Thursday, November 29, 2012

This Man by Jody Ellen Malpas

So I'll blame my book group girls again for pushing another book up the TBR, it was getting hype, people said it was awesome.  I bought said hype... note to self, do not always buy the hype.

This book follows the currently super popular young girl - kinky slightly older man trope.  Seriously, where were these rich kinky older men looking for a young girl when I was 22... oh wait, I already had a kid and was in a relationship at that point... probably not what they'd be looking for anyhow, but I digress... Also my kid is 22 and if some creepy rich guy was hitting on her like this I'd lock her in her damn room... but I digress again...

Ava O'Shea is an interior designer who is invited to do some work at The House for Jesse Ward.  She's expecting a stuffy English country gentleman when she arrives at this "hotel" in the pastoral outskirts of London.  What she gets is a young-ish hottie who is instantly smitten with her.

We are sucked in to their very tumultuous relationship.

Jesse Ward makes Christian Grey look like a well adjusted, mentally stable, productive member of society, who was a boy scout and helps old ladies across the street.  Seriously the man raises sociopathic stalker boyfriend to a whole new level.  I just kept yelling in my head Run Ava, Run.

But Ava didn't listen to me, nope, and she just got deeper and deeper into it with Jesse. Seriously, how many times do those things have to go missing from your purse before you put 2 and 2 together and come up with something other than chair?   There's a saying, "Don't stick your dick in crazy"  the reverse is also true and Ava should have headed that warning.

I loved and hated this book, and there is a sequel coming (actually 2), which I will read because I'm a series whore, but I will do it begrudgingly.

It was an OK read, but there are better books in the trope and this one didn't live up to the hype.

You can walk slowly, to your bookseller of choice if you're interested in this one, or ask a friend to loan it to you as it's actually a loan-able book, at least through Amazon.

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

My TBR "pile" is insane, like well over 200 insane, so how did a book that was released on Monday this week jump to the top?  Hype, plain and simple, between my Facebook book groups and other venues I heard nothing but how fucking amazing this book was and how it would shoot up the best seller list.

They weren't kidding, this book was hands down one of the funniest books I've read in ages, and it was also a romance, not your usual combination, at least not usually done well, in fact the only other author I've read do this well is RL Matthewson and the Neighbor From Hell Series (seriously, run don't walk to click and buy them all).

Caroline Reynolds is a young professional living in San Francisco, living with her KitchenAid mixer, her cat Clive and a great group of friends, only one problem in Caroline's life, she's lost her O, and we don't mean her subscription to Oprah's magazine, a bad experience with her most recent relationship, a person who was described as a machine-gun fucker has robbed her of it, since her encounter with him she has been O free, and not for lack of trying, fantasies of Jordan Catalano, post-Caesar haircut Clooney, nothing brings it back.

Unfortunately sexually frustrated Caroline has just moved into an apartment next to Simon Parker, the titular Wallbanger.  Her first night sleeping in her apartment after settling in to bed her wall starts to shake, an bang and then enough banging and shaking and a picture falls off the wall and on to her head.  Sure, one night might be ok, but it's night after night, and it appears it isn't just one lady it's 3 (consecutively not concurrently, he's good but not THAT good), affectionately nickname Spanx, Purina and Giggles, each for reasons which become obvious.

After several nights of this a pissed Caroline storms over and bangs on the door, in a pink nightie no less and gives Simon, who answers wearing a sheet, a hard-on and a smile, a piece of her mind.  I think we can all see where this is going.

After their hallway altercation they run into each other at a party, apparently they have mutual friends, they are both their with their two besties, who end up falling for each other pulling Wallbanger and Pink Nightie Girl along for the ride.

They decide to call a truce, and maybe even become friends, mayhem and hilarity ensue.

Will Caroline get her O back, will Simon be able to keep up with his harem, will Clive ever get his true love Purina to love him back?

Hop over to Amazon/B&N/KOBO, who ever your bookseller of choice is and buy it, because you need to know how it all turns out...

Monday, November 26, 2012

Honor Student/Honor thy Teacher by Teresa Mummert

A few months ago this book (books 1&2 in a series of 3) was getting lots of hype so I bought it and it's sat in my Kindle's TBR pile for ages.  I decided to start the series over the weekend to walk away from my edits before I made myself crazy.

Because this is the biggest Trope in the universe these days, young virginal girl, who is maybe a little troubled, gets mixed up with older (but not too much older) guy who is wealthy, dark and broody and is one kinky mother f***er.  I'm reviewing the books together because they tell the same story but one is from Emma's POV and other is from William's POV.

Emma is a sad, lonely college student living with her aunt in Florida.  Her parents are dead, and it seems like there is more to it, but we just don't know and even as the first two books close we never find out.  She's a little self destructive and just trying to make it through the day.

William, a sad, lonely divorced Dom (who is also wealthy) has taken a job teaching a class at a local college to cover for a professor who is out on medical leave.  He's been drifting from fling to fling, currently sleeping with a married secretary at the college.  But he wants more, and he's decided it's time to find himself an actual submissive.

In walks Emma, late to class, head down, all apologetic and innocent looking.  She's a student so William tries to put her out of his mind, but she seems so naturally submissive, and when their eyes meet they are like magnets drawn together.

Catching Emma, and some other students (who bail on her) smoking pot William decides her self destructive behavior needs to stop and that she needs some discipline.  So what would any good college professor who is also a Dom do?  Well bend her over his desk and spank her senseless of course.

I work at a college, I'm pretty sure that shit doesn't happen... let me take that back, I'm *reasonably* sure that shit doesn't happen...

Their relationship escalates to a sexual one where William takes Emma's virginity, and then feels pretty crappy about it.  He wants her, but knows he shouldn't, there are outside and opposing forces at work and plenty of mystery which starts to make more and more sense at the end of book two.  Both Emma and William seem to be on paths of self destruction, and when they are together it is almost as if they are in some kind of nuclear arms assured mutual destruction pact. 

Except for the bomb at the end of the book.  I am eagerly reading the third book in the story because I'm not sure how this can all play out.

Ms. Mummert did a great job of keeping me engaged and guessing and salivating for the next story, I was not distracted by anything shiny while reading these two books, and for me that's a big deal.

Pick them up, they're worth your time, I'm sorry I let them sit in my TBR for so long.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Backstage Pass: Sinners on Tour by Olivia Cunning

Been a few days since I've put together a review, although I've probably finished 4 or 5 (OK closer to 10) books.

I, gentle readers, decided to do NaNoWriMo this year and actually write a book of my own.  The book is complete and now I am in edits, getting ready to send to my beta readers and trying to figure out how the hell I find cover art and copyright the damn thing, but I digress.

So I recently joined another book group on Facebook (I think this now makes 3), and everyone was raving about this series of books, the "Sinners" books, it's a series, and you know me, I loves me a series, although I think what I said on FB was that I'm a series whore, but you know in that classy, I don't sleep around or get paid for it kinda way.  OK enough, now I will actually review the damn book, which was pretty good.

This is the first in a series of five books *squeeeee* about a rock band on tour and everyone's journey towards their own HEA. Book one is about Brian, the lead singer of Sinners.  He's losing his spark, his creative muse has left him, he's feeling down right shit.

One night as the fates would have it he's in a hotel bar and Myrna Evans, a professor of psychology and human sexuality, there for a conference happens upon the band in said bar and sits down for a chat.  She's a fan of the group, but is also interested in what makes them, and more importantly their groupies tick.

She and Brian hit it off right away, and sparks fly.  There is plenty of sex in this book, and it appears that while he's balls deep in Professor Evans his muse arrives and he can hear it clearly and write the music again, sometimes actually on Myrna, like on her skin on her while doing the deed.  I don't know about you, but this might kill the mood for me, also I'm kinda ticklish, so it probably would kill the mood for me.

She ends up spending time with the band following them around learning about the sub-culture that is a touring rock group.  Fear of losing her job as she's recently lost her federal funding gives her the bright idea to write a grant proposal to study groupies and their reasons behind their perceived and actual promiscuity when it comes to the rockers they lust after.

It's an erotic romance, there are twists and turns, angst and plenty of sexy time.  It was a good read.  My only problem is my day job is in research, and the whole time she's talking about her grant and interviewing her subjects I'm worried about whether or not she's obtained the appropriate approvals to do all of this, where is her IRB, does her grants and contracts office know that she's basically paying for a summer on a tour bus, is she getting informed consent from the participants before interviewing them, hell if they're half drunk or high can they even truly provide informed consent.

If I could have gotten out of my head and my work this would have been a great read, but that's my own baggage.  I think Brian and Myrna meshed well together, she was a calming influence when he was wild and adrift and he showed her letting her hair down is just as important as being responsible.

This was my first foray into the rosk-star sub-genre of romance/erotica/erotic-romance, and it likely won't be my last, because somewhere deep down all girls have at least a little thing for bad boy rockers who are all inky and sweaty and wild, right? or is that just me and the ladies in my book group?

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Heart of a Soldier by Tamara Hoffa

Boroughs Publishing Group has come up with a new series of short story line called Lunchbox Romance, stories meant to be read and enjoyed while you're on break at work, or wherever the mood strikes you for a short but sweet love story.

This is the story of Charlie and Jamie. Charlie is a widow with a son who is eager to enlist in the army when he finishes high school  Times being what they are Charlie is obviously anxious about Evan, her only child going off to war.  Evan takes his mother with him to meet the recruiter.

Ah the recruiter, the quintessential soldier, tall, handsome, and brave.  Jamie is stateside working as a recruiter while a shoulder injury heals.

There is a spark right away between the soldier and the widow.  Jamie does his best to assuage Charlie's fears, and thinks maybe he could be more helpful in calming her by taking her out to dinner.  The first date is a disaster, but when things are meant to be love always finds a way.

This was a charming read and a strong first effort for Tamara.  I will also say I very much like the idea of short easy to consume love stories.  Don't get me wrong gentle readers, you know I loves me a series, but this was enjoyable, and I'd be interested in not only reading more from the series but also reading more from Tamara.

My thanks to Tamara and the Boroughs Group for providing me with a review copy of the story.  However, I would have gladly paid the $.99 to purchase the story, and considering how many books I purchase and how picky I am with my Kindle budget that's saying something.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

The Look of Love, the Sullivans Book 1 by Bella Andre

It was a dark and stormy night... No really, it was, and Chloe Peterson was having THE worst night of her life, stranded on the side of the road in Napa during a storm while she's trying to run away and start a new life.  Chase Sullivan thinks he's heading for a nice night of no strings sex with one the staff from the Sullivan Winery.

Chase finds her on the side of the road and instead of dropping her off at a motel, preferably a cheap one, he instead takes her to the guest house on his brother Marcus' winery where he is set to begin a photo shoot, being the world class photographer he is.

Every protective instinct in him come alive and he wants to wrap her up and make whatever is giving her that sad look go far far away, she's got lots of baggage and lots of secret, including where that bruise on her cheek came from.  He's got his own baggage, the life of a handsome straight man surrounded by models getting laid all the time is wearing on him and he knows there's got to be something more to life than the glitz and glamour that is his life.

There is a zing between them from the get go, but Chloe is skittish and Chase ramps it up slow, well except for that first night, and the whirlpool tub and the faulty door lock.  Even though Chloe wants to leave Chase convinces her to stay and what blossoms is beautiful.

This is book 1 in what is set to be an 8 book series, 1-6 are out now and 7 is expected in December of this year.

It's a nice mix of the romantic and erotic, and with the introduction of the other siblings in this story you're left looking forward to everyone's story, because one by one you know all 8 Sullivan kids, 6 boys, 2 girls will fall, and fall hard.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Masked, Unmasked, Revealed by Lissa Matthews

So because I read the Lauren Dane book Laid Bare, which had a M/M(/F) relationship Amazon, pusher that it is recommended this series.  I had yet to read anything in the romance or erotica genre that was a relationship that was just between two men (or women) with no third in the mix. It was either free or very low priced so I decided to give it a go.

These three novellas are the story of Bobby and Thor, although we don't know it's Bobby yet, he's a masked man who watches Thor work over subs on the St. Andrews Cross with envy, wishing it were him (Oh did I also mention this was a very BDSM flavored book?).  Thor spends his free time flogging and whipping willing subs, women publicly, his partner on the platform takes care of the men, but for weeks now the masked man has been watching him clearly itching to say something, ask for something, but holding his voice for now.

Can't say I blame our masked man for lusting after Thor he's 6'+ of hulking long haired sex on a stick who rides a motorcycle and wears a freaking kilt.  Seriously, you'd have to be a solid ZERO on the Kinsey scale to not at least give him a second look.

After biding his time he asks for an encounter, in a private room at club Abyss.  While Thor hasn't been flying his rainbow flag it isn't a secret that he is attracted to both men and women, he just hasn't found the man he wants to make a permanent partner.  Bobby on the other hand has kept his desire for men a big secret, due to his upbringing, how he feels his family would react and their mutual social circle who see him as a big time womanizer.  This first encounter creates a paradigm shift for both men.

In the second volume, Unmasked, their second encounter happens on the floor of Abyss at Thor's station.  Thor hasn't tied a man to his cross and Bobby has a lot to lose being found out but wants to escalate their relationship.  Through the events of the evening identities are revealed and once the shock is settled Thor tells Bobby he needs to make a choice.

In Revealed, the final installment the begin together, and what that would look like out of the club with their real lives as a construction worker and a lawyer.  Thor gives him a list of tasks, things he needs to deal with and make right before they can embark on their own relationship.  Yes, there is the M/M element, and the D/s element, but in the end they are just two people looking for that person to be there at the end of the day who shares your life with you.

They are three bite sized stories that tie together to make an enjoyable journey through a point in time for Thor and Bobby, Lissa writes characters who could be your neighbor, or the guy in line behind you at the dry cleaner, who also happens to flog lucky little subs on the weekend.

It's clear to me that the M/M dynamic is different, as are the mechanics obviously, than your typical romance erotica pairing, but that doesn't distract from two people looking for love.  I'm not about to go rent gay porn on pay-per-view, but this likely won't be the last male-centric romance I read.

If you're open minded enough not to be off-put by it it's a truly enjoyable set of reads, and I'd suggest picking up some more from Lissa Matthews, as well as a couple of other authors who are out there doing it, and doing it well and not in that sleazy salacious way that makes even the kinkiest of us squidgy, while still keeping it hot and steamy.

p.s.  Lissa mentioned today we might get a new read of life with Bobby and Thor and where they are now... yes please... I will also say that Lissa is one of those new breed of author who uses social media to connect and interact with her readers and I for one love her for it.