Puppet Master (Puppets & Property #1)

Selfish... Yet self-sacrificing. Clever... Yet blind.

Available at Amazon.com

Puppet Master
Nicole Cypher
Puppets and Property, book one
ebook, 322 pages
Independently published July 17, 2026
ASIN B0H98TWMYP


He says his job is to train me.

Miles from civilization, buried in the wooded hills of New York, lies a cult compound known as the Shadow Sanctum. Sawyer Hansley—a man who’s made a career out of conditioning women into obedience—is their newest weapon.

When I wake up alone in a cold, dark cave, he tells me the cult has claimed me as their next member.

They want him to force my submission. My adoration. My obedience.

In other words: they want him to break me. And he’s all too willing to oblige.

What he doesn’t know? I’m not like his previous victims.

By the time we’re through, it won’t be me who’s broken.

A note from Nicole: This trilogy is for readers who crave dark romance with depth — intelligent characters, layered psychology, slow-building obsession, and strong thriller vibes. It includes cult elements, intense themes, psychological manipulation, and dark, mature content.

If that’s your kind of story, welcome in.

Luna awakens in a cell, inside a cave, with the taste of copper in her mouth and fragments of a memory of falling asleep in her bed.

Cue the mile-a-minute thoughts. Her brain is spitfiring at a rapid pace. It's a choppy writing style that's either going to trigger a gravitate or recoil response.

I am in the camp that gravitates.

And then, we meet Sawyer.

Color me intrigued.

He's a con artist with a history. One that involves an island and gullible women.

I did cringe a bit at that minor detail.

But he's a highly intelligent male who has crafted his gifts of memory and manipulation to outwit the best of them. And his next target is the infamous and richly funded cult, the Shadow Sanctum.

To infiltrate, he'll be tested. Sawyer has three weeks to break their newest victim potential Seraph.

Luna.

The spice hits a bit sooner than I had anticipated. Then again, when one is being abducted with the purpose of being groomed into a soul purifier, whose basic function is to f### the demon out of you... I suppose that's not too abrupt at all. All in the name of "training".

I was introduced to this book via a Facebook dark romance book influencer, and while I knew little, I was aware of a potential plot twist. That, and the blurb, had me side-eyeing Luna from page one and therefore softened any shock that might have fallen from the reveal of the Puppet Master's true identity. No less awe, though. And shout out to the stereotypical sibling rivalry angle. My tiny complaint would be all the things Sawyer is up to off-page. It loses focus of the plot and takes away from the rhythm of the story.

Neutral on the semi-cliffhanger ending. They basically flip the table and reset the board.

Anticipating a return to this series to discover what these two manage to inflict upon one another next.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook

2026/38

Lights Out (Into Darkness #1)

User the.faceless.man has started following you.

Available at Amazon.com

Lights Out
Navessa Allen
Audiobook, 13+ hours
First published February 14, 2024
ISBN 9781638932239

The viral TikTok stalker dark romance, burning with high heat, hilarious banter, and a love story like you’ve never seen before. Can you handle the ride?

I want someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.

Trauma nurse Alyssa Cappellucci doesn’t need any more kinks. She likes the one she’s landed on just fine. To her, nothing could top the masked men she follows online. Unless one of those men was shirtless, heavily tattooed, and waiting for her in her bedroom. She dreams about being hunted by one in particular, of him chasing her down and doing deliciously dark things to her willing body. She never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become her new reality.

I want things most people don’t, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love.

Joshua Hammond has an infamous father—the kind of man that true-crime podcasts love talking about. Josh has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans to drool over, but one follower has caught his Aly. After reading a comment begging him to break into her house wearing a mask, he decides to take her up on her offer.

Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone else. Someone with far more sinister intentions than a little light stalking. As Josh turns from predator to protector and the stakes heighten, he must ask himself how far he’s willing to go for the woman he’s obsessed with.

Lights Out is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally gray male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the TWs at the beginning of the book.

I laughed. I blushed. I questioned the mental health of the author. And yeah, I cringed on a few occasions. 

But the one thing I could not do is predict this book. He wouldn't. Oh he would! He's not. Damn it, he is! Could not keep my jaw off the floor.

Dark, contemporary romance may not be my thing but if you're going to experience this book, do it through the audiobook because Josh is amazing and the casting for his part... Chef's kiss.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | audiobook (highly recommend!) | paperback

2025/03

If I Could Stay

Available at Amazon

If I Could Stay
Stephanie Nicole Norris
Kindle Edition, 87 pages
Published September 12th 2018
Read for FREE with Amazon Prime

She would only be there for twenty-four hours…

When Carmen Mitchell left her hometown of Brunswick Georgia, the last thing she wanted was a reunion. Then, her only mission was to attend college, pursue her modeling career, and leave her past hurts behind. But when Carmen receives some startling news, she decides the time to make her final appearance has arrived; however, reemerging could open old wounds and the obstacle of facing the man she left behind presents the biggest challenge of them all.

Dominic Johnson has long since put thoughts of Carmen Mitchell out of sight and out of mind. Circumstances would bring her back to Brunswick, but there was no repartee to be spoken to the woman who’d left him years ago without so much as a goodbye. It isn’t until Dominic gains a first-hand glimpse of Carmen that old memories spark and a detonation of what was, and what could be, set off a myriad of images in his mind. Now Dominic is faced with a battle that’s waging internally, to stay out of her way or to succumb to Carmen Mitchell, again.

This is a free ebook from Amazon Prime advertised as a lunch break read and it is exactly that. It's quick, smutty, and unfortunately (as another reviewer stated) simply unrealistic.

Which is what contemporary romance *should* be. Right?

SPOILERS BELOW

Straight up, did not care for Carmen. This woman shows up after some eight years in her hometown for her grandmother's funeral looking to avoid her ex-boyfriend, Dominic, because she pretty much abandoned him back when she was eighteen. So of course, they cross paths and she immediately goes into apologetic mode. Forgive me. Don't hate me. Blah blah blah.

So what follows? Immediately after this earnest plea for forgiveness, she throws herself at him. Completely objectifies the guy. Box checked on relinquishing the pent up guilt she brought upon herself, Carmen then proceeds to use him to satisfy her own lust.

Okay, okay. It's an erotic novella. It's granted that it revolves around lust. But, c'mon.

This boy loved you. Have a heart. Have some sense. Make some damn sense.

And use some damn birth control!

(A generous) 3 out of 5 stars.

Available at Amazon.com in ebook | paperback

The Letter (Calendar Men #7)

"And all I want to do is make you mine."

Available at Amazon.com

The Letter
Mina Carter
Calendar Men, book seven
ebook, 53 pages
Published July 1st 2014 by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
ISBN 9781613337066

Sergeant Rick Week’s career ended in a hail of bullets and the death of a friend. After months of recuperation, he’s finally able to fulfill a promise he made to that friend. All he has to do is find a girl and deliver a letter. Simple. Maybe…

Hattie Jameson lost the man she loved. KIA. A year and a half later, she’s trying to move on but a letter for a charity calendar shoot addressed to her late fiance, Billy, rocks her. Not as much as the sexy as hell Scottish soldier who turns up on her doorstep. The man who was with Billy when he died. She shouldn’t find him attractive. Not at all…

Meanwhile fate, and Billy himself, have plans to bring the reluctant lovers together.

A short, sweet, and sexy read. With a Scot. *sigh*

There's something about a man picking out his replacement for when he's dead and gone that's just plain creepy. It's one thing to say, tell your best friend to take care of your woman, but it's a whole other 'wtf, were you thinking' to send an utter stranger to do it. You knew the guy for a day, Billy!

And your woman fell for him after a week.

Sheesh!

You know a story is written by a die hard romantic when happily ever after comes with no rhyme or reason preceding it.

3 out of 5 stars.

Kinky Neighbors

Available at Amazon.com

Kinky Neighbors
Jasmine Haynes
ebook
Published April 7th 2011 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN139781452499352

Two couples, two very hot wives, two husbands who don’t mind a little swapping...

The Mitchells and the Harts have been next door neighbors and friends for the past year. They have loads in common; double incomes, professional careers, no kids...and a kinky streak.

Now they’re about to become very good friends...with kinky benefits.

The sex between them all is hot, naughty, and unbearably exciting. It isn’t merely swapping partners and moving to another room; it’s true foursome sex, same room, same bed, all four involved. For Drew and Cat Mitchell and Logan and Alexis Hart, it’s about barreling through boundaries none of them have ever crossed before, doing kinky things they’ve only fantasized about. But when they begin to exchange not just sex but emotional connection, the problems start; a little jealousy, feeling left out, wanting more from the wrong partner. Can two couples really share everything without losing it all?

Riding on the high that manifested from Mina Carter's Blood Mate, I figured it was time to try something new. So here it is-my first menage read.

Cat is married to Drew. Logan is married to Alexis.

When it comes to the world of sex, Cat wants to leave no stone unturned. Drew loves that about his wife. It certainly has kept their fifteen year marriage interesting. But he can't help but wonder if he'll feel at all jealous when it comes time to inviting another couple to their bed.

The fantasy of sharing her husband with their neighbors, Alexis and Logan, lights Cat up like a wildfire and she'll stop at nothing to turn the dream into a reality. Logan seems game, if his plays at her sexual innuendos mean anything, and he certainly has his own list of unfulfilled fantasies ready in hand, but Alexis just might put an end to her schemes. Or maybe not.

While Drew and Alexis are the more docile of the two pairings, they can't help but measure their spouses up against one another. And in many cases, they find their marital partner the one lacking. Not exactly the prime foundation for what they're about to participate in, but hey, they'll do anything for the people they love.

During a weekend getaway, both Cat and Logan seduce their partners into a marathon of sexual fantasies come to reality. Each find a sense of rapture in the act. And a touch of guilt in some. Soon enough, jealousy festers. The drive for competition arises. Secrets form. And by the end of the tale, two of the partners will be betrayed.

And two will have a real chance at happily ever after.

Threesomes. Foursomes. Wife-swapping. Exhibitionism and voyeurism. You name it, it's here. Well, maybe not everything. Monogamy? Hell, yes, even that will come in time. The nagging desire that stirs the air between Alexis and Drew drew me in while Cat and Logan's detachment of their spouse's feelings kept me safe at arm's length. Frustration at the suspense thrilled me more than the smut did but that's a given for the my-mate-is-mine-alone personality I have. No sharing. Not in this lifetime. Not in any.

3 out of 5 stars.

Take Your Pleasure

Available at Amazon.com

Take Your Pleasure
Jasmine Haynes
ebook, 30k words
Published April 7th 2010 by Loose Id, LLC
ISBN 9781607375678

Natalie Beaumonde’s life turns upside down the day she walks in on her boyfriend, Van, playing submissive to a beautiful dominatrix. Not only has she been betrayed, but Natalie loses her belief in herself as a desirable woman. And when she starts making mistakes at work, her career being the one thing she’s always excelled at, she’s in danger of losing her self-worth and her job, too.

Lincoln Masters isn’t like most bosses. Instead of issuing a reprimand, he decides his sexy executive assistant needs a good spanking, something he’s been dying to deliver for almost a year. And afterward, he hatches a plan to help Natalie rebuild her self-confidence and show her wandering man the error of his ways: become the dominatrix her boyfriend is looking for. Being a Master himself, Lincoln’s the perfect dom to help her execute the punishment.

Lincoln’s terms for helping her? He wants a piece of Natalie, too. Now Natalie finds herself with a growing fascination for her boss. When Van’s punishment is complete, can she go back to being just Mr. Masters’ assistant?

When Natalie walks in on her boyfriend of two years with a Domme, she comes to the devastating revelation that she's never once fully satisfied him in all the time they've been together. With her self esteem at an all time low, she begins to screw up things at work and her boss, Mr. Masters takes immediate notice.

Lincoln has watched and lusted after Natalie since she came to work for him, but he's not one to mix business with pleasure. Especially the type of pleasure he has in mind. The situation though, is too much to resist, and he offers Natalie the chance to prove to herself that she is a desirable woman and to learn if her boyfriend truly cares for her at all, all in one night. The catch? By the end of the evening, her boss will fuck her.

Natalie agrees. Her boyfriend agrees. And the whole affair is quite an experience for all. Reader included.

Mr. Masters knows how to take control, but he's also capable of letting it go as well. Of course, any advantage taken will be justly punished. And the punishment is oh so delicious. The relationship between Natalie and Van is a rather strange one. The blow to her self esteem impacts Natalie more so than the loss of her boyfriend and she easily gravitates toward Lincoln, contemplating him in every action, every decision she makes. Van, too, relinquishes Natalie just as easily. As if they're entire two years together was just biding time.

3 out of 5 stars.

Photo Opportunity

"You're an idiot-and a hypocrite."

Available at Amazon.com

Photo Opportunity
Jess Dee
ebook, 232 pages
Published May 2nd 2008 by Samhain Publishing
ISBN 9781599989303

Can friends become lovers...can lovers remain friends?

Daniel Tanner's through with being loved like the proverbial brother. He intends to make his best friend, Amy Morgan, blaze with the same desire he feels for her. The plan? Initiate a series of escapades that will have Amy falling into his arms--and into his bed.

When her trusted buddy suddenly turns up the heat, Amy finds it impossible to resist his sexy advances. But as his best friend, she knows a thing or two about Daniel. While he may be charming and gorgeous, he's also commitment phobic.

If she trusts her heart to him, she's sure he'll leave it--and their friendship--shattered in a million pieces.

At age fourteen, Daniel knew he wanted to be in Amy Morgan's life forever. He also knew he was in no position to declare everlasting love to his newly found friend, so he settled with just being that, a friend. And for seventeen years, that was enough.

After aiding in a fundraiser for the children's ward at a hospital, Daniel realizes his life is far from where he wants it to be, and he's done with the love 'em and leave 'em part of his life. There's only one woman he ever wanted, and it's long past time to make her his. And so, through an elaborate scheme, he sets out to make his best friend fall in love with him. He just needs her to see him in a different light. He needs to get past that first kiss.

To Amy, Daniel is the one constant in her life. Her father abandoned her after cheating multiple times on her mother, and Simon, her lover of two years, left after she caught him with another woman in their bed. Well, "left" after she kicked his sorry ass out, that is. She's long lusted for her best friend's body, but she swore to never chance their friendship with a fling. Besides, Daniel never stays with his women. But he's always stayed with her.

When Daniel needs to convince a married admirer that he's not interested, Amy knows they're heading into dangerous territory, but with one kiss, she loses her mind to the heat that ignites between them. While she tries to fight it, to get back over the line between friends and lovers, she eventually succumbs and once they've slept together she convinces herself that it's only a matter of time before he'll leave and everything they once had would be gone forever.

So when Daniel gets a job offer that will reunite him with one of his former girlfriends, Amy decides it's time to end it. Hoping against hope there's still a chance to save their friendship. Baffled, crushed, and utterly pissed, Daniel leaves. And he doesn't try to win her back.

As friends-to-lovers stories go, this is a great one. Very similar to Turn It Up by Inez Kelley, which still holds the crown as my favorite f-t-l. When rating this one, I was stumped. While it falls short of AH-mazing, there wasn't anything I found I would have changed. Ok, maybe Daniel should still have sent the flower every day he was gone. Then, maybe not. The guy had done so much. He had every right to say 'fuck it' and leave Amy with her hypocritical, idiot self.

The smut is steamy and the chemistry between them, as both friends and lovers, is very well written. Plus, you can't help but love Daniel. You just can't.

4.9 out of 5 stars.

Pieces of You

Available on Amazon.com

Pieces of You
Mary Campisi
Kindle Edition, 163 pages
Published June 22, 2011
ISBN 2940012804112

Quinn Burnes's mother disappeared when he was only fifteen leaving him with a despondent father, a little sister who suffers panic attacks, and eight notebooks containing the truth about his mother. He guards this secret for eighteen years, until on an otherwise normal day, his mother re-enters his life, pleading for his help. She's in danger and the only thing that can save her is reclaiming the identity she shunned years ago.

Quinn is a master of emotional detachment, from his successful career as a personal injury attorney to his strings of meaningless relationships with beautiful women who possess uneasy temperaments; a sure formula to keep his heart safe and insure he's the first to walk away. Until he meets the mysterious 'Danielle' a woman with too many secrets who's on the run from the abusive, estranged husband she shot and may have killed. Danielle isn't like any woman he's ever met, but can he risk his heart for someone who's doing exactly what his mother did eighteen years ago? Someone who may ultimately leave him, just like his mother?

Quinn Burnes is all kinds of screwed up.

When Quinn was 15 years old his mother disappeared, leaving himself, his sister, and their father behind. Many feared foul play had taken her away but Quinn came to learn the truth when he discovered his mother's diaries. She hated her life.

Now, a success of an attorney and a cynical jerk, Quinn surrounds himself with people he doesn't stand a chance of getting attached to. Meanwhile, his little sister, Annie, has issues of her own-suffering panic attacks whenever Quinn or her fiance, Michael, are ever late or miss a call. But Annie doesn't know the truth of her mother's departure from her life and Quinn will do whatever it takes to spare her the pain of it.

Enter Danielle. Or, that's what she's calling herself now that she's on the run from an abusive husband--whom she murdered. Maybe.

So yes- twists, lies, cliches, and stereotypes construct this story well. I honestly think Campisi was aiming to spark a bit of hatred for each and every character involved. Obviously, the mother. But it was Quinn who kept my right hand itching to whack him upside the head with a blender. The guy could be such an ass.

3 out of 5 stars.

Reveal Me: Unveiled #1

Reveal Me
Cari Quinn
Unveiled, book one
ebook, 51 pages
Published January 19th 2011 by Ellora's Cave
ISBN 9781419931277

Alana MacGregor craves excitement, but when her sometimes lover dumps her at a popular sex club, she wonders if she's outgrown her live-fast-and-recover-later lifestyle. The last thing she expects is to run into the nerdy guy she rebuffed in high school-or for him to rock her world in ways no other man ever has. Hot on the trail of a story, Carter Nicholas can't believe his luck at encountering the one woman he's never forgotten. He's come a long way from being a wall-hugging geek. Now he gets all A's between the sheets. But can he convince Alana he's her sure ticket to an unforgettable night-and maybe much more?

Alana doesn't immediately recognize the blast from the past Carter Nicholas when they reunite at Kink, a traveling sex club. And she doesn't want to admit it's him when she eventually does. She just wants to get screwed, find her best friend, and forget the night ever happened.

For Carter, Alana is his ultimate fantasy. The big what-if of his life. And while he's not giddy over fucking her in front of everyone in the whole club, he's not about to let the moment pass him by. Thankfully, somebody cries wolf and we're able to avoid that particular situation altogether.

So Alana is the whore and dear Carter's the nerd. If you like it hot and quick with a living happily for now ending, this one's for you.

2 out of 5 stars.

No Romance Required: Love Required #3

Make me believe you're in this bed with me, that neither one of us is alone tonight. -Cory

No Romance Required
Cari Quinn
Love Required, book three
ebook, 250 pages
Published August 12th 2013 by Entangled: Brazen
ISBN 9781622667963

Faking it never felt so good…

Cory Santangelo is used to getting his way, both in the boardroom and the bedroom. Lately he hasn’t had much opportunity to do anything but work, but one unexpectedly sexy night in a gazebo with Victoria, his gorgeous and feisty interior designer, changes all that—especially when they’re caught on camera. Suddenly Cory’s sterling reputation is no longer above reproach. Since his impromptu encounter coincides nicely with his need for a girlfriend to get his well-meaning, meddling parents off his back, he decides to ask his lifelong frenemy for a favor.

To pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. No strings attached.

The only problem? Vicky Townsend wants those strings tied all around her. She’s battled a long-suppressed crush on Cory, and their combative work relationship has only fanned the flames. When he suggests his needs are more than she can handle, she’s ready to up the ante. And her bargaining chip is lots of delicious, inventive sex.

Until they discover nothing feels as good as making it real…

Cory and Vicky have kept me entertained since their beginning. Their witty verbal sparring would be enough to have me hanging on page after page even without the intense physical chemistry. There are *very* few books that send me looking for a fan. This was one of them.

Cory's world revolves around his business and financial success. He doesn't "long for anything he couldn't satisfy within the columns of a profit-and-loss sheet." Nice life, huh? But to Vicky, Cory's just a "distracting combination of megalomaniac and man candy, covered in geektastic frosting that wreaked hell on her hormones." They've known each other since high school and Vicky has been half in love with Cory for years.

“We’re both going to watch you shatter for me.”

This book opens up on the same night that the first book closed and things ignite rather quickly. Much too quickly. In that what-the-hell-just-happened kind of way.

This book is hot. Chapter six alone was *blazing*. Cory's need to be in control isn't confined to the office. The man has BDSM fantasies. And they are oh so yummy.

Her chin came up. “There’s nothing fun about someone restraining me.” “What if the restraints are all in your mind?” He pressed into her skin, knowing he would leave an indent. Wanting to. “And what if that someone was me?”

I worried for Cory. So alienated from the world. Vicky was the closest, and only, person left he had as a friend. I wondered what would come that would break him. Instead of being broken, though, he was awakened.

"In the red sweaterdress I peeled off her she looks like a miracle.” He gritted his teeth and fought to haul in air. “I don’t deserve one, but God, she makes me wish.”

The man has a talent for words.

"Imagining you’re behind me, whispering in my ear. I can smell you, your soap and your perfume. It reminds me of being outside, in the barn. The smells of hay, earth, and fresh, clean air. Everything so sharp and crisp. That scent’s inside me even when you’re not around. If I breathe in right now, you’re there. Always.”

The end sneaked up on me. I was too busy devouring page after page to realize it was all about to be over. Hot damn. What a ride.

5 out of 5 stars. Best of the series!

Previously in this series:

Turn It Up

He loved her to distraction. He wanted her with an obsession.

Turn It Up
Inez Kelley
ebook, 230 pages
Published August 1st 2011 by Carina Press
ISBN 9781426891960

Dr. Bastian Talbot and self-proclaimed sex goddess Charlie Pierce heat up the air waves with their flirty banter as radio hosts Dr. Hot and the Honeypot. Off the air, they're best friends...but Bastian wants to be so much more. He wants Charlie--in bed, and forever.

Problem is, Charlie doesn't do commitment. Sure, she's had X-rated fantasies of Bastian, but he was always just a friend--until he impulsively proposes and unleashes the lust they've been denying for years. Charlie's willing to explore where their wild chemistry leads, but she won't marry him. And he won't have sex with her until she accepts his proposal, despite her seductive schemes.

What are Dr. Hot and the Honeypot to do? Ask their listeners for advice on how to tame a sex kitten and turn a perfect gentleman into a shameless lover. The Race to Wed or Bed is on...who will turn up on top?

An unrequited love/ best friends turned lovers story. In short, a read one can't help but love.

Bastian is in deep for his best friend but he's convinced she hasn't a clue and it wouldn't matter if she did. Meanwhile, Charlie has often allowed her sexual fantasies to include Bastian but there's no wonder about would happen if they took their relationship that far. She knows exactly how it would end, and it *would* end. Bastian wants a forever woman, but for Charlie, lovers come and go. A good friend is what she needs and treasures most in the world.

Bastian, bless him, is an honest man. He's kept his secret for over a year but the moment Charlie even mentions the word [secret] he can't meet her eyes. And it doesn't take much to get him to crack.

• Fear forced tears into her eyes and burned her throat. Things were changing this very second. “Don’t.”
  “It’s too late. You wanted to know, so know everything. I’m more than attracted to you. I love you. I love you not only as a friend, as my best friend, the best damn friend I’ve ever had, but as a woman. I want you in my life, in my bed and in my heart. Friendship isn’t enough anymore. I want more.”
  Hot tears blinded her. She shoved away from him, thrusting off his hands as he reached for her. A sob replaced the moan in her chest. “You just ruined everything.”

Charlie flees, for all of ten seconds. Just long enough to come to the conclusion that he's fucked up everything, so she might as well fuck him. Give herself the fantasy she'd been denying herself all this time. And she almost gets away with it. Except Bastian catches sight of the tears in her eyes. From there, there's a jump through a proposal and a landing in dating. She agrees, for he insists she just needs time to get used to the idea. And the issue even spills into their late night sex talk radio show.

A product of a mother who was way too young and immature to have a child, Charlie developed early, was pushed into stripping to make her way through college, and has never known permanence. I couldn't relate to any of that. But Charlie had me in her corner all the way. Bastian was the one man she trusted not to reduce her to a sexual plaything. She even gave him the chance to screw her back when his marriage was falling apart. But now, like all the rest, he wants her in his bed. She didn't bother paying attention to the rest of what he said!

Ever read a book you enjoyed so much that you didn't want to read it? I was so there with this one. It was too good to end! Beautifully scripted, every case-made or disputed-vibrated with underlying passion. And twisted! There was no way to know what was going to happen next with the constant waves of surprises.

Bastian was the answer to every girl who's ever lost faith in love. Filled with great one liners and zingers that I was doing all kinds of blushing or laughing over, this book has managed to usurp the position as my favorite friends to lovers story. A title previously held by Insatiable by Cari Quinn. Sadly the crown wasn't held for long.

• The death of something priceless should be harder to achieve.

So.. I'm going to quote the hell out of this book...

• “I’ll get naked when you wear white.”

...and I'm not sorry about it.

• At the threshold, he stopped, hand on the frame. His eyes snagged hers and held them. “Charlie, about what you said while I was in the shower…I’m well aware that you don’t need me for certain things. But I’d like to think you want me. Just in case, I got you another present.” He drew a small white bag from his pocket and tossed it to her.
  She caught it awkwardly in one hand, juggling the carton in the other. Then he was gone. She set the ice cream on the console ledge and opened the bag. The outer door latched as her laughter burst out.
  Bastian had bought her batteries.

It's just too good. I want to remember everything!

• She flew too fast and hard without an anchor. Blindly, she clung to him, nails biting into his shoulders. He held her. Bastian would always hold her when she was weakest.

Alas, we near the end:

• The inside of his SUV was warm, borderline hot, but he shivered in cold. That’s what happens when your heart stops. Blood doesn’t flow through the veins, heat seeps away, tissues die. Two-minute window. A body had two minutes from the time the heart stopped until permanent damage began. He never knew how agonizing those two minutes were. Not until Charlie left him. Oh my God, what did I do?

Bastian and Charlie exemplified the exact 'argument' my husband and I have had for ever. Men and women translate things differently. History has taught women to look for what isn't there. Thanks to a certain serpent, we've become paranoid, having learned to read between the lines. Whether or not there truly is anything to be found. Bastian says one thing, Charlie hears something else. Bastian says nothing. Charlie hears a hell of a lot. Over and over again. It's truly the one revolving issue that creates all kinds of drama.

• “Talk to me, damn it.” He leaped from the footstool. “You were going to say yes. I saw it in your eyes. What did I say that pushed you away?”
  “It’s what you didn’t say.” A single tear dropped from her lashes.
  “Wait, you’re pissed at me for something I didn’t say but that you heard loud and clear? That makes perfect sense.” Apparently a hangover didn’t wait until all the alcohol left the blood because a headache exploded behind his eyes. “On what fucking planet?”
  “You’re being a martyr,” she snapped. “You threw away something you’ve wanted for years because I’m not good enough for you.”
  His jaw dropped. “What? Where in the hell did you get that idea?”
  A mocking laugh twisted her mouth. “You. If I were Lisa, you’d never have had a vasectomy.”
  “Lisa divorced me.”
  Her chin lifted. “And I’m going to Arizona.”
  “You can go to hell.”

I'm branding this one a 5 star. And throwing in one last quote, spoiler and all, to close this chapter.

• He slid down, marking his territory with a husband’s right...

I'm going to miss this read. =(

Neon Chaos: End of Days #2

Neon Chaos
Karen Erickson
End of Days, book two
ebook
Published (first published November 1st 2011)

A one-night stand turns into a partnership for survival…

Party girl Samantha Sanders is celebrating her thirtieth birthday in style—a road trip to Las Vegas for a long weekend with her girlfriends. Staying in the swankiest hotel on the strip, she’s naked and in bed with the sexiest guy she’s ever laid eyes on when the clock strikes twelve. Who knew the world would really end December 21, 2012? Those Mayans, they weren’t lyin’…

Russ Weaver is above all else a soldier. Looking for a little fun before spending Christmas with his crazy family, a weekend on leave in Vegas unexpectedly turns into his newest mission——protecting the sweet, scared woman he happens to be in bed with when the world as they know it is over.

Wandering throughout the virtually abandoned streets of Vegas, the fine city has turned into a war zone. Their only hope to get out alive is to stick together—and fight those who wish to cease their endeavors. Permanently.

Warning: It’s not all doom and gloom. A sexy man who’s a fierce protector, a sassy woman with fortitude of steel, these two stick together through it all. Watch the sparks fly—true love does endure. I promise.

Oh yeah. Insult my alcoholic beverage of choice. That'll get you laid.

Guys think it's charming to insult women's tropical drinks. And apparently, most women think it's cute. I don't. And I can't figure out why they do. Oh, sure, you're a big strong man for drinking *beer*.

Aliens aren't exactly how I expect the world to go, and if absolutely nothing happens on December 21st, I'm going to be pissed. That's how things go down here, and Samantha and Russ find themselves, inexplicably, the only people still roaming around now that most of Las Vegas is in mass destruction and strange aircrafts are stalking the skies.

This story plays shamelessly into the cliche of alien invasion and the whole plot of impregnating our females to save their dying superior race. It didn't help that Erickson's own characters had to constantly throw in how badly this sounded like an awful science fiction movie. And I do mean *constantly*.

I'm typically a fan of Erickson's and this certainly doesn't damper that, but... Damn, this was so not a great read. The teaser at the end, for Brighid's Cross (book three), however, was. Despite its poor reviews on Goodreads, I liked what I saw and plan to be reading it soon.

2 out of 5 stars.

Previously in this series:

Melt With You: Fated #4

Melt With You
Karen Erickson
Fated, book four
ebook
Published September 29th 2011 by Karen Erickson
ISBN 2940013350717

Dragging a man into a supply closet at work so she can maul him—that’s so not Lanie’s style. But there’s something about Wes, the sexy paramedic with the bad reputation, that she can’t resist. After a terrible breakup, a move and a job change, Lanie’s ready to indulge in some new and exciting adventures. But Wes wants more…

From the moment he meets Lanie under um, stressful circumstances, Wes is a goner. Yeah, he has a reputation around the hospital as a serial dater but lately he’s thought about settling down. And he believes the petite nurse with the curvy body might be the one. Too bad she only wants a quick affair.

Lanie can’t deny the chemistry between them is strong but will she take a chance on fate? Or will she let Wes go?

There's something about this Fated series. It's done so right. So romantic. So innocent. And now we're throwing a player into the mix and suddenly things don't seem so innocent anymore.

Err... former player. Ever since Evan fell for Morgan, Wes has followed his buddy's example and thrown himself into his work. It's been months since he's been with a woman. And yet, his reputation precedes him and it almost costs him his chance with Lanie.

Luckily for him, and despite her better judgment, Lanie doesn't fight her attraction and drags Wes off the first chance she gets.

And yea for Wes, he shoots her down. From the very beginning, Wes wants more than just a quickie and he doesn't give in for anything less. So refreshing.

Six months later, at Evan's wedding, Wes gets himself engaged. And that's just one more happy ever after.

3 out of 5 stars.


Previously in the series:

Insatiable

Insatiable
Cari Quinn
ebook, 254 pages
Published February 15th 2011 by Loose Id
ISBN 9781607379515


Having all of her is the only thing that will satisfy him.

Shawn Griffin and Rachel Cooper have been best friends practically since birth, thanks to their families' close relationship. But for the past few years, Shawn has been fantasizing about getting his best pal in his bed. When she announces she's taking a trip to reconnect with an old lover, Shawn knows the time has come to put up or shut up. If she wants to go to New York City, fine. But he's coming with her.

Rachel doesn't know what to think of Shawn's sudden interest. Determined to live life on her own terms, she refuses to fall right in line with her wealthy family's wish that they get married and have perfect little babies. She just didn't count on how determined her seemingly laid back -- and extremely sexy -- best friend would become after setting his sights on what he wants. Her, over and over again.

But when tragedy strikes, Rachel begins to wonder if she'll lose not only her lover but her best friend too.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, exhibitionism/sex in public.

• “What are you looking for then?”
  “What I've already found.” He took a breath. Let it out again. “I love you, Rachel.” When her expression didn't change, he let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Capital L, Rach. The big kahuna. Not best-pal love, but the I-want-to-eat-tropical-fruit-drizzled-with-honey-off-your-breasts-and-make-love-to-you-all-night kind. Get my drift?”

LoveloveloveloveLOVE!

I'll never get enough of the friends becoming lovers theme. I want them all!

And this one had surprisingly more drama than many I have encountered. Shawn and Rachel have been friends since practically forever. They've shared everything-except their bodies.

When Rachel decides to visit her ex, the one that left her for a dream career in New York and fathered her miscarried child so many years ago, Shawn can't take it anymore. She's never even imagined he could want anything but a friendship from her until he kisses her. Tongue, passion, and all.

Except, she doesn't kiss back.

And then, suddenly she's gone. Away from him and away from the west coast, on a flight for New York. What's a guy whose been madly in love with his best friend all of his adult life to do but finish what he started.

My heart went out to Shawn. After more than a decade of unrequited love, he's reduced to take her however he can get her and gives it however she'll take it. I didn't agree with it at all. But hell, I could empathize.Except for that advice he took from his father, which sadly, was his last. Does that crap actually work on women. It would never on me. I'd sooner kill the sonofabitch.

On the flipped side of the perspective, I could relate to Rachel, too. Way back when sex was something she was only curious about, she asked Shawn to be her first and was outright rejected. Since then, she's blocked every impure thought about the guy and packed him away into the best friend box which became the foundation of her life. And now, without warning, he's breaking down each and every wall that committed him to the friend zone and it's forcing her world to crumble.

She tries to come up with any kind of explanation to his sudden turnabout, but nothing fits. She continues to fight. He continues to pull.

Eventually Rachel agrees to give them a chance but it's not before she breaks him. And breaks him baaaaad! Hell, I felt an all out assault on my emotions as Rach put Shawn through the wringer. His pain. His joy. His ache. His hope. His grief...

In his desperation to win her, Shawn cuts off all communication with his family to spare their "it's meant to be" pressure on Rachel. And it costs him dearly. Oh, the trauma!

I can't in good conscience give this anything less than five stars. It's just too *real*. So many friends-to-lovers books have an air of incredulous about them, but this, this could happen. And it just wrecks me.

• “You gave me a mind-blowing fuck in an elevator.” His laughter rumbled against her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “And I gave you candles and rose petals on the bed.”

Some girls get rings with a proposal. Shawn gets birth control pills.

No Flowers Required: Love Required #2

No Flowers Required
Cari Quinn
Love Required, book two
ebook, 158 pages
Published August 23rd 2012 by Entangled Publishing (Brazen)
ISBN 9781622669677

He’ll give her everything she desires...except his identity.

Flower shop owner Alexa Conroy had it all before the recession hit and her customers fled to cheaper shopping grounds. Desperate to make ends meet, she sells her dream home and moves into the rundown apartments above her shop. When she spots six feet of sexy distraction—complete with muscles, piercings, and tattoos—ripping up flooring, Alexa knows the karmic windfall she’s due just landed on her doorstep.
And the attraction’s definitely not one-sided.

Dillon James, reluctant heir to the corporation about to foreclose on Alexa’s shop, is not about to jeopardize their scorching chemistry by admitting he’s not the building’s handyman. But with only weeks until her business goes under and his identity is revealed, Dillon must find a way to convince Alexa cooperation isn’t a dirty word, help her save the shop from his brother’s greed, and persuade her that he’s not the enemy...or risk losing the only woman who’s seen the real him.

Nearly two years have passed since No Dress Required. Nellie and Jake are now married with a baby girl on the way and this time around it's Alexa's turn at love.

Dillon is so on the yes, please list! Brains and brawn. Hands that can work a wrench, computer, and a woman's body with an effortless talent. Yeah, not sure where that can from... but it's all there. And no, deceiving Alexa was the *last* thing he wanted to do before getting involved with her.

But hell, when the woman throws herself at him atop her apartment building amidst his thriving eco-garden, what else could a guy do? He did try to both warn and stop her from taking things too far. More than once. Although, he's lucky snatching up that magazine didn't come back to bite him on the ass.

I do hope Dillon's brother, Cory, and Vicky have a story next. He was set up as an ass, but I still liked him. And Vicky already wants to kill him so we're off to a great start.

4 out of 5 stars.

Previously in this series:

Simple Twist of Fate: Fated #3

SimpleTwist of Fate
Karen Erickson
Fated, book three
ebook, 109 pages
Published August 16th 2011 by Samhain Publishing
ISBN 9781609285142

Sometimes you run in to love. Sometimes it runs into you.

Love at first sight? It’s so not happening for Morgan. Never mind that her two best friends, who are both up to their eyeballs in happily ever after, are playing matchmaker. She wants out of her worst blind date ever—and her “out” abruptly finds her when she’s knocked out cold walking into a door.

One look into the eyes of the beautiful woman with the gash on her head, and paramedic Evan Marshall is a goner. Professional ethics say hands off the patient. Once her stitches are out, though, he can’t resist the impulse to ask her out. As their first date flares into a white-hot affair, he feels it in his bones—she’s the one.

Evan’s everything Morgan could ever want in a man, but things are happening way too fast. She made that mistake once before and, certain this relationship is careening down the same road to heartbreak, she slams on the brakes.

To her surprise, Evan lets her go. And by the time she realizes she just let her one chance at happily ever after slip away, it could be too late…

Warning: Fated love strikes again. Featuring toe-curling sex, a sweet-talking man and a woman who can’t help but give in to her secret desires. Will true love reign supreme? Most definitely.

Once more, and that makes three in a row, I'm swooning over these men of Erickson's. They're just too good! These are the romance books guys *really* don't want us women to read. How can they compete? They just can't!

Out of Brett, Jacob, and now Evan... I'm thinking Evan was the best in bed. Although I do have fond memories of Brett... But having to choose between the firefighter and the paramedic, I'm going the latter route for sure.

4 out of 5 stars.

• He had it bad.
And he never had it bad.

Previously in the series:

No Dress Required: Love Required #1

No Dress Required
Cari Quinn
ebook, 61 pages
Published December 27th 2011 by Entangled Publishing (Flirt)
ISBN13
2940013807136

After years of ho-hum dating, Noelle Gregory is tired of fooling around. There’s only ever been one guy for her—Jake Conroy, her best friend’s older brother. Now that Jake’s back in town, she’s headed to his sister’s New Year’s Eve party to make her move. Purse full of condoms? Check. Sparkly dress guaranteed to show Jake the sexy woman she’s become? Check.

Carjacker that makes off with both two hours before the party? Check.

When Jake finds Noelle stranded on the side of the road—looking sexier than ever in her striped socks and silly holiday shirt, damn it—he’s glad for the snowstorm that cancels his sister’s party. His and Noelle’s friendship has tormented him for years, and now, Jake wonders if he should dare to sample what he’s always wanted…and if he’ll be able to walk away when it’s over.

LOVE!

• He pressed against her, his thumbs framing her face, and closed his eyes, wanting to savor these last seconds before he kissed her for real. There wouldn’t be another moment like this between them again.

Or at least a very strong like.

I was having a little trouble focusing on my current book so I grabbed up this one for a quick flavor change. Plus, it had been a while since I'd gotten my hands on a good friends-to-lovers read.

Which this certainly is.

It's playful while still holding a level of maturity. They do examine the consequences before tumbling over the line, which is always a refreshing reality check to me and holds fond memories.

4 out of 5 stars.

• It wasn’t fair. The one woman who’d stirred his interest—and other parts of him—since Mo wasn’t a possibility. Not because she wasn’t perfect, but because she was. She’d grown up into a smart, stunning woman, exactly like he’d always known she would, and he couldn’t have her. Fuck, but what if he could? She was acting possessive. Demanding. Almost jealous.
     “Shit,” he muttered, rocking back on his heels. No way. She didn’t want him. They weren’t about that. Were they?
     She frowned. “What?”
  He was just going to say it. If she thought he was a complete loser then, well, he’d take her to her house—or to Alexa’s, since she seemed determined to go to the party—and he’d head home to soothe his wounded pride in private. But he had to know. Jake speared his fingers through his hair and clutched a handful of it against his head, searching for the right words. Surely he had some finesse somewhere.
     “Jake?”
     “You want me, don’t you, Nellie?” At her stricken gasp, he groaned inside and wished he’d bitten his tongue off instead of asking. At least, not like that. “I mean, you’re interested in me?” Interested sounded better. Less threatening. “You have to be,” he continued, a little desperately.

Sexy Secretary

Sexy Secretary
Ashlee Robbins
ebook

A thirty-something woman fantasizes about a workmate after hours at her desk. The story includes oral sex and penetration between a male and female in an office setting.

Sexual metaphors can be oh so wrong. They killed this book, clean and quick.

Meandros

Meandros
Sasha White
ebook
Published October 28th 2010 by Sasha White, via Smashwords
ISBN 2940011263705
Amazon freebie

Only once more, always once more.

Dancer Tammi Johnson thought she knew everything about her body--until she was almost crippled in a car accident. She'd resigned herself to a life without joy until the sexy and dynamic Tom showed her that dancing wasn't the only passion, or pleasure, she could experience. He taught her to live and love with her whole body--and her whole heart.

But when tragedy strikes again, Tammi is devastated. Until she acknowledges that the only way to honor the love of her life is to celebrate what he taught her, and for Tom, she’d do anything once more.

The first paragraph. That was as far as I got into the blurb before I decided to download this freebie from Amazon. And damn do I wish I would have finished it because this was one hell of a depressing book.

It's the story of a young woman who has lost her newlywed husband to cancer. We join her as she remembers the best of their time together, the worst that led to his passing, and the moment where she sparks hope to truly live again.

Personally, I don't give a flying fuck if my dead husband is disappointed or angry at me for not moving on with my life after he dies. He's dead. He doesn't get a say. Not one way or another. And if I choose to whither away into a shell of myself, then that's my living right to do so!

Mad Love

Mad Love
Paisley Grey
ebook, 2,300 words
Published June 18th 2011 by Paisley Grey Publishing
ASIN B0056VBTSA
Amazon freebie

Can friends ever be lovers?

When Grant's best friend asks him to inseminate her, he fears that intimacy will expose the love he's been hiding all these years.

Never realized how fast 2,300 words can go. Seriously, blink twice and this one's over.

With its shotgun start, it's pretty good. But sometimes you've got to wonder why writers end books the way they do. This one finished with such a dull thud that it completely eclipsed whatever good feelings spawned at the gate.