Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Spice by Lilah Suzanne Review

4.5 stars
I wish I could have given this more, but the writing style was just not for me. 

Synopsis:
"As writer of the popular “Ask Eros” advice column, Simon Beck has an answer to every relationship question his readers can throw at him. When it comes to his own life, the answers are a little more elusive—until computer troubles introduce him to the newest and cutest member of his company’s IT support team. Simon may be charmed by Benji’s sweet and unassuming manner, but will he find the answer to the one relationship question he has never been able to solve: how to know when he’s met Mr. Right?"

Like I stated above I kept getting distracted by how awkward it was and would have to reread what I had just read; and this didn't happen just once, but multiple times. 

But other than that I absolutely adored this book! It was a great mix of sweet and sexy. Simon and Benji's immediate connection was so believable and real; it never felt like "insta" anything. Even when the were in that period of being only friends because Simon was a dumb fuck at one point. But he quickly redeemed himself. It all felt sincere and I think that's what I loved most about this book. 
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The fact that these guys felt real and had insecurities and had real relationship worries and arguments, just like everybody else. There were no "perfect" characters that annoyed the shit out of you. There was no over the top plot line, nor was there any random action scene shoot out thrown in. 
It was just a real couple having a real relationship, and I loved being able to see the after of the happily ever after. And seeing that the after was not chapters of them living a perfect life with no fighting and constant orgasms was really a huge plus for me. 

It was an honest relationship that had so much love. They were thinking and talking about buying cat food, scrubbing grout, and other real life things after sex or in the shower together, and even when try were trying to sext (so hilarious!) It was just a really honest representation of living your life with the person you love. 

I loved that the chapters opened with parts of the advice column I thought that was a really fun idea. I was obsessed with the text messages! Oh god they were things of beauty and made me laugh so hard.

Final Thought:
It was just a really fun and sweet book that will definitely be a reread for me. 

Some Kind of Magic by R. Cooper Review

3.5 stars
I really liked it, but I wanted more. 

Synopsis:

"Being a police detective is hard. Add the complication of being a werewolf subject to human prejudice, and you might say Ray Branigan has his work cut out for him. He’s hot on the trail of a killer when he realizes he needs help.


Enter Cal Parker, the beautiful half-fairy Ray’s secretly been in love with for years—secretly, because while werewolves mate for life, fairies...don’t. Ray needs Cal’s expertise, but it isn’t easy to concentrate with his mate walking around half-naked trying to publicly seduce him. By the time Ray identifies the killer—and sorts out a few prejudices of his own—it may be too late for Cal."


I don't know it just feels like there was something missing from the story, and it kept me from enjoying it as much as I could have. 
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Plus, as much as I liked both Ray and Cal I was annoyed by how long it took them to get together. And the reason(or Ray's reasons) why they "couldn't" be together.

I was absolutely enamored by Cal (Callalily how adorable is that name?!). He was just one of those characters that you fall in love with. I loved his obsession with sweets and how he would basically grab them from thin air. His whole personality was just so lovable and endearing; I really want to see more of him in the future.


Final Thoughts:
I liked this, but I like I stated earlier I think this could have been more. I'm not too sure if I'm going to read anymore of the series; I've read the other book synopses and they just didn't sound as interesting as this one did. 

How to Catch a Cheetah by Liza Kay Review

4 stars
I actually really really enjoyed this one! 

Synopsis:
Dear Author,
The ostrich is a shifter; the cheetah can be as well, if you desire. And this scene should appear in the story at some point. Have fun with it! I want to laugh.
Anything else you want to do with it is fine by me.

Photo Description: 
In the picture we see a cheetah in full run, chasing an ostrich through a steppe-like landscape. The ostrich’s wings are spread, his feathers ruffled, as he tries to escape the faster, but physically weaker, cat. Above those two, we see the line SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. 


At first I was a little thrown off by Dji's attitude and hurtful actions, but once they reunited and got together(which was almost immediate) it started to really work for me. 
 photo 25742591_zps3yisulzd.jpg I absolutely loved that Kei didn't take any shit from Dji, and that he didn't give in and immediately accept an apology. Kei not only made Dji apologize but he also voiced how hurt he was and what those hurtful actions caused; I love it when a couple fully communicates in books because to me it's just like in life, how can you and your partner grow or change if the reason you are being stunted is never addressed or resolved? 
So that was a really fabulous point for the author to put in. 

What really annoyed me was that Dji didn't go to Kei first not only about the pregnancy, but also about the fact that he could get pregnant. That just rang as immature and irresponsible to me, but I can almost forgive/forget it because of the anxiety and true fear that you could feel when Dji thought Kei wouldn't want to be with him any more because of his ability to get pregnant or because of the fact that he was pregnant. I sort of liked this vulnerable side to the confident and self assured ostrich.

A sequel any sequel or companion novel needs to come out because I am dying to see where the author takes these characters, especially Thony and Alan.

For more Love is an Open Road stories:
click here

Spotless by Camilla Monk Review

2.5 - 3 stars
I have such mixed feelings with this read.


Synopsis:
Island Chaptal—nerdy IT engineer by day, romance novel junkie by night—just walked into her messy New York apartment to find Mr. Right waiting for her. No, wait…Mr. Clean.

A gentleman professional killer with a bad case of OCD and zero tolerance for unsorted laundry, March isn’t there to kill her…yet. He wants the diamond her late mother stole for a sinister criminal organization. Island agrees to help him find it, facing the kind of adversaries who dismember first and ask questions later. Good thing she’s got March to show her the ropes. And the guns. And the knives.

The buttoned-up Island is soon having a blast racing from Paris to Tokyo following the clues in her mother’s will, and for the first time, she’s ready to get close to someone. But falling for a hit man may be the very definition of loving dangerously.…

Spotless marks the beginning of Island and March’s ongoing adventures.

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On one hand I really enjoyed the mystery and action, but on the other I was slightly uncomfortable/unmoved by the "romance" portion.

I just couldn't see this as a romance early on, maybe in the later chapters I could see and almost understand it; but in the early chapters when she was thinking and making up scenarios about him and her I could not even begin to believe it. All of the early romantic thoughts just turned me off to them as an eventual couple.


But I will say that I was in love with all of the action-y killing scenes, that was the strong point of the entire story. 

I will most likely read the rest of the series, mainly for the mystery aspect, but I genuinely hope that the author sells me on the romance. That cliffhanger has me pretty pumped for the next one in the series.


Final thoughts:
So I think that people who are interested in something different you should definitely check this one out.

Cronin's Key II by N.R. Walker Review

4.5 stars
First things first, I want more. There is no way this world, or the characters in it, can be over. I feel like there are so many side characters that I am so eager to learn about; like Lars the pyro(how cool is that?!), the flirty and vicious Kennard, and the warrior historian Jacques.
**I have my fingers crossed** 

Synopsis:
"History isn’t always what it seems.

With the battle of Egypt behind them, Alec and Cronin are enjoying the thrill of new love. Though fate doesn’t wait long before throwing them back into the world of weird.

They know Alec’s blood is special, though its true purpose still eludes them. And given Alec’s inability to be changed into a vampire, Cronin is free to drink from him at will. But the ramifications of drinking such powerful blood starts a ripple effect.

With the help of Jorge, a disturbing vampire-child with the gift of foresight, Alec and Cronin face a new kind of war. This time their investigations lead them to the borders of China and Mongolia—but it’s not what lies in the pits beneath that worries Alec.

It’s the creator behind it all.


In the underground depths of China, amidst a war with the Terracotta Army, they will find out just what the Key is, and what Alec means to the vampire world."


Obviously the chemistry between Alec and Cronin is off the charts hot, but what we got in this book, that I felt was lacking in the other, was the HOT sex that equaled the chemistry they share in other aspects of their relationship.
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Something that I wasn't a big fan of was the rushed portion dealing with **SPOILER**Genghis Khan and with Rilind**END OF SPOILER**. The lead up to the action was good, the fight with the Terracotta Soldiers was enjoyable, but the actual climax with the bad guy was so lackluster. But I will say the things **SPOILER**Alec's transformation**END OF SPOILER** after the "fight" with the bad guy was really good! So stressful but entirely worth it!

I'm the first one to say that I'm not the biggest fan of children in books, BUT I was in love with Jorge. To me he stole every scene that he was in, and I would love to read more about him and his back story. His creepiness and innocent "evilness" is what really drew me in. 

I also really enjoyed the epilogue(like swooning butterflies in my stomach enjoyment). It was one of the most loving and heartwarming wedding/wedding vows scenes that I have read in a very longtime. It was such a great ending to such a great couple of books. 

 Definitely recommend reading this series. 
The history, research, stress, and action is so engaging, that it feels like you are there rushing against the clock with them. But you are still getting the romance, affection, and love; I don't feel like one aspect of the book hinders the other, or eclipses the other. I feel like they all work together to make a perfect blend of romance, action, and history. 

Monday, April 20, 2015

Until July by Aurora rose Reynolds Review

3 stars
I'm not sure what to say about this book. I both liked and disliked it.

Synopsis:
"Wes Silver wasn’t looking for love, but when July Mayson literally knocks him on his ass during their first encounter, his world is turned upside down by the quirky blonde, and every moment with her makes him more determined to protect her. 

July Mayson doesn’t understand the pull she feels toward the bad boy biker Wes Silver, but she knows being with him is like nothing she’s ever felt before. Now all she has to do is tell her overprotective father, Asher Mayson, that she’s found her boom."

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I feel so unsure about what to say because I'm on the fence. On one hand I really liked seeing all of the Mayson family, that was a lot of fun! I also really enjoyed how July didn't take any shit from anybody; I love characters that stand up for themselves no matter who they are standing against.

But I didn't like the fact that July would just follow her annoying friend into very dangerous situations, for no reason. That to me was beyond stupid. I also wasn't a fan of Wes sometimes. In general I liked him, I liked that he could apologize and own up to being an asshole; but it felt too frequent that he had to do that. 

The writing was also something I felt an issue with. It felt off for some reason. I have read all but 2 of Aurora's books and I really enjoy her writing style and I feel pretty familiar with it, so I can say with some confidence that with this story something about it felt really off. I didn't like the big gaps of time that we didn't get to see or read and there were a few instances where I felt like I was being told instead of being shown. I don't know, it was almost as if the July inner dialogue was supposed to convince me that I was supposed to like or feel a certain way. I'm not sure how to explain it but I wanted to see what was happening that I apparently was supposed to like, instead of being told what had happened over a stretch of time that wasn't written.

Final thoughts:
Overall it was a pretty enjoyable read but I wasn't super impressed. I definitely think it is worth checking out if you have read the Until series, because I thought it was super fun to look at where the family is now.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Coming very soon...

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SYNOPSIS:
"It happens whenever wolf shifter Roni Axton is near Marcus Fuller: a crackle of sexual awareness that’s intoxicating...and deeply annoying. Marcus is a pack enforcer who oozes power, but Roni is lethal in her own right—nothing like the flirty females who flock around him. Even still, his possessive gaze makes one thing clear. Marcus has singled her out for seduction, and he wants to make her sit up and beg.

No matter how aloof and unfazed Roni acts, Marcus can tell she wants him. When a brutal attack by a jackal pack forces them to work together, it’s the perfect opportunity for Marcus to chip away at her defenses—until he falls into his own trap, completely unprepared for the intensity of their connection. Roni is the only one who’s ever seen past his shifter charm and discovered the man hiding beneath it. And for Marcus, claiming Roni once will mean needing her forever."


Dark Instincts (The Phoenix Pack Series, Book Four)
Coming: April 7, 2015

EXCERPT:

DARK INSTINCTS

CHAPTER ONE


Opening your eyes to find that you’re upside down can’t be good, can it?
Through the cobwebs clouding her mind, Roni Axton realized that it wasn’t just she who was upside down. The car had toppled over.
Well that sucked. Clearly the fuck-up fairy had made an appearance.
Strangely, Roni felt no rush of panic, no fear. And despite that she was pretty sure her head was bleeding, there was no pain. There was only a feeling of weightlessness. Even the fact that her wolf was frantic didn’t disturb Roni in this dreamlike moment.
Her brain distantly registered that the car kept leaning sideways, as if something was repeatedly pulling at it. But it was the various sounds that penetrated her mental fog: low moans, a phone ringing, a child crying, and strange voices arguing.
Sensing that the ringtone and the moans were coming from her left, Roni turned her head to find a male wolf shifter in the driver’s seat, eyes closed. Tao. Huh. Odd that the Phoenix Pack’s Head Enforcer was with her. She rarely hung out with anyone outside her pack. In truth, Roni counted very few people as friends.
Sadly, she was very like her brother, Alpha of their recently formed Mercury Pack, in that she found social situations uncomfortable. In Nick’s case, it was because he didn’t like most people. In Roni’s case, it was because most people didn’t like her. Even when she was a kid, she’d found making friends difficult, especially at school. It was kind of hard to fit in when you were a tomboy with a higher IQ than that of your teachers.
It probably made things worse that she didn’t “get” her own gender. But she just didn’t see the appeal behind constantly gossiping, shopping endlessly, asking deep personal questions, or having different lotions for different body parts.
Roni was more comfortable around guys, particularly her two brothers and her Beta male, Derren. Men didn’t care that she wasn’t a people pleaser, or that she didn’t know how to satisfy social niceties, or that she preferred chocolate to living beings of any species. The only female she thought of as a friend was her Alpha female, Shaya, who—
A succession of memories suddenly hit Roni hard: Shaya singing to a toddler in the backseat, Tao playfully grumbling about the noise, the sound of tires screeching, an unexpected impact to the side of the vehicle, a blow to her head that made everything go black.
Grasping onto those threads of memory, Roni remembered how she had escorted Shaya—who was two months pregnant—on a daytrip to the zoo with Shaya’s godson, Kye, and his bodyguard, Tao. The Alpha female had wanted a break from Nick and his extreme overprotectiveness. It was during the drive back to Phoenix Pack territory when a car had slammed into theirs.
And then she’d gone and passed out like a girl. How embarrassing.
Blinking rapidly, she swiveled her head as much as she could. She might have winced at the sharp pain that lanced through her neck if she hadn’t been distracted by the fact that Shaya wasn’t in the backseat beside a still crying Kye. That was when Roni noticed the female body sprawled like a ragdoll on the grass a few feet away from the vehicle. Fuck.
The dreamy quality of the moment disappeared as reality crashed into Roni, and her wolf howled in fear and rage. One word dominated Roni’s thoughts: Out. She had to get out.
Forcing a reassuring smile for Kye, who was squirming in his safety seat and reaching for her, she crooned, “It’s okay, little man. Give me a second and I’ll—”
The car wobbled sideways again. “This crowbar is a piece of shit!” griped an unfamiliar voice.
“Hurry up!” ordered an equally unfamiliar voice. “We don’t have much time before someone shows up. Coleman and Axton will sense through their pack links that something’s wrong with their wolves.”
The stranger was right about that: she could sense Nick’s rage and anxiety. She could also sense Shaya through the pack link; she was alive, but unconscious.
“I can’t open the door, it’s jammed.”
A growl. “Move. I’ll do it.” The car swayed again. That was when Roni understood what was happening. Someone was yanking at one of the rear door handles, trying desperately to get inside . . . trying to get to . . . Kye. Oh the fuck no.
Roni awkwardly fought to unclip her seatbelt. It eventually snapped open, and she cried out at the sensation of falling onto a bed of glass. She shelved the pain as she righted herself and began to slide toward the backseat on her stomach. “Tao, wake up! Get to Shaya!” All she received was another moan.
“Shit! One of them is awake!” Rather than flee, the strangers redoubled their efforts to open the door.
Their efforts paid off.
Just as the top half of Roni’s body wriggled through the gap between the seats, the door was yanked open, and a tanned arm reached for Kye.
Roni unsheathed her claws and sliced at the limb, causing it to flinch away. Her wolf growled her approval. “I swear to God, if any part of your body tries to touch him again, you won’t get it back intact!”
“You bitch!” Two arms reached inside this time, both sporting claws of their own. One set of claws acted as a barricade between her and Kye while the other set cut through the belt that secured Kye’s safety seat to the car. In a lightning fast motion, the arms caught him before he and his seat could crash to the floor.
Roni stabbed her claws through one long, muscled arm, past bone, and all the way into the rear seat, pinning the arm in place. He howled in pain, hurling obscenities at her. Well, she had warned him; he’d chosen to ignore her, so there was really no need for that kind of language.
With her free hand, Roni worked Kye’s belt open. His little body toppled out of the safety seat and onto her outstretched arm. If her wolf could have sighed in relief, she would have. Curling her arm around him, Roni pulled him tight against her body. Only then did she release the would-be-kidnapper from the grip of her claws.
She was feeling a hint of victory when someone grabbed a fistful of her hair from behind. Turning her head as much as the strong grip would allow, she realized that the second male had come at her from the other side of the car. He held her in place by her hair while the other shifter frantically struggled to drag Kye from her grasp. The toddler was wailing and clinging tightly to her, absolutely terrified. When two large hands got a firm grip on his little waist, panic bit into her. No, no, she wouldn’t let—
Her hair was suddenly released, and a scream mingled with a familiar animal growl that meant Shaya had shifted into her wolf form. While Roni was relieved that she was conscious again, Roni did not want the pregnant female, ruthless or not, fighting a male shifter.
“Don’t shift!” the other male yelled. “A car’s coming!”
Footsteps thudded along the ground as the two males disappeared from view. Seconds later, there was the sound of a car speeding away, and a heavy sense of relief surged through Roni.
Hearing Shaya’s wolf pawing at the vehicle, whining, Roni assured her, “We’re fine.” But, really, Roni wasn’t fine. Her head was now throbbing, her body ached in several places, and her vision was starting to blur and darken. If she passed out again, she would be seriously unhappy. Dominant females did not pass out, dammit.
“Roni, how badly are you guys hurt?” Shaya asked, back in her human form.
Roni wanted to answer her Alpha female; wanted to ask Shaya how injured she was and reassure her that everything would be fine. But Roni’s mouth suddenly felt stuffed with cotton, her chest felt tight, and black spots were dancing before her eyes. Worse, there was a horrible ringing sound that made her head pound even more.
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her wolf began to panic once more as the ringing became deafening and a dark veil fell over Roni’s vision.
Then there was only blackness.


© Suzanne Wright




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