attempted murder, he’s left with no choice but to whisk her away to a friend’s safe house in Key West, FL. 

Cooped up in paradise together, Jude begins to chip away at Libby’s resolve to hate him. But even as she gives in to his proximity and her body’s demands for his, she refuses to fall for his charms again. Maybe a torrid affair in the sun is exactly what she needs to get him out of her system. But when her stalker tracks them down, can they escape the steamy Key West night without anyone getting hurt?

This book was intense in more ways than one. Not only was there this incredible chemistry between Libby and Jude but there were elements of danger and psychotic stalkers involved. Jude could be my bodyguard any day of the week. I really liked him, he was all kinds of confidence but with a brokenness underneath that I found irresistible in an "I want to fix him" kind of way. I'm such a girl... Libby was great too. A little too trusting and unconcerned for the gravity of her situation for my taste but she was spunky and I enjoyed her. This book was difficult to put down. Lots of humor and I even enjoyed watching Jude and Libby have verbal sparring matches and push each other's buttons. Those are always elements for fun foreplay. I'm also very intrigued by the other 4 Wilde brothers and will absolutely be getting their books in the future and keep going on with this series. I'm definitely hooked! Loved it! 

 

Playing the Part

by Robin Covington

Published: June 10th 2013

by Entangled Brazen

Adult, Contemporary, Romance

★★★✩ (3.5/5) Stars!

The harder they play...the harder they fall.

After publicly self-destructing over a heartbreak a year ago, bestselling romance writer Piper James is now making nice with her publisher by agreeing to teach Hollywood's favorite action star how to act like he's in love. Only playboy Mick Blackwell has no clue what love looks like. 

When a seductive heat ignites between Piper and Mick, she jumps at the chance for a bit of fun between the sheets, but with two stipulations: she's kept out of the public eye and things end when she returns to New York. Only Mick keeps changing the rules on her. Tempted by America's favorite bad boy, Piper is wondering how far she's willing to bend...

Playing the Part was actually really fun and very steamy. It was also the one of the three I was most nervous about. While I wasn't head over heals in love with it and found a couple things cringe worthy and cheesy I still really enjoyed it and whipped through it in no time. At times Mick came off as your stereotypical Hollywood bad boy but I still liked him. He had his sweet and thoughtful moments that overshadowed the whole "I'm Mick Blackwell I can get whatever I want" attitude. Piper I was on the fence about. She was very contradictory. For a woman with her history in the Hollywood spotlight, who didn't want to go down that path again, she certainly didn't use her brain very often when she was in public with him. I don't know, maybe that was the point? Mick was just supposed to be so irresistible that a woman would forget everything going on and go for it? It just got silly a few times for me. Overall though I actually enjoyed it and would definitely read more from Robin Covington in the future.