Blog Hop & Tag Along #3

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://www.bookswithbite.net/

3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments

5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can

6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers

7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!

8. If your new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Calling all 18 and over book bloggers, are you looking for more bloggers like yourself? Well please join in so we can tag along with each other. This is for a specific group and your blog needs to primarily have book reviews and post adult book content. In other words, if you read books like erotic and adult romance and have adult pic., then you can play tag along.

It doesn't matter what you read if it's paranormal, suspense, historical, contemporary or mystery, along with erotic with any genre. As long as it is adult then your in.

To join in the fun, head over to Bitten by Paranormal Romance.

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun! This is a weekly event! And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added!

This week's question comes from Tina who blogs at Book Couture.

"How do you spread the word about your blog?
(e.g. Social Networking sites, Book Blog Directories, comments on other blogs...)"

My answer: Twitter (@RaganJay) and interacting with fellow blogs, including hop alongs)

Please let me know which hop along you're from!

Upcoming review:

The Sweetest Tattoo: Cabin Fever #1

Her twin was a dead man. Tattoo artist Kelsie Cole cannot believe her brother would give his best friend use of his cabin the same week he promised it to her. She had been butting heads with straight-laced John McBride since they were kids.

John McBride only takes one week of vacation a year, and there isn’t any way he’s driving down a mountain back to Raleigh just because Kelsie Cole is already standing on the porch staking her claim when he arrives.The cabin has two rooms, and they are adults. They can share a space for seven days. It’s not like they’re attracted to each other or anything, right? Kelsie grits her teeth, but assures herself she can handle it.

Cameron Dane is the shyt! She has such an amazing recipe for a great tale. She takes a high on life atmosphere with determined, addictive characters that are bound to make you smile and then just throws an immensely passionate relationship at you that just works. Takes it down to a serous level only to make it lighthearted and carefree the next. At least in this story.

Kelsie is pissed when John, her brother's best friend, shows up at the cabin the very week she planned to have some peace and rest. She lives to pester the guy though, convinced in her own head that he looks down on her profession as a tattoo artist while he's the buttoned up shirt, business type.

The girl is delusional. She has her own little world going on somewhere inside that head of hers because the truth couldn't be any further from that.

When John finally has enough of her snide comments and refusal to call him by his first name he threatens to shove his tongue down her throat just to shut her up. And well, you know what's bound to happen from there.

The book itself is seven chapters long and spans seven days, one day each chapter. Kelsie and John have known each other for twenty one years but have never gotten to truly delve into eachother's inner machinations. They begin to open up and share memories. They've both had rotten childhoods. But when the conversation gets too deep, or they need to take a breather, there's lots of sizzling sex to be had as a distraction. 4 out of 5.

Savage Transformation: Savage Australia #2

Savage Transformation
Savage Australia, book two
ebook
Published September 28, 2010 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN13: 9781609281984

She thought she had a life—until being hunted shows her she’s never really lived.

Jacqueline Huddart has spent her entire adult life on the run. Not from the law, or even a jealous lover. From herself—and what she is. That strategy works for her until a funeral demands she return to home ground, and her best friend disappears. Finding Delainie means Jackie must confront the truth…and accept the help of a mysterious, sexy-as-sin Texan.

Marshall Rourke isn’t the only one flying under the radar. He’s on an off-the-grid quest to track down a rogue ex-partner who hunts paranormal beings for the joy of the kill. Convincing the unexpectedly feisty Jackie to trust him isn’t easy, but there’s no better way to lure the hunter into the open than to dangle as unique a target as Jackie—the last Tasmanian Tiger shifter in existence.

Trouble is, Marshall hadn’t counted on Jackie’s brutal right cross. Or the fact that her simmering sexuality calls to his inner wolf on every imaginable level. And that the killer is about to use their desire to add them both to his trophy case…

This is not a review. I don't know what this is, maybe a rant, all I know is that I have never been so disappointed.

Savage Transformation has been on my shopping list since Lexxie Couper first announced it and I've been laying in wait for its release, which was Tuesday. Got my hands on it that night and opened it up Wednesday- the same day I closed it.

The beginning was very promising. There's even a very informative and interesting snippet right when you start about the history of the thylacine (the extinct Tasmanian tiger of Australia) and goes on with a really great prologue featuring Marshall Rourke.

Then we meet Jackie and Delanie and it snowballed from there. Nails on a freaking chalkboard. I've never had characters that rubbed me in such harsh, agitating way. Friends may be hard to find but there's no need to be desperate. Why anyone would keep putting themselves in a place to be dependent on someone as flighty as Delanie I just do not know.

Lexxie Couper is a great writer, and I have enjoyed her work in the past. This one is just not for me. More power to those who read it and come to love it. I couldn't even make it to the smut. And the one time I thought I had a reprieve from Delanie, since she gets herself kidnapped and all, the damn story followed her. Whatever happened to having a supporting character get lost in the shadows? Sometimes it's just necessary for that to happen.

No rating. DNF.

Other books in this series
- Savage Retribution

Banned Books Week 2010

September 25−October 2, 2010

Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark is a series of three children's books written by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. The scary stories of the title are pieces of folklore and urban legends collected and adapted by Schwartz. The titles of the books are Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981), More Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark (1984), and Scary Stories 3 : More Tales to Chill Your Bones (1991).

This series is listed as being the most challenged series of books from 1990–1999 and seventh most challenged from 2000-2009  by the American Library Association for its religious viewpoint and violence as well as for being occultist, satanic, or inappropriate. Source: Wikipedia

This is my first time participating in Banned Books Week and it was a last minute decision that I was squeezing into my reading schedule so I went with something short... equally dark and intriguing... and was surprised to discover my husband owned this book, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981), as a child and recalls most of the stories. I even recognized a few.

This book was banned in Michigan for scaring the hell out of first graders. Why anyone would give a book about death and ghosts to a five year old is beyond me. It should never have been banned because it never should have been there in the first place. The art work alone is graphic enough, although I loved it.

Each story is about one to three pages long. Some are ludicrous. Some are just funny. Some are rather freaky. And I imagine there is some fright to be found with the proper low, ominous voice... a suggestive pause... a piercing scream applied just so...

A couple even gave me chills.

Demon in Me: Living in Eden #1

Demon In Me
Living In Eden, book one
Paperback, 336 pages
Published May 4th 2010 by Berkley
ISBN 0425234681 (ISBN13: 9780425234686)

Hell hath no fury...

Fate has led Eden Riley to become a "psychic consultant" to the police, even though her abilities are unreliable at best. Those paranormal powers are about to get her into a jam she couldn't have predicted: After her hunky police detective partner guns down a serial killer in front of her, Eden realizes that she's quite literally no longer alone. A voice in her head introduces himself as Darrak. He's a demon. But not in a bad way!

...Like a woman possessed.

Darrak lost his original body three hundred years ago, thanks to a witch's curse. This is the first time he's been able to speak directly to a host, plus there's a bonus: Eden's psychic energy helps him to take form during daylight hours. He wants to use this chance to find a way to break his curse - finally. Otherwise, Eden's going to have to learn to live with this sexy demon ... like it or not.

I'm at the bottom of a very long list of readers who have reviewed this book, but holy freaking damn, this is a GOOD book. Couldn't put it down. And you did not want to be the person to try to rip it from my fingers.

Some girls have all the luck. One guy that's a ringer for Brad Pitt and another that looks like a Calvin Klein underwear model. Plus, a cat that cleans her house and makes to-die-for lasagna. LUUUUCKY!

There's truly never a dull moment in this book after Eden, a psychic who doesn't believe in psychics, is asked to visit a serial killer's home to help jump start a dead end in an ongoing investigation and comes away possessed by a demon.

And what a demon he is! Darrak is HOT. Sinfully charming. Funny. Deadly. And oh so sexy.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Darrak interrupted.

“I’m reading from the Bible.”

“Do you do this a lot?”

“I like to read from my trusty Bible all day, every day. Do you have a problem with that? Does it sting a little?” She raised an eyebrow. “Does it make you want to leave and never come back?”

“I’m afraid it’s not quite that easy. However, if you take requests, I always find Revelations quite soothing.”

Now there's also Ben Hanson, the detective on the serial killer case. He's an ass. I say that because he really doesn't make a very good first impression. One of those men that need to be convinced a woman is worth his time before he spares her a glance. I feared for a long time that it was going to turn into some Team Darrek/Team Ben thing and if so I was going to stab something. This is a book one. I figured anything could happen.

And being a book one, I expected a cliff hanger. And a doosey of a one at that. The story was just way too captivating to end well.

Wrong. It does have a conclusion as well as leaving a wide open door for a very engaging series. The near end has an awkward Simon Says feel to it but that's really my only complaint. The last chapter definitely opens up a can of worms for the future. Michelle Rowen goes on my watch list and Demon In Me makes it to my top reads of all time. 5 out of 5 stars.



+++

After writing this review I found that book two in this series releases in FIVE days. Yes, I was under a rock somewhere... So check out the trailer for upcoming release, SOMETHING WICKED

Being a little wicked isn’t all bad…

Every woman has a sexy demon inside her just waiting to get out, but for Eden Riley it’s a little different. Her inner demon is named Darrak, and he’s been inhabiting bodies for the past 300 years. In the daytime, thanks to her special psychic energy, he’s able to take physical shape—a shape she wouldn’t mind getting her hands on, if it wasn’t a threat to her immortal soul…

Because of her possession, Eden now has uncontrollable black magic at her fingertips, and she and Darrak are trying to end the curse that binds them before the situation gets any worse. To do it, they’ll have to get tangled up with some unsavory characters from the underworld. When sparks and spells fly, they could get the distance they need…or each have their own private hell to pay.

Touching Lace / Tasting Candy

Touching Lace
Vaughn series, book one
ebook
Published March 25th 2008 by Samhain
ISBN 1599989034 (ISBN13: 9781599989037)

Taking friendship to a whole new level...

Lacey Vaughn has just caught her boyfriend having his nether parts washed by her alleged friend. She's tired of being dumped on by the opposite sex and it's clear she needs help in the ways of seduction. Over cappuccinos, Lacey shares her worries with her dearest friend, Nick Stone. Being the good friend that Nick is, he offers to give Lacey a few pointers at mattress calisthenics. But from Nick's first touch, Lacey begins to see things in her good buddy that she'd never noticed before. Soon, Lacey forgets all about lessons. Now, all she wants is more of Nick.

I have a weakness for a good friends-become-lovers tale.

Lacey is immersed in a pity party for herself after catching her boyfriend of six months showering with her longtime friend when her Nick arrives to whisk her away for a day at the movies. Conversation flows later over drinks, where Lace makes a random revelation that she can't hold onto a guy because she sucks as sex.

Taking a wicked chance, Nick, on the pretense of upping Lacey's confidence in the bedroom, offers to give her some very private lessons and follows the idea with his own confession- he's wanted her for years.

Not exactly certain why Nick held back for so long but he's definitely not pulling any punches now. And, like a slap to the face, Lacey comes to see and appreciate her best friend's sex appeal. The story is somewhat stalled as Lacey considers if risking their friendship is worth the passion she finds in Nick's eyes but is filled with Nick's flattering admissions of all the times he wanted to hold, soothe, and bed her.

The sex in this one isn't going to send off any earthquake alarms but it does do well in whetting the appetite and laying preparations for the following books in the series by introducing Lacey's brothers, the formidable Blade who doesn't know what to do with a 'good' girl and the workaholic Merrick who's already married to Chloe. Nick is the typical guy pining over a girl who hasn't a clue. His words are sweet and often erotic, making his talk much hotter than his acts. Lacey is clueless and her random personality, bouncing from a take-no-prisoner mentality to a head full of mush failed to charm me. Then again, few female characters ever manage to. 3 out of 5 stars.

Tasting Candy
Vaughn, book two
ebook
Published June 24th 2008 by Samhain
ISBN13 9781605040530

Lust was the lure, Candy was the reward.

Walking around with a raging hard-on isn't Blade Vaughn's idea of a good time. He's hungry for sex and there's only one woman on his menu: Candice Warner. When Blade witnesses the shy beauty go into a panic over a harmless encounter, he's more determined than ever to prove that sex with him is just the therapy she needs.

Candice is used to being afraid of her own shadow, but when she goes all nutso in front of Blade, she's beyond mortified. She wants him to see her as an equal. As a woman. It's time she got over her past trauma and started living again. But can she trust him with her body or is she doomed to panic every time he comes near?

I'm beginning to wonder if the guys in this series wouldn't be better depicted as animal shifters. No sane man is this one minded when it comes to a particular woman. And Blade did possess the mating instinct, the urge to bite, and the preference to take her from behind.

Candice hasn't had it great in life. Her adopted parents were killed in a plane crash and she lost her virginity in a date rape. Despite the panic attacks that are brought on every time a man flirts with her, she's slowly starting to take back control of her life. And Blade Vaughn insists he be the man to help her.

The most old fashioned of the Vaughn siblings, Blade spends most of the book going back and forth from my 'gotta love him' list to 'OMG, just die already' as he crosses into neanderthal territory.

I think Rachel on Goodreads just about covered any rant one could possibly have towards this book:

Vapid and chauvinistic!

I couldn't help but picture Blade as Chuck Norris or Rex from Napoleon Dynamite. O_o Even Candy described him as a total throwback. Not my type I guess because I thought he was an absurd character. Not appealing at all.

This story completely fell flat for me. There was no build-up to Blade and Candy's relationship and I couldn't sympathize with Candy's past because it wasn't taken seriously. She was supposedly terrified of all men due to her traumatic past experience, but by chapter 3 she's dry-humping Blade's nether regions before they even go out on their first date?! Then there was the whole paranormal dreams aspect...why? It didn't fit into this story at all. It felt like a random after-thought by the author.

I knew going in that this wasn't going to be a thought-provoking masterpiece, but even for 'literary junk-food' this just wasn't any good. Amirite?

She reached for the milk and honey soap, then poured it into the puff, but when she started washing him with it, he chuckled.
“Uh, sweetheart?”
“Hmm?” Candice mumbled as she stared at some interesting spot on his arm.
“Real men don’t use puffs.”

In the end, I did like this one more than the first because after all is said and done I do go for those book guys that are completely dominate, all the while giving and selfless, and just know how to get what they want.

However, I think Candice had a few screws loose. She wanted to collect the dirt Blade tracked into the office for one thing. And sadly, she's not getting any help from her therapist. Told her doctor that Blade said he loved her, now she's scared, and what advice does she get? Give the guy a striptease. WTF? I'm pretty sure if I ever sporadically started a striptease for my husband, he'd think I'd lost my mind. As if I'd ever get through it without laughing my ass off anyway.

Again, 3 out of 5 stars.

Stick Shift

Stick Shift
ebook
Published May 2010 by Loose Id, LLC
ISBN13 9781607375845

An orchestra musician, a private music teacher, and a homebody, Lily’s a full-figured, quiet woman who lives a fairly simple and solitary life. Aside from music, she has one big passion: stock car racing. She’s been a fan for as long as she can remember and makes the yearly pilgrimage to Daytona as often as she can. When she’s offered a chance to get away to North Carolina and attend two weeks of races, she jumps at it. Little does she know what that chance has in store for her…

Cam Carter is one of the most successful young drivers in the top tier of the stock car racing circuit. All over the country, he’s well known to racing fans, loved by some, respected by a few, and hated by others. He’s arrogant, strong willed, and a consistent winner. What he doesn’t have is balance…until he meets a pretty, very curvaceous, and unassuming fan named Lily.

Lily fears the difference in lifestyles, ages, and personalities while Cam in turn, embraces them. Can they find a way to cross the finish line and take the checkered flag together or will the obstacles push against them until they crash and burn?

So the most awesome lady on the planet hooked up with Stick Shift. Not only is it a cougar story, but it's Nascar... so my first thoughts were somewhere along the line of 'What were you thinking, Redd?'

My father, God bless him, is a die hard Mark Martin fan. Me, I can't stand the so called sport. Drive fast. Turn left. Nuh-uh. I'm an American football kinda girl. Hike it. Run it. Hit 'em hard!

Lily attends a race with her best friend, Allison, and ends up dragged into the autograph line steered directly towards Cam Carter, the hottest new driver in the sport who is instantly captivated by Lily when she turns and walks away without swooning or asking for his autograph.

So Cam's one of those guys that likes a challenge and Lily doesn't understand what a guy ten years her junior sees in her. With such a simple plot, it falls to the chemistry and intimate scenes to make this romance book memorable for me.

Now I have a pet peeve when it comes to guys that carry condoms in their wallets. I am all for safe sex but is it really necessary to pull one out of your wallet when you're in your own damn house?

And then there was Lily. Her constant back and forth between 'You're too young for me' and 'I want you naked' gave me whiplash. This is my third read from Lissa Matthews and I'm noticing a pattern. The sex is really good but the characters piss me off. And yet, in the end, they always manage to come around.

The turning point for this one came at the race. I suppose because they finally had to shut up. The suspense of the race combined with the action and the addition of other active players in the story helped steer my mind away from the aggravation brought on by the first half and the story concludes on a fairly calm note. 3 out of 5 stars.

Foxy Lady: Cougar Falls #3

Foxy Lady
Cougar Falls, book 3
ebook
Published September 21st 2010 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ASIN: B0042JSOR6

Sheriff Ty Roderick likes order, but Julia Easton is one vixen that turns his well-ordered life upside down. She’s cool, contained, and unshakable. Until one night she makes him an offer he hates to, but must, refuse. Now the one woman he can’t stop thinking about won’t give him the time of day. And then she vanishes. When he learns she’s in danger, he rushes to help and finds more than he bargained for.

Julia took a huge chance and fell flat on her face, rejected. Trying to save her younger sister from the same fate is giving her fits. The man Meghan's engaged to isn’t a shapeshifter, he’s human, his family likes to hunt, and his bully of an older brother is fixated on Julia. When Ty comes to the rescue, Julia plans to use him and lose him. But Ty isn’t going anywhere. Instead, he gives her the answer she wanted the first time she asked, if she can only find the courage to accept it.

This story explodes into a clusterfuck pretty dang quick. Ty Roderick has heard it through the grape vine that Julia is having trouble with Hunters so despite the fact that she is pissed at him for turning her down when she drunkenly propositioned him for sex, he races to aide her.

The Hunters though, are no hunters of shapeshifters. They're your typical gun slinging, targeting bambi bunch of woodland trash. Although that doesn't mean they aren't trouble. And one of them, Jason, the only seemingly good apple of the bunch, is engaged to Julia's sister, Meghan.

Sex is on the forefront of the mind in this one. Ty wants Julia, not for just a quick lay but not for forever either. Julia's been half in love with Ty for as long as she can remember and if she gives them even one night together, she knows she'll lose her heart for good.

Julia and Ty's relationship comes together rather quickly. I felt like I was tumbling through the entire, albeit short, book because it just kept moving along. The fast pace takes away some of the substance. There's no time to truly get deep with anyone or anything.

But I can't refuse a happily ever after that makes me smile.

“I love you.”

She froze then leaped on top of him. Her cute little nose twitched. “Say that again.”

Ty sighed, lost to everything but the fiery woman of his dreams. “I love you. The hot redhead with a temper and the cool professional who works for my ex-best friend. I’ve been in lust with you forever. In love with you for minutes, days, hell, probably years. You’re loyal to your sisters, you love with all your heart, and I want to spend the rest of my life pissing you off.”

Other books in this series
- Rachel's Totem
- In Plain Sight

Mailbox 9.25.10

Hosted by The Story Siren

After reading The Ultimate Kink by Cameron Dane, I knew I had to have more. While the Vaughn series is quite different Quinn Securities, I have little fear of disappointment. Demon Moon and Ride is from her Hawkins Brothers/Quinten, Montana series. Sweetest Tattoo is book one from her Cabin Fever series.

The Vaughn series from Anne Rainey. This is a new author for me but since I don't like to do anything half ass I picked up the whole series, plus one from another series she's currently writing.


&


Lastly, I picked up this short story by Vivian Arend:

Waiting for his life partner has been difficult. Convincing her that she's a part of an ancient Atlantis coupling is going to be harder. Luckily, Dylan Finbar's had plenty of time to develop the patience and the persistence to outlast her protests.

Rachel Hart's as mesmerized by the young visiting history professor as the rest of the student population. Only, she's the one that makes his heart complete. Anam Seis, Soul Mates. Can she accept that the attraction between them has been centuries in the making and her potential lover wants not only her body but her soul?

and the newest release from Marie Harte:

Sheriff Ty Roderick likes order, but Julia Easton is one vixen that turns his well-ordered life upside down. She’s cool, contained, and unshakable. Until one night she makes him an offer he hates to, but must, refuse. Now the one woman he can’t stop thinking about won’t give him the time of day. And then she vanishes. When he learns she’s in danger, he rushes to help and finds more than he bargained for.

Julia took a huge chance and fell flat on her face, rejected. Trying to save her younger sister from the same fate is giving her fits. The man Meghan's engaged to isn’t a shapeshifter, he’s human, his family likes to hunt, and his bully of an older brother is fixated on Julia. When Ty comes to the rescue, Julia plans to use him and lose him. But Ty isn’t going anywhere. Instead, he gives her the answer she wanted the first time she asked, if she can only find the courage to accept it.

All books were purchased from Amazon.

Crazed Hearts: Grimm's Circle #3

Crazed Hearts
Grimm's Circle, book 3
ebook
Published July 13th 2010 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN13: 9781609280796

Ren has always danced along the fine line between being a little bit crazy and being overcome by a darkness that’s haunted him since his mortal days. As an empath, he prefers to live far from people who would leak their emotions all over him, so he’s not expecting the woman who drives right into the heart of his wood. She has a cursed book with her and demons hot on her heels. Even more surprising are her abilities and the reaction Ren has to her.

Aileas is on the run. She just isn’t certain if she’s running from something real or imagined. One thing is for sure, her brother is dead and she’s certain the book she found has something to do with his death. She really starts to doubt her sanity when she meets a hot but somewhat crazed man in the middle of nowhere.

He calls himself Ren, and although he doesn’t seem to be out to hurt her, he definitely seems to want something. She just doesn’t understand what. She does know what she wants though. She wants him, and the shadows and darkness she glimpses inside him don’t matter. At least, right up until he claims to be a guardian angel.

And she thought she was going crazy.

Ren is said to have suffered the most of all the Grimm. He's lived over a century with the pains of his former life. Even Will, the Grimm's leader, has lost much of his faith that Ren will ever find peace.

Ren's one comfort, especially now that he has lost Elle, is animals. Which made him even more of a riddle to me. Searched every corner of my mind and could not come up with any Ren from any fairytale. Ren and Stimpy maybe, but he's definitely not him. The only clue given is constant referral to Ren as Thomas. Still... no bells are ringing.

Books one and two come together in the third book where Mandy, from book one, is apprenticing under Ren, from book two. The plot itself is much closer to the first in the series as well. Aileas finds herself as the new owner of a demon tome after her brother dies. Soon the book is calling to her and demons are on her heel. Her path crosses with Ren and Mandy outside Ren's cabin and the old Grimm is instantly besotted. Quite a new experience for the crazy fool.

Even after Ren's true name was revealed I had no idea who he was. No spoilers here, but this was a good ending for Ren.


Other books from the series
- Candy Houses, book one
- No Prince Charming, book two

Tag Along Friday

Calling all 18 and over book bloggers, are you looking for more bloggers like yourself? Well please join in so we can tag along with each other. This is for a specific group and your blog needs to primarily have book reviews and post adult book content. In other words, if you read books like erotic and adult romance and have adult pic., then you can play tag along. Sorry YA readers, but if you read both (I know some of you do) you can tag along also. Just make sure you have both YA and adult romance on your blog.

It doesn't matter what you read if its paranormal, suspense, historical, contemporary or mystery, along with erotic with any genre. As long as it is adult then your in.


To join in the fun, head over to Bitten by Paranormal Romance by clicking here.

No Prince Charming: Grimm's Circle #2

Book one of Grimm's Circle, Candy Houses, was reviewed by myself in a previous post.

No Prince Charming
Grimm's Circle, book 2
ebook
Published January 26th 2010 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN13: 9781605048864

Elle spent years trying to get over her so-called Prince Charming, and she’s finally getting the hang of it. A Grimm—a guardian angel with unique gifts—she spends her nights trolling for demons and kicking ass, and lately, her days have been spent with her on-and-off-again lover, Ren, a fellow Grimm. But fate has other plans in store for Elle, plans that include Michael, the prince from her youth who broke her heart.

“What do you choose…live for her? Or would you rather die?” That was the choice Michael was given all those years ago. Although he knew she’d never forgive him, when Michael was given the chance to become a Grimm, he took it. Still, he isn’t so sure Elle needs him in her life. With a lover at her side and a mission before her, Elle looks like she’s doing just fine without him.

But the not-so-charming prince isn’t going to back off that easily…not if there’s a chance she might need him again. He’d do anything to save her. Kill for her, live for her, die for her…

In these twists of Shiloh Walker's on the Grimm fairy tales, where even Disney's princesses are playing a part, things are dark. Elle, or Giselle (or Cinderella mind you), never got her happy ending with her Prince Charming, Michael. Turns out, he was engaged to her stepsister. And when he offered to make her his mistress, for he couldn't bear to lose her, and threatened her when she refused, Elle's life hit bottom. She ran. Was subsequently raped. And eventually was offered another life, as a Grimm.

Ren is Elle's lover. *cringe* He's actually more like the other half of her friends-with-benefits arrangement, and while he brings her pleasure the real reason she's with him is because he's safe. He's the complete opposite of Michael.

Now Ren wants to be more than Elle's friend but since his story comes in the next book, I didn't give a damn what Ren wanted right now. And thank the gods for Will. I don't think I could have handled Ren's presence the entire book. That fact, and because menage does nothing for me, is why I'm skipping I Though It Was You which is basically tying up the loose ends between Ren and Elle.

This one has some three-way play though the love story is strictly m/f. The opening of the book instantly brings empathy for Michael. I loved that boy. And who can resist a Prince Charming?

I Thought It Was You, book 2.5 in the Grimm's Circle series,
is available for free from Shiloh Walker here.

Ultimate Kink: Quinn Securities #2

ebook, 173 pages
Published November 18th 2008 by Loose Id
ISBN13: 9781596328310

Partners in Quinn Security, there isn't anything Canin Quinn and Kasey Jordan won't do for the good of the company. Anything.

The job: Catch a serial rapist before he attacks again.

The plan: Go undercover in a sex club, the source of the attacks…posing as husband and wife.

Canin and Kasey spend a lot of their time exchanging sharp-tongued jabs. At the same time, Canin has been nursing a simmering attraction for the tough-as-nails, secretive Kasey. By moving into her apartment as part of their cover, Canin will take this gift-wrapped opportunity to change their friendship to something much more intimate.

Kasey has her reasons for keeping Canin at arms length, knowing that he could never accept her as a partner if he understood her most private needs. Working undercover together will test her ability to keep her secrets safe from the man whose respect she craves more than anything else in her life.

The sex club opens a world of bondage and voyeurism, as well as a host of other fetishes...and reveals secrets that neither of them ever thought they would share with another soul. This job will expose them to their ultimate kinks.

This story is too damn freakin' hot! OMG... OMG... Cameron Dane (whom I assume is female) is ridiculously good. This is only my first read of hers but it definitely won't be my last. Sadly though, she's predominately a m/m writer which I have little care for. She does have three other m/f that I'm oh so serious about checking out and there's couple menage on her list if you're into that. The link is here.

This book is aptly named. Lots of kink. The sexual kind for sure but also there's some kink to their pasts. Kasey was raped, violently, a long time ago and has never been able to move on. The only way she can feel comfortable having sex with a man is if he's tied up. Not a problem under current circumstances though...

Canin- oh my god, Canin -is the brother of Rhone who was the star of the first book in this series, Finding Home. Rhone and his lover, Adam, put it into Canin's head some time ago that Kasey is perfect for him. They belong together, damn it, and Rhone and Adam are hell bent on making it happen.

When a client comes to them needing assistance in finding a rapist that has victimized members of her sex club, Canin and Kasey are put undercover and forced to put on a show. And what a show it is!

This is definitely not a book for those that don't like a little kink or BDSM in their romance novels. The love story itself with Canin and Kasey is so sweetly bitter. He's falling hard and fast and just wants to fix everything that has haunted Kasey for so very long. Canin is strong, honorable, and protective- everything Kasey longs to surround herself with.

He's also everything a girl needs to conjure up a fantasy. Giggity!

Highly recommend this one... to those who can handle it, of course. =)

“How about we try the ultimate in kink?” Canin pulled her to him and tumbled them to the couch. Both on their sides, facing each other with only inches between them, closeness unlike anything Kasey had ever experienced rushed through her like fine wine. It warmed her, but at the same time had her near to struggling out of his gentle hold around her waist. “How about we do it in the boring old missionary position, right on this couch, just you and me. No cuffs, no restraints, no agendas, no hiding; just us.” He nuzzled his nose against hers, and rocked her hips into his. “I swear to God, Kase, it’ll be the fucking most erotic thing we’ve ever done in our lives.”

“No, I don’t do --”

He scraped a kiss against her lips, silencing her thought. “Maybe you didn’t used to do that, but that was before.” He grazed his mouth high on her cheek, and against her forehead. Then he drew back, far enough so that she could see his eyes and the absolute gentleness living within their fierce depths. “That was before me, before you shared a bed with me for a week, without any real problems other than when you had that nightmare. That was before you let me tie you up, no matter that it was ‘just for work,’ and were able to get through it, because deep down you already knew you trusted me and that I would never take advantage of your vulnerable position. And that was before we fell onto this couch right now, where I have my arm around your waist, and your hands are fiddling with the buttons on my shirt, driving me fucking crazy because I want them on me without anything in between us.

Finding Home (m/m)
Quinn Securities, #1
ebook, 97 pages
Published May 13th 2008 by Loose Id

Savage Kingdom

The darkness in his soul could claim her love…
or her life.

Freygard, a world where women rule and men are slaves, would seem to be a female Nirvana. Not for the warrior Nerya. So far her required visits to the coupling chambers have been awkward and embarrassing. Until Jaden. Despite his chains, the defiant slave’s expert pleasuring satisfies her body—and sparks a determination to defend him from her cruel queen.

Jaden couldn’t be in a worse position. Nerya has not only claimed his prized white stallion, she’s somehow managed to abscond with his ability to resist her sexual appeal. His escape attempt is disastrous, until Nerya intervenes with an unheard-of deal. In exchange for guiding her to an unmapped kingdom to find the sister she never knew she had, she will free both him and his men.

On the journey, Nerya’s determination to resist her powerful attraction to Jaden melts away in the heat of his desire. Leaving her wondering just who is in control—and what it is about him that bothers her. When they are forced to face a soul-stealing mage, his secret is revealed.

He is warrior of the feared Dai’Shi-en, legendary for the dark magic that fuels their violence…and their lust.

Warning: Contains hot, sweaty warrior sex, sex in chains and sex in a tent.

Okay, see that sentence where it says 'a world where women rule and men are slaves'... I totally missed that. And I'm not big on the whole amazonian world. Mostly because it's obvious the woman is going to be a pain in the ass.

Except...

Nerya kinda sucks at it.

Nerya, the warrior princess of Freygard, finds herself forced to visit the coupling chambers routinely in hopes of conceiving a child, as others have before her. It is something she finds no pleasure in, not that the women of Freygard expect there to be any. The men whom they take prisoner are nothing but slaves, made to be used for procreation and servitude.

Jaden is quite cocky for someone that's been captured and imprisoned by a bunch of women. And quite willing to be used a mating stud. Small wonder, I suppose.

Their relationship becomes very complicated, very quickly. Nerya spares no time arranging it so that Jaden is only available to her and she doesn't do much to hide her growing desire to protect him. There were many moments (even early on) in this story that, had the author chose to go on a different path, I would have dropped the book immediately. But, as she kept giving me what I wanted, or needed, I kept reading.

Of course, even that wasn't enough after a while.

The story itself lacks a smooth flow. The facts triggering the progression seem more thrown in than strategically built upon and it doesn't take much from Jaden for Nerya to, as they say, lose her religion. Great for an anti-Amazon like myself but pretty damn lousy for those in favor of a superior female attitude.

I endured this one for as long as I could. It was more the idea of the characters than the characters themselves that allowed me to last as long as I did with a sixty percent completion before I finally had to close it and push it away.

I am all for torturing characters but what Ashford did to Tarn was just ruthless and unnecessary. Freakin' Terry Goodkind and Jeri Smith-Ready all over again. Take a perfectly fine, loyal, monogamous man and make him fuck another woman just to save someone else. Disgusting.

This book made me angry. I'm not sure if that's a plus or not that it made me feel anything at all but I am certain that, based on my experience here, I would never dare pick up another Deanna Ashford novel.

Making A Scene

Pamela Flynn is the author of the popular Tanaka & Shields series, about a hot Philadelphia detective duo whose upcoming fourth book will no doubt send Pam into the bestseller stratosphere. Or so believe her editor and agent, since a prestigious production company wants to turn the series into a movie. But only on one condition: Pam has one week to deliver a scene in which the sexy Philly cops finally drop the double entendre and do the down and dirty. But ever since Pam tossed out her live-in boy-toy after she caught him in bed with her oldest friend, she’s been cursed with a perpetual blank page. And if writer’s block isn’t bad enough, she can’t even get a decent cup of coffee.

So when Pam ends up at the new bistro, Serious Joe, she doesn’t realize how much inspiration can be packed into a gratis cup of coffee from the cafe’s steaming-hot owner, Roark Carmelli. But even though it’ll take a few Mocha Javettes, several croissants, a stakeout, a wild train trip, a gun to the head and the beta version of the mile high club, with Roark’s help, Pam’s betting she can make the scene!

Pam can't bring herself to write a sex scene, especially since she caught, and watched, her long time friend and her own boyfriend having a kink fest in her own bedroom. Enough to traumatize any girl, but certainly devastating to a writer who needs to produce the goods in order to make a million dollar book/movie deal.

Needing a break in the worst way, Pam heads outside for some fresh air and a walk and ends up spotting the new coffee house, owned by Roark Carmelli. Sex on a stick and coffee, I'm thinking this is right up Redd's alley.

A delicious variety of fantasies fill up the tale that is not so much focused on the love story, but a time in a woman's life. As the story itself is told, we also see how her latest book is coming together and with Roark's help, Pam's characters more or less come to life, with herself and Roark in the leading roles. What writer would deny herself that? To have the world you've created jump off that page and surround you.

Trudy Doyle writes some rather hot smut (10 out of 10) and is actually quite comical with her delivery of it and everything else.

The last chapter, an excerpt from Tanaka and Shields #4, was just a sweet addition to the end. I can't say it was a perfect scene, but it belonged there.

Making A Scene is available for free at AllRomanceEbooks.com.

Author, Trudy Doyle's blog contains listings of her other books, including sequels to Making A Scene.

Tarnished Knight excerpt

Tarnished Knight, book four in the Grimm's Circle series.

Think you know fairy tales… guess again…

One look at Jack Wallace and Perci knows he’s going to be trouble. Even surrounded by soul stealers, he’s a one-man wrecking crew. What does he need Grimm training for? He’s already hell on earth, a warrior bent on destruction. And something…more.

He’s too strong and fast to be a mere mortal. Even covered in blood, he makes her forget she’s only here to do a job and get out. It’s twisted. Sick. She hasn’t felt this alive in three centuries.

Born with a natural talent for killing unnatural things, Jack has always known things he shouldn’t. The fact that Perci is one of them glows all over her. Giving him an unholy urge to see just how far he can push her before don’t touch me melts into touch me there.

When they come together, it isn’t careful or cautious. It’s heaven and hell, exposing all their raw and wounded places to healing heat, resurrecting memories of a destined love from the distant past. But the evil that destroyed them once before has tracked them here, threatening their second and last chance at forever. Demanding a sacrifice no one—Grimm or human—should ever be asked to make…

Find the excerpt here.



Other books in the series, including I Thought it Was You #2.5.