2017/08/29

The Revolution of Marina M.

The Revolution of Marina M.The Revolution of Marina M. Summary:
St. Petersburg, New Year's Eve, 1916. Marina Makarova is a young woman of privilege who aches to break free of the constraints of her genteel life, a life about to be violently upended by the vast forces of history. Swept up on these tides, Marina will join the marches for workers' rights, fall in love with a radical young poet, and betray everything she holds dear, before being betrayed in turn.

As her country goes through almost unimaginable upheaval, Marina's own coming-of-age unfolds, marked by deep passion and devastating loss, and the private heroism of an ordinary woman living through extraordinary times. This is the epic, mesmerizing story of one indomitable woman's journey through some of the most dramatic events of the last century.

The Revolution of Marina M. Review: 


I'm keeping this review short, because a book this good is difficult to describe. It is something that you have to read for yourself to truly experience the delight and and adventure the book brings. And on that note, here is my review...

The Revolution of Marina M. is an 816 page book filled with heart-wrenching tales of a girl finding her way through the hardships of life. I usually don’t enjoy books like this one because following a character through a large period of time is not easy to narrate for most authors. These books cannot keep the attention of the reader, or fail to make each part of the protagonist’s life believable; whether it be from the lack of dimensional characters or not enough descriptions of the settings. However, The Revolution of Marina M. is able to keep the reader focused on Marina’s journey. The novel is very well researched and does not strongly feature a love interest, showcasing a new side of historical fiction that I had not previously read. Additionally, the writing was engaging and descriptive. Unfortunately, the book was a little slow to get into as the novel is slowly building itself up.

Overall, The Revolution of Marina M. is a 4.5 star read, and one that I highly recommend, especially if you want to try something new!

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2017/07/30

A Dance with Seduction (A Spy in the Ton, #1)

A Dance with Seduction (A Spy in the Ton, #1)A Dance with Seduction Summary:
She was the only code he couldn't break...

Vivienne Le Fleur is one of London’s most sought after opera dancer and one of England’s best weapons: the spy known as the Flower. When a French agent pressures her to change allegiance by abducting her sister, Vivienne is forced to seek the help of the only man in London who doesn’t want her.

Maximilian Westwood, retired code breaker, doesn't like surprises or mysteries and The Flower is both. When she sneaks into his study in the middle of the night with a coded message, he’s ready to push her out whatever window she arrived through. Except Maximilian is unable to turn away a woman in trouble. Determined to rescue Vivienne’s sister, they engage in a game of cat and mouse with French spies that requires all of Vivienne’s training and Maximilian’s abilities. Bound together by secrecy, they discover there is more between them than politics and hidden codes, but love has no place among the secrets of espionage...

A Dance with Seduction Review: 
A Dance of Seduction is a book that I enjoyed reading as a result of a phenomenal premise, with suspense, mystery and a good deal of romance. From the start, the book was realistic in regards to both characters and plot. These characteristics along with a refreshing new take on spies made A Dance of Seduction an excellent novel in comparison to other historical mysteries.

Both Vivienne and Maximillian, were fascinating characters to read about. Maximillian, not Max, was a government code-breaker, now a translator in eleven languages and a grumpy book-nerd. Definitely not a characteristic that comes about frequently in book characters. On top of that, he’s a beta hero, meaning that Maximillian never dominants his will over Vivienne. He does not treat her as a delicate flower; he recognizes that she is a survivor. On the other hand, he respects her enough to see through her façade and pushes Vivienne to free herself. Likewise, Maximillian does not make a move on her while she is supposed to be under the protection of another male, however there is still a significant amount of sexual tension.

Vivienne is another character that I came to respect throughout her journey in this book. While she does have trust issues concerning Maximillian, I was happy to see that she worked through it, allowing herself a change at love. Additionally, she was a strong heroine who puts the needs of her sister over her desire for a relationship, strengthening her character. This struggle between the two along with the obstacles Vivienne has to overcome led to a very powerful romance.

Overall, A Dance of Seduction is a 3.5 star read! The beginning of the story was a little slow, but when the plot picked up, it turned into a fantastic romance. The writing drew me, and the plot kept me captivated as they attempt to save Anne and defeat the Vulture. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy a historical spy novel and will definitely be reading the previous books in the series!

Thank you to Alyssa Alexander and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2017/07/21

The Devil’s Prayer

The Devil's PrayerThe Devil’s Prayer Summary:
A nun commits suicide in front of thousands in Spain. In Australia, Siobhan Russo recognises that nun as her mother, Denise Russo, who disappeared six years ago.

In search of answers, Siobhan travels to the isolated convent where her mother once lived. Here she discovers Denise’s final confession, a book that details a heinous betrayal that left her crippled and mute, and Denise’s subsequent deal with the Devil to take revenge. In the desperate bargain Denise made with the Prince of Darkness, she wagered Siobhan’s soul.

As Siobhan discovers the fate of her soul, she learns that hidden within the pages of her mother’s confession is part of The Devil’s Prayer, an ancient text with the power to unleash apocalyptic horrors.

And now her mother’s enemies know Siobhan has it.

Can Siobhan escape an order of extremist monks determined to get the Prayer back? Can she save the world from its own destruction?

Warning: "The Devil’s Prayer" is a historical horror thriller that contains brutality, rape, sex, drug abuse and murder. Readers may find its content offensive and confronting.


The Devil’s Prayer Review: 
The Devil's Prayer is a surprisingly good read! Throughout the whole book I was captivated by the storytelling, both the non-fiction aspect as well as the darker part of the novel. On top of that, the character development was phenomenal. I really was excited to reading about Siobhan and her journey in this book. Every detail is harrowing and suspenseful, the action is graphic and the world is nightmarish.

The history part of the novel I found incredibly fascinating. Learning about the conspiracy between the two families along with the historical setting was something that I enjoy read about. I felt that this part of the book set up well for the remaining darker part in the book. On the other hand, the information was a tad bit dense, so if you are not into a more non-fiction feel, you may not like this part.

It soon became grittier and more sinister plot, because the portrayal of the corrupt in this novel was terrific. The descriptions were raw and exciting along with the historical parts were woven through the writing. The story came alive, bringing me into the adventure with Siobhan.

Overall, The Devil's Prayer is a five-star read! I completely loved reading this original, horror-filled and suspenseful novel. This is one book that I will definitely read again! Fair warning though, there are several trigger warnings listed in the summary above. I can't wait to see if there is going to be a sequel!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review!

2017/07/07

Addiction (Bayfront Billionaires, #5)

Addiction (Bayfront Billionaires, #5)Addiction Summary:
Everyone loves a secret…

Liv Tyner has an ultra-sexy one she’s been keeping all to herself. A sinfully delicious, forbidden secret that has inspired endless fantasy material late into her lonely nights. But when that secret is suddenly staring her in the face—in the form of two fantastically built and wildly successful men—not only does Liv have trouble keeping her one-time-only love triangle under wraps, she also longs for a repeat performance.

Step-brothers Nate Dalton and Tristan Reeves have built a global communications empire that laid the groundwork for their ten-year homecoming to Bayfront. But more important than success is winning the love of the one woman neither has gotten off his mind or out of his system no matter how much time and distance spans between them—sensational and highly addictive Liv Tyner!

As a slow seduction begins and all their juicy secrets are revealed, can these star-crossed lovers find themselves in the right place, at the right time, to make a more permanent love connection?

Addiction Review:
Addiction was a quick and easy book to read. For me, there was little to no character development for Liv, Nate and Tristan. I started the book with a high school/Pretty Little Liars feel and it did not change significantly for the rest of the story. The introduction of the main characters and their lifestyles came off like elitists and preppy, rich people, instead of something that I could relate to. The pain and hard work they had placed into their careers and past did not come through at all. Their lives only showed rainbows, instead of the grittier stuff about life that I was looking for. I do not enjoy reading books without substance, which is what I found in this book.

While reading this book, I was more interested in reading about the side characters than Nate, Liv and Tristan, which should not be happening. It was not something that I could get into and found myself skimming because it just wasn't interesting. However, other readers did enjoy this book so do give it a try.

Overall, this book is a 1.5 star read. There wasn't much to save it for me except for the secondary characters.

Thank you to Calista Fox for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

2017/07/06

The Billionaire's Intern (Billionaire Fairy Tales #3)

The Billionaire's Intern Summary:
Lorenzo De Santis: Ruthless. Driven. Ambitious.
Lorenzo De Santis is the boss. He’s an uncompromising hardass, he doesn’t suffer fools, and he doesn’t have time to deal with witless young interns. But when an old friend asks for a favor, Lorenzo can’t refuse. Even if it means taking on the man’s daughter as a project.

Kira Constantin: Rich. Party girl…Spy.
Kira Constantin feels like she has been half-alive since that one night of partying ended in tragedy. So when her father demands that she go undercover at De Santis Corp as a spy, there’s no way she can refuse. She must redeem herself, even if that means dealing with a boss like of Lorenzo De Santis.

Except neither of them counts on the forbidden heat that flares between them. As Kira and Lorenzo draw closer, spying on him becomes harder and harder. And then Kira discovers that the real villain might be closer to her than she thinks…

The Billionaire's Intern Review:
After reading The Dangerous Billionaire and not being pleased with the writing, I was hesitant to read The Billionaire's Intern. I was happily surprised to find the book had more likeable characters, and an plot that created an interesting book.

As individuals both Lorenzo and Kira were complex characters. Kira's ADHD is a condition that I can relate to, which made her development throughout the novel much more exciting. It also had me rooting behind her to find love with a person who would understand how to treat her right. And, her past is tragic, making the connection between her and Lorenzo stronger and more realistic.

Lorenzo, was an intriguing person to read about. Cold and a very strong alpha, it was difficult at times to read about him. With the history he has with relationships, it is easy to understand why he is so controlled with his emotions, but his dominance comes off as aggression at times. Especially during the first half of the book. It did level off by the end, allowing for a pleasing HEA.

The one reason that this HEA stood out to me was that Kira and Lorenzo recognized their love for each other not because one had a near death experience; instead it came because they were not willing to hide behind their emotions. It was satisfying to have a love story that was not a cliché.

Unfortunately, this book did have other faults. Kira's past was retold many times, creating some very repetitive thoughts, instead of additional character development. Furthermore, the ending built up for a very exciting finish, but feel a little flat. Luckily, the ending also revealed some information that has made me interested in the next book. Can’t go into much more detail, it would definitely be a spoiler.

Overall, this book is a 3.5 read. It had all the makings of a great story, but the romance felt a little to anti-climatic.

Thank you to Jackie Ashenden for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Dangerous Billionaire (Tate Brother #1) Review


Wanting the Wrong thing HAS NEVER BEEN SO RIGHT...
"A master at crafting tension and desire.” –RT Book Reviews

 The Dangerous Billionaire (Tate Brothers, #1)The Dangerous Billionaire Summary: 
Navy SEAL Sullivan "Van" Tate has been called home to reluctantly inherit an empire and finds himself facing the most difficult mission of all: love.

Nothing about Sullivan "Van" Tate is what it seems. A Navy SEAL raised among the New York City elite, Van prefers heart-pounding action over a Wall Street corner office. But when his adoptive father dies and his business rivals move in to overtake his empire, Van must suit up to save the company and protect the one woman most forbidden to him…and the object of Van's most dangerous desires.

Chloe Tate is as ambitious as she is gorgeous. With a newfound independence, Chloe is no longer a prisoner on her father’s ranch. But everything changes when losing her father may also mean losing her life. Even with her survival on the line, Chloe can’t deny the burning attraction she feels the moment she locks eyes with Van, her rich, rough and ready, foster brother and the new head of her father’s company. Tall, dark, and muscled, he's the one man who she has no business being with. But how can she resist a Navy Seal Warrior when he’ll do anything to protect her?


The Dangerous Billionaire Review:
    Jackie Ashenden’s Dangerous Billionaire was an interesting starting to her new Tate Brothers series. It did a fair job of setting up the premise for the rest of the series, which I am very interested to read about. The biggest takeaway from this book is its ability to set up the next novels because, other than that, it left something to be desired.

    The main problem came from the Van and Chloe. Neither of them acted as grown-up adults, had decent communication skills or any actual chemistry. A lot of their interactions, and feelings came off very shallow and did not allow for any connection between the characters and I.

    Van was whiny from day one because he can no longer work as a Navy Seal, must run the Tate Oil company, deal with his younger sister and every little thing that came he was after his father’s death. Chloe was just as whiny when she loses the ranch and is incapable to of acting with some common sense when she is in danger. Instead, we are told the her “courageous” and “spunky” attitude is not the same as running head first into a confrontation.

    Ignoring the two main characters, characters like Logan, Wolf and Cesare de Santis made the book more interesting. It will be intriguing to read Logan and Wolf’s book and hopefully see more of Cesare’s villainous side.

    Overall, this book is a 3-star rating. The main characters were irritating to read about, but this book itself was captivating enough that I finished it within a few hours. I will be reading the next few books because I know that the first book is usually the worst, as it tries to set up the premise for the series.

Thank you to Jackie Ashenden for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!


Author Bio:
Jackie Ashenden lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr. Jax, and their two kids and two cats. When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.





Social Links:

Twitter: @JackieAshenden
Facebook: @jackie.ashenden

http://smpromance.com/
Twitter: @SMPRomance
Facebook: @SMPRomance

Buying Links:

2017/05/02

The Dangerous Billionaire (Tate Brother #1) Exclusive Excerpt!


 

Wanting the Wrong thing HAS NEVER BEEN SO RIGHT...
"A master at crafting tension and desire.” –RT Book Reviews

The Dangerous Billionaire: 
The Dangerous Billionaire (Tate Brothers, #1)Navy SEAL Sullivan "Van" Tate has been called home to reluctantly inherit an empire and finds himself facing the most difficult mission of all: love.

Nothing about Sullivan "Van" Tate is what it seems. A Navy SEAL raised among the New York City elite, Van prefers heart-pounding action over a Wall Street corner office. But when his adoptive father dies and his business rivals move in to overtake his empire, Van must suit up to save the company and protect the one woman most forbidden to him…and the object of Van's most dangerous desires.

Chloe Tate is as ambitious as she is gorgeous. With a newfound independence, Chloe is no longer a prisoner on her father’s ranch. But everything changes when losing her father may also mean losing her life. Even with her survival on the line, Chloe can’t deny the burning attraction she feels the moment she locks eyes with Van, her rich, rough and ready, foster brother and the new head of her father’s company. Tall, dark, and muscled, he's the one man who she has no business being with. But how can she resist a Navy Seal Warrior when he’ll do anything to protect her?

Author Bio:
Jackie Ashenden lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr. Jax, and their two kids and two cats. When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.






The Excerpt!:

He didn’t look at her. Instead he shifted his weight onto one elbow and lifted his hand, cupping one breast in his palm. The breath hissed in her throat, the shocking heat of his touch reverberating through her like a scream echoing through a deserted house. He brushed his thumb over her aching nipple and she gasped, all the desperation she’d felt earlier rushing back.

He lowered his head, putting his mouth against the pulse at the base of her throat, the feel of his lips so hot she began to shiver almost uncontrollably. His tongue pressed lightly, his thumb brushing back and forth over her nipple, teasing her. She groaned, her spine bowing, pleasure like a live thing twisting inside her.

“Beautiful,” he whispered roughly against her skin, giving her the reassurance she needed without her even having to ask. “You’re just so fucking beautiful.”

He didn’t speak after that, too busy trailing kisses down over her skin, making goose bumps rise everywhere, the brush of his thumb maddening. Then he took his hand away as his mouth closed over the hard point of her nipple, hot and wet, an intense pressure building as he began to suck.

She groaned again, the pleasure bright and electric, her hands closing into fists beside her head. It felt so good she could hardly stand it. She whispered his name yet again, the sound raw as he teased her nipple with his tongue, then bit gently on it, making a sob catch in her throat.

He shifted his attention to her other breast, sucking that into his mouth as well as he slid one hand down the quivering plane of her stomach, to the fastening of her jeans. She lifted her hips urgently, unable to keep still, wanting to pull away from the maddening torture of his mouth and yet wanting him to suck harder, deeper at the same time.

“Hush.” His breath was hot against her sensitized nipple. “I told you to keep still. It’ll happen, don’t worry.”

She tried to do as she was told as he casually flicked open the button on her jeans and grabbed the tab of her zipper, tugging it down. Then his fingers were feathering light touches across her stomach, moving lower, sliding beneath the waistband of her panties. The breath sobbed in her throat as she felt those teasing fingers tangle in the soft, damp curls between her thighs, pulling lightly, sending tiny pinpricks of sensation racing over her skin.

She said something, she didn’t know what, maybe it was his name again or maybe it was a curse, and then she forgot it entirely as his fingers slid lower, stroking the soft, slick folds of her pussy.

Her hips bucked against his hand, her head going back on the pillow. He circled her clit with one finger, teasing her. Inching her closer toward the edge of the cliff but not pushing her off.

His mouth was so hot on her nipple, licking and sucking, torturing her as his fingers stroked unhurriedly around and around her clit, then sliding down to circle the entrance of her body, almost pushing inside but not quite.

He was playing with her, making her moan and move restlessly beneath him, blind now to anything but the feel of his hands on her body and the relentless pressure that was slowly building higher and higher.

Then quite suddenly he took his hands away and she nearly burst into tears at the loss, reaching for him as she felt his weight shift up and back.

“Lie still.” The rough sound of his voice rolled over her, full of command. “I’m not going anywhere.”
So she did as she was told, lying back against the pillows, blinking away the stupid rush of salty tears from her eyes and watching him slide off the bed. He straightened and pulled his shirt off, then got rid of his shoes. He un­ did his pants, pushed them down his hips along with his briefs, and stepped out of them magnificently, gloriously naked, but for his dog tags.

She couldn’t stop staring at him, following the carved lines of muscle and sinew, a work of perfect, masculine art, the eagle and trident inked across his chest making it very clear—as if his body hadn’t already—exactly what he was.

Dangerous, lethal. A weapon in human form.

He bent and got his wallet out of his pants, every movement fluid, purposeful as he extracted a foil packet from it. Then he ripped the open the foil, taking out the latex inside. And as she watched, completely fascinated, he reached down and gripped his cock in one hand, rolling down the condom with the other.

Big. He was really big. And beautiful too.

Her hands itched, wanting to touch him, to stroke down the long, smooth length of his rigid flesh, feel exactly how hard he was. But then he was moving, the bed dipping as he got back onto it. And her breath caught as he reached for the waistband of her jeans, pulling the denim down her legs in short, hard jerks, taking her panties along with them, and finally slipping them both off. Then he put his hands on her bare thighs and with ruthless insistence, spread them wide apart.

Another rush of vulnerability swept over her and she half sat up, breathing fast. “Van, I . . .” she began, before stopping short, not knowing what she wanted to say.

But he was moving forward, putting his hands on her shoulders and easing her back. “Let me look.” His voice had gentled again. “I only want to look at you.”

She tried to relax against the pillows, letting him hold her thighs apart, his gaze returning between them. The look on his face was so hungry, making her feel less ex­ posed and more . . . powerful almost. She liked doing that to him. She liked making him look at her as if he was starving.
He moved forward quite suddenly, coming over her, surrounding her with all that bare, tanned skin and strong muscle, his dog tags brushing against her sensitized breasts. The scent of him was everywhere, fresh, with that spicy, earthy undertone, and she was abruptly trembling so hard she didn’t think she’d ever stop.

He said nothing, looking at down at her, and this time his expression was fierce with something she didn’t under­ stand. She wanted to ask him what it was, but then he slid one hand beneath her hips, lifting them, and she felt the head of his cock slide through her folds, nudging against her clit. And she forgot what she was going to ask. In fact, she lost the power of speech entirely.

All she could do was lie there, shaking and desperate as he teased her, and when she didn’t think she could bear it anymore, he began to push his cock inside her, the intense stretch and burn of her pussy around him tearing a gasp from her throat.

She sobbed, because he didn’t rush. He went slowly. Inch by inch. Murmuring encouragement, telling her what a good girl she was, how tight and wet and hot her pussy was, and how good she felt around his cock. The dirty talk made her break out into a sweat, the climax so near she could almost taste it, making her want to shove herself up onto him or do something—anything—to push herself over the edge. But he didn’t let her, pinning one of her hips to the mattress with one hand as he lifted her leg up and around his waist with the other, tilting her pelvis so he could slide in deeper.

She stopped pleading, her throat too dry, her voice too hoarse. Besides, it was clear he wasn’t going to do anything until he was good and ready. She could only breathe through the pleasure that was wrapping itself around her throat and squeezing tight, making her gasp, making lights burst behind her eyes.

Then he was seated deep inside her, and she found herself pressed to the mattress, pinned beneath the hot, heavy weight of him. But strangely, looking up into his beautiful face, she didn’t feel crushed. She felt anchored. As if for the first time since she’d left Wyoming she’d come home in some way.
She didn’t speak as his arms came around her, cradling her, holding her close against him like she was a secret he wanted to keep safe. Then he drew back his hips and thrust deep inside her.
Chloe came apart then, sobbing against his shoulder, shattering as easily and as lightly as a sphere of blown glass, the pieces of her held together only by the strength of his arms.

Copyright © 2017 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Press.

2017/02/18

Born of Vengeance (The League #12)

Born of Vengeance (The League, #10)Born of Vengeance Summary: 
A fate worse than death . . .

Bastien Cabarro survived the brutal slaughter of his entire family only to have his wife pin their murders on him. Made Ravin by The League, he is now a target for their assassins-in-training to hunt and kill. The average life expectancy for such beings is six weeks. But defying the odds is what this Gyron Force officer does best, and Bastien won’t rest until he lays his betrayers in their graves.

Ten years later, he has one chance to balance the scales of justice, provided he relies on his former wingman— the very sister of the woman who testified against him.

Major Ember Wyldestarrin joined the outlaw Tavali the day Kirovar fell into the hands of a tyrant, and she and her team were left on an outpost to die under a barrage of enemy fire. The last thing she wants is to be involved in politics again. But if she doesn’t bring Bastien in, her sister will pay the ultimate price. Now she has to find some way to betray her former wingman (and fiance) before he catches on and kills her. Even so, treachery doesn’t come easy to a woman who took a loyalty oath to protect her homeworld and comrades-in-arms.

Yet as she tries to do right by her family, she learns that Bastien doesn’t just hold the key to the fate of Kirovar, he is vital to The Sentella-League war, and to the entire Tavali nation. If she hands him over, three nations fall. If she doesn’t, her entire family dies. Their fates are all in her hands, and time for all of them is quickly running out.


Born of Vengeance Review: 
I actually thought this book was stellar and one of the better ones that Kenyon has written. Now, this is based mostly on the new dialogue that I felt added a lot to the story and even the repeated parts were good for me because I forgot most of them from the previous book. It also helped that I got this book from the library, so I didn't feel cheated for the repeated material.

What I liked:

Bastien: He was absolutely amazing! He was a great hero first and foremost, but on top of that, he didn't wallow in his history. Characters like Jullien (even though I liked his book) would constantly worry about their self-worth and it came off like a pity party. There was none of that with Bastien making the story refreshing and absolutely hilarious. There were actually parts that I laughed out loud which I couldn't do for previous books just because there was so much sadness in them. I'm not saying Bastien had it easy because his past will break your heart and pray for his happy ending. In all honesty, he was one of Kenyon's most real heroes and someone I wish had gotten a larger book.
 
The Intro: What a spectacular way to start a story!! It brought you right into their world and made you thoroughly enjoy the ride. It wasn't one of the endings Kenyon usually does that shows the hero talking (sometimes wallowing) in his past. It was exciting, invigorating and told us more about the characters than any long description could have.
 
The Side Characters: Some of the best stories were Bastien interacting with people like Ryn and Chayden. Holy cow was Chayden funny! I really really hope his story is to come soon because it will definitely be a spectacular book. Even the short story at the end about Thia was better just for having a Chayden cameo.
 
The Plot. It was well drawn out and interesting. It also revealed some new information which is going to be VERY important for the future of the League War. What was there and new was amazing. Another thing about this was that instead of getting a long description of characters and places, we actually got to see what was happening. The most important thing an author can do is show not tell and Kenyon did a much better job in this novel.

Now what I didn't like:
Ember: Now I'm currently on the fence about her. I really didn't like her in the beginning, even during the first chapter she gave me iffy vibes. I generally don't like the females in Paranormal Adult books because they come off as holier than thou and have so many irritating qualities. Not all because most of my favourite books are adult ones. Back to Ember, I was routinely pissed off that she tried to blame Bastien for her fear. Yes, he made mistakes but he accepted that and didn't take it out on Ember. Ember was not that selfless, even going as far as to hide secrets from him. Luckily, by the end, I did like her a bit more, but still one of the least favourite heroines.

Ember's Sisters: I am impressed that most of them managed to stick by each other through all the suffering they went through. The other side of that is that seemed like a cult. The were willing to lash out any person who slighted one of them. It angered me so much when they ALL turned on Bastien when they knew the parties at fault. And then when they
The Story: There were two problems with the story itself. The first is that there was a year completely ignored. We see them meet and then skip to when they were supposed to be in love. That year we missed did not develop the characters enough to actual feel for them during loss and to not understand the villain. This book could have only been strengthened by adding more information about their relationship and showing important character developments. The second problem came from that fact that so much of this material was repeated verbatim from the Born of Legend and Born of Fury. It was great to see this but it didn't add anything new to the story. What could have been better would be to add dialogue that wasn't in the previous books but still at the same time of those scenes. Kenyon did do one example of this by adding a scene we hadn't seen from Born of Fury. There were obviously many interesting new tidbits we saw, but more of this should have been included. It wouldn't have taken away from the story and could have allowed for more plot development. Just changing the perspective is not enough because there was so much that could have been talked about instead.

Also, the synopsis is actually a bit misleading so beware.

Honestly, this book was pretty good. Not the best, but better than a lot of the previous books have been. It could have even better had the story included more important information that wasn't previous revealed. It would have only strengthened and enhanced the book.

Overall, this is a 4-star read. 5 stars for the new parts of the story and 2.5 for the repeated parts. In all, I will read the next book and pray that it won't have the same problems as this one did. That it will only get better from here because she will learn what works and what doesn't because what is important to her isn't necessarily important for her readers.

2017/01/09

Intense Pleasure (Bound Hearts #14)

Intense PleasureIntense Pleasure Summary:
Sexy, scintillating, and secretive, Intense Pleasure is the story of hidden desires and illicit romance. When danger threatens a woman, the two men who crave her, cannot live without her, will stop at nothing to protect her life… and satisfy every burning desire she has. They must stay bound together to be stronger than what hunts her, and let passion consume them…

TOO HOT TO HANDLE

Her name is Summer, as beautiful and occasionally fierce as her name suggests. Her past has just come back to haunt her, and suddenly she’s not sure who she can trust. Her longtime confidantes Falcone and Raeg seem to have Summer’s best interests at heart. . .but it’s clear that their desire for her still burns between them. Can they find a way to keep Summer safe—or will a bitter rivalry stand in their way?

Falcone and Raeg need to work together, now more than ever, if they intend to protect Summer from an old enemy who knows her dangerous secret. When Summer’s identity as a sweet, Southern socialite gets out, the two men must find a way to draw out the ruthless assassin on her trail. . .and keep their illicit romance with her under wraps. But some passions are so intense they can’t remain hidden.

What are Falcone and Raeg willing to risk for the woman they both crave like no other, in Intense Pleasure, the next Bound Hearts novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh.

Intense Pleasure Review:
This book is not the best Lora Leigh novel that I have read but it definitely was not the worst. The Southern family atmosphere in this book was a welcome change from previous erotica books I was reading. And it made the book a lot more enjoyable.

The characters were interesting and three dimensional. It was easy to root for a happy ending for the characters. Unfortunately, during some points of the story there seemed to be a disconnect between the characters and the plot. This usually happened when the plot was slowing down.

The word count could have been decreased because it made the plot drawn out and at some points unlikely. In the first few chapters of the book, this became a problem especially because I couldn’t understand what was happening. It was almost like the beginning was another book.

As the book continued, the plot was consistent and interesting. It was filled with great character development, sexy moments, wonderful cameos and an all around awesome book!

Overall, this book was a three-star read! If the beginning was better and a more consistent plot, then this book could have been a four-star read easy.

Thank you to Lora Leigh for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review