Book Review: Shooting Dirty by Jill Sorenson

Title: Shooting Dirty
Series: Dirty Eleven, Book 2
Author: Jill Sorenson
Genre: Contemporary Romance, MC Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by author
Published: September 21, 2015 by Carina Press

She's his only salvation.

Ace Clemmons has wanted Janelle from the moment he first saw her. Taking her captive while he carried out his last hit as a member of Dirty Eleven nearly broke him. Now that he’s gone straight, he’s back in her life, looking to stake his claim. He can’t erase the past but he’ll do anything to make it up to her.

Janelle Parker needs a new start, far away from the trailer park and the strip club. A down and dirty affair with a tattooed criminal is a step in the wrong direction, but she can’t resist Ace’s deliciously commanding touch, which has haunted her dreams for months. Soon they’re both in too deep, falling hard and fast—until an old feud with a rival motorcycle club explodes into an all-out war. Dirty Eleven's enemies won't hesitate to hurt Janelle to get to Ace. She has to fight to survive… and for the fiercest love she’s ever known.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Babs

Book Review: Mastering Meg by Saskia Walker

Title: Mastering Meg
Author: Saskia Walker
Genre: Erotic Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: bought
Published: November 1, 2010 by Total E-Bound

Meg is enjoying a peaceful log cabin and a hiking holiday in Scotland, until her ex arrives on the doorstep. When she realizes he intends to share the cabin with her, she is outraged.

Piers wants Meg back and he thinks he finally has his lover figured out. He’s been to her London flat and he’s found her secret stash of BDSM material. Meg wants to be mastered, and Piers is determined to be the one to do so. After a breakneck drive north, he stakes his claim.

Meg is furious that her ex has cornered her and heads off into the wilds, but Piers is only a whisper behind her. When he captures and cuffs her, she is astonished. Despite her protestations, Meg is wildly aroused by his dominant approach. She’s always loved him, and now he is kicking aside the final barrier between them.

Never before has Meg been so liberated, so debauched, or so thoroughly pleasured. Getting her to admit that, however, is his biggest challenge. But Piers is determined, he has patience…and he has an arsenal of bondage equipment to master Meg with.
Reader Advisory: This book includes scenes that some readers may find objectionable, including chase and capture, bondage and domination.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Monica

Book Review: The Veil by Chloe Neill

Title: The Veil
Series: Devil’s Isle, Book 1
Author: Chloe Neill
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Sensuality Rating: Innocent
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: August 4, 2015 by NAL

Seven years ago, the Veil that separates humanity from what lies beyond was torn apart, and New Orleans was engulfed in a supernatural war. Now, those with paranormal powers have been confined in a walled community that humans call the District. Those who live there call it Devil's Isle.

Claire Connolly is a good girl with a dangerous secret: she’s a Sensitive, a human endowed with magic that seeped through the Veil. Claire knows that revealing her skills would mean being confined to Devil’s Isle. Unfortunately, hiding her power has left her untrained and unfocused.

Liam Quinn knows from experience that magic makes monsters of the weak, and he has no time for a Sensitive with no control of her own strength. But when he sees Claire using her powers to save a human under attack—in full view of the French Quarter—Liam decides to bring her to Devil’s Isle and the teacher she needs, even though getting her out of his way isn’t the same as keeping her out of his head.

But when the Veil threatens to shatter completely, Claire and Liam must work together to stop it, or else New Orleans will burn…

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Sara

Book Review: Captured at the Castle by Alexandra Ainsworth

Title: Captured at the Castle
Series: Scandal in Sussex, Book 2
Author: Alexandra Ainsworth
Genre: Historical Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by author
Published: August 17, 2015 by Sanguinity Press

Geoffrey Hammerstead always dreamed of protecting others. Geoffrey is delighted when he moves to Ashbury Castle to take on the duties of magistrate. But when his uncle, Sir Ambrose, goes missing and is accused of running a long smuggling network, Geoffrey finds himself under suspicion.

Former thief Etienne Rivaud is furious after being wrongfully thrown into prison. But Etienne is more furious when the new magistrate is assigned to protect him.

Geoffrey and Etienne are both confident they abhor each other, but somehow they cannot stop thinking about each other. Can they ever attempt to forge a future together in a world where sodomy is illegal, and Geoffrey's job requires him to enforce that?

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: J9

Book Review: Tamed by the Outlaw by Michelle Sharp

Title: Tamed by the Outlaw
Series: What Happens in Vegas, Book 6
Author: Michelle Sharp
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: August 17, 2015 by Entangled Lovestruck

He's taking on the bad girl of romance...

Author Jessie Jameson is the Bad Girl of romance, making a huge name for herself writing love stories with sizzling hot sex scenes. No one needs to know that her real-life inspiration is sexy publishing exec Grayson Reynolds. Or that after the hottest sex of her life, Grayson walked out on her.

Grayson's finally taken the reins of his family's publishing business, and he's determined to sell off the romance division. But Jessie Jameson's contract is complicating things. It's like she's been trying to ruin him ever since the mind-blowing night they shared-the night she walked out on him.

Now the sparks are flying. Heated, sexy sparks. It's a Wild West showdown between Jessie and Grayson. But when Romance ends up in bed with Business, only one can walk away...

amazon | goodreads

Book Review: Too Hot to Handle by Victoria Dahl

Title: Too Hot to Handle
Series: Jackson Hole, Book 2
Author: Victoria Dahl
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: bought
Published: March 26, 2013 by Harlequin HQN

This good girl's going bad.

Merry Kade has always been the good girl. The best friend. The one who patiently waits for the guy to notice her. Well, no more. Merry has just scored her dream job, and it's time for her life to change. As the new curator of a museum in Wyoming, she'll supervise a lot of restoration work. Luckily she's found the perfect contractor for the job.

Shane Harcourt can't believe that someone wants to turn a beat-up ghost town into a museum attraction. After all, the last thing he needs is the site of his dream ranch turning into a tourist trap. He'll work on the project, if only to hasten its failure; until the beautiful, quirky woman in charge starts to change his mind.

For the first time ever, Merry has a gorgeous stud hot on her heels. But can she trust this strong, silent man, even if he is a force of nature in bed? When Shane's ulterior motives come out, he'll need to prove to Merry that a love like theirs may be too hot to handle, but it's impossible to resist.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Monica

Book Review: Bound with Honor by Megan Mulry

Title: Bound with Honor
Author: Megan Mulry
Genre: Historical Romance, M/M Romance, F/F Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: August 15, 2015 by Riptide Publishing

Lord Archibald Cambury, Marquess of Camburton, has never wanted for anything . . . except normalcy. Although he adores both of his loving mothers, and his vivacious twin sister with her two husbands, he wants a wife. One wife. Full stop. Is that so much to ask?

Miss Selina Ashby appears to be everything Archie has always wanted in a marchioness: demure, soft-spoken, and pretty, with a quick mind and delectable humor. Yes, she is a bit forward, but he chalks that up to youth. Yes, she has a very particular friend in Beatrix Farnsworth, but he chalks that up to loyalty. He is a lord; she is a lady; they are in love. And so they marry. That should be the end of it.

But when Archie discovers that his wife is as passionate with her particular friend Beatrix as he is with his particular friend Christopher, his world is shattered. He must decide if Selina’s love is big enough for both of them—and whether normalcy is truly more important than the love he feels for both the man and the woman who have become so dear to him.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: J9

Book Review: Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells

Title: Cursed Moon
Series: Prospero’s War, Book 2
Author: Jaye Wells
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: bought
Published: August 12, 2014 by Orbit

When a rare Blue Moon upsets the magical balance in the city, Detective Kate Prospero and her Magical Enforcement colleagues pitch in to help Babylon PD keep the peace. Between potions going haywire and everyone's emotions running high, every cop in the city is on edge. But the moon's impact is especially strong for Kate who's wrestling with guilt over falling off the magic wagon.

After a rogue wizard steals dangerous potions from the local covens, Kate worries their suspect is building a dirty magic bomb. Her team must find the anarchist rogue before the covens catch him, and make sure they defuse the bomb before the Blue Moon deadline. Failure is never an option, but success will require Kate to come clean about her secrets.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Lesley

Book Review: My Heart to Keep by Bailey Bradford

Title: My Heart to Keep
Series: Love in Xxchange, Book 10
Author: Bailey Bradford
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: June 19, 2015 by Pride Publishing

Losing everything doesn’t mean Remy’s lost.

Fred’s been the bar manager at The Xxchange for a long time. He’s seen servers come and go. With the bar revamped and turned into a more reputable club, the last person he ever expects to see walk in is Martine, a snarky booty-boy server who worked at The Xxchange years ago then just didn’t show up one night. But Martine isn’t really Martine—he’s Remy, and always has been. To get hired at a place he could party and have fun at, Remy had lied about his age and gotten a fake ID.

Then he got into a bad relationship, one based on money and a contract no one should have ever agreed on. After his parents commit a crime that lands Remy in trouble with his sugar daddy, Remy loses everything. The only place he can think of to turn to is The Xxchange, and the people he used to work for. If they’ll just give him a chance to prove he can be a mature, responsible adult, he might not end up living on the streets any longer.

These two men come together first as rescuer and lost soul, then as friends. If there’s going to be more than that, Remy wants them to be on equal footing. He’s learned his lesson about trying to find the easy way through life.

But someone doesn’t want him to have a chance at freedom or love.

Reader Advisory: This book contains references to past abuse.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Crissy

Book Review: Ink and Shadows by Rhys Ford

Title: Ink and Shadows
Series: Ink and Shadows, Book 1
Author: Rhys Ford
Genre: Urban Fantasy, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Mild
Source: review copy provided by author
Published: July 7, 2015 by Dreamspinner Press

Kismet Andreas lives in fear of the shadows.

For the young tattoo artist, the shadows hold more than darkness. He is certain of his insanity because the dark holds creatures and crawling things only he can see—monsters who hunt out the weak to eat their minds and souls, leaving behind only empty husks and despair.

And if there’s one thing Kismet fears more than being hunted—it’s the madness left in its wake.

The shadowy Veil is Mal’s home. As Pestilence, he is the youngest—and most inexperienced—of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, immortal manifestations resurrected to serve—and cull—mankind. Invisible to all but the dead and insane, the Four exist between the Veil and the mortal world, bound to their nearly eternal fate. Feared by other immortals, the Horsemen live in near solitude but Mal longs to know more than Death, War and Famine.

Mal longs to be… more human. To interact with someone other than lunatics or the deceased.

When Kismet rescues Mal from a shadowy attack, Pestilence is suddenly thrust into a vicious war—where mankind is the prize, and the only one who has faith in Mal is the human the other Horsemen believe is destined to die.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Lesley

Book Review: Dixon’s Duty by Jenna Byrnes

Title: Dixon’s Duty
Series: Kansas City Heat, Book 1
Author: Jenna Byrnes
Genre: Romantic Suspense, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: bought
Published: May 9, 2014 by Pride Publishing

A serial rapist and murderer on the loose. Will Kansas City’s finest solve the case before the madman strikes again?

Detective James Dixon is determined to track down the most recent serial killer terrorising the people of Kansas City. The chase leads him to the Last Chance Bar and Grille, where he meets and immediately falls for the sexy owner, Bryan Scott. But things at the bar aren’t exactly as they seem.

No one there remembers seeing the latest victim the night before she was brutally murdered. So why do the clues keep pointing back to the Last Chance? When the attacks strike close to home, Dix and Bryan must work together to save the next victim and whatever chance they have for happiness.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Crissy

Book Review & Giveaway: Dirty Thoughts by Megan Erickson

Title: Dirty Thoughts
Series: Mechanics of Love, Book 1
Author: Megan Erickson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: June 16, 2015 by Avon Impulse

Some things are sexier the second time around.

Cal Payton has gruff and grumbly down to an art...all the better for keeping people away. And it usually works. Until Jenna MacMillan-his biggest mistake---walks into Payton and Sons mechanic shop all grown up, looking like sunshine, and inspiring more than a few dirty thoughts.

Jenna was sure she was long over the boy she'd once loved with reckless abandon, but one look at the steel-eyed Cal Payton has her falling apart all over again. Ten years may have passed, but the pull is stronger than ever... and this Cal is all man.

Cal may have no intention of letting Jenna in, but she's always been his light, and it's getting harder to stay all alone in the dark. When a surprise from the past changes everything, Cal and Jenna must decide if their connection should be left alone or if it's exactly what they need for the future of their dreams.

amazon | goodreads

Book Review: All Fired Up by Morticia Knight

Title: All Fired Up
Series: Sin City Uniforms, Book 1
Author: Morticia Knight
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: September5, 2014 by Pride Publishing

Officer Shawn Everly patrols the Strip. Fireman Trent Marshall saves him when danger strikes. But it’s uncertain whether Trent can save himself from getting his heart broken by Shawn.

The party never ends on the Las Vegas strip, but neither does the danger. Officer Everly is new to the beat, having recently relocated to Vegas from Los Angeles. Foot patrol on The Strip is a demanding assignment because he’s up close and personal with the public. But what he’d really like to do is get up close and personal with Station 32’s hunky fireman, Trent Marshall.

Trent has been a fireman for over ten years and is dedicated to his job. He’s built tough and is a no-nonsense man of few words. At a local blood drive, Trent meets the handsome new officer on foot patrol, but won’t let himself get too close. He’s lost love before when his policeman lover was killed in the line of fire.

During an emergency, Trent’s over-protective instincts kick in when he believes Shawn is in harm’s way. He ends up embarrassing and angering Shawn in front of their fellow officers, which seems as though it will end any hope of Trent having a chance with the young man he can’t push from his mind.

Shawn can’t decide whether he wants to punch or kiss Trent. Kissing wins. Once they spend some time together away from the stresses of their jobs, they find that they’re not just compatible—they’re combustible.

But Trent can’t seem to accept that there are hazards that come with working in law enforcement. Right as they’re discovering how much they mean to one another, the danger escalates on The Strip. The underground vigilante group, The Citizens Against Immorality, have raised the stakes. Will Shawn and Trent be their next targets?

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of violence and the use of sex toys. It is best read in sequence as part of a series but can be read as a standalone.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Crissy

Book Review: Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones

Title: Eighth Grave After Dark
Series: Charley Davidson, Book 8
Author: Darynda Jones
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: bought
Published: May 19, 2015 by St. Martin’s Press

With twelve hellhounds after her, pregnant Charley Davidson takes refuge at the only place she thinks they can’t get to her: the grounds of an abandoned convent. But after months of being cooped up there, Charley is ready to pop. Both metaphorically and literally since she is now roughly the size of a beached whale. Fortunately, a new case has captured her attention, one that involves a murder on the very grounds the team has taken shelter upon. A decades-old murder of the newly-vowed nun she keeps seeing in the shadows is almost enough to pull her out of her doldrums.

Charley’s been forbidden to step foot off the sacred grounds. While the angry hellhounds can’t traverse the consecrated soil, they can lurk just beyond its borders. They have the entire team on edge, especially Reyes. And if Charley didn’t know better, she would swear Reyes is getting sick. He grows hotter with every moment that passes, his heat scorching across her skin every time he’s near, but naturally he swears he’s fine.

While the team searches for clues on the Twelve, Charley just wants answers and is powerless to get them. But the mass of friends they’ve accrued helps. They convince her even more that everyone in her recent life has somehow been drawn to her, as though they were a part of a bigger picture all along. But the good feelings don’t last for long because Charley is about to get the surprise of her crazy, mixed-up, supernatural life….

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Sara

Book Review: Blaze by Olivia Aycock

Title: Blaze
Author: Olivia Aycock
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by author
Published: May 26, 2015 (self-published)

Event planner Laurie Maxwell has a contingency plan for every situation—except the one that leaves her hanging half-naked from her second-story window when her personal pleasure device vibrates its way to the feet of her very sexy downstairs tenant.

Warning: The mercury isn’t the only thing rising when a heat wave moves through this southern city. This erotic romance includes two naughty neighbors who, with the help of a vibrator and their feverish fantasies, dial up the sexy to level blaze.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Sara

Book Review: Accepting the Alpha by J.J. Black

Title: Accepting the Alpha
Series: Great Lakes Wolves, Book 1
Author: J.J. Black
Genre: Paranormal Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
Published: February 14, 2014 by Totally Bound

Can an Alpha wolf convince his straight mate to give love a chance, before an unexpected enemy tries to rob them of all they hold dear…even their own lives?

Eli Steele is a wolf without a pack. An invitation from his best friend, brings him to Grand Rapids, and a meeting with the local Alpha changes Eli’s life in ways he ever expected.
Kellan Reeves, Alpha of the Grand Rapids Pack, had lost hope of ever finding his mate until Eli came to him, looking for a pack. Realising Eli is his mate, he feels things couldn’t be more perfect…discounting the angry pack Eli left behind. There’s also the insignificant fact that Eli’s not gay. It’s nothing an Alpha wolf can’t handle.

While Eli struggles to understand his feelings for Kellan, an unexpected call for help has everyone on edge. As enemies move in and a horrifying plot is revealed, Kellan and Eli fight back, not only for themselves, but for the fate of all shifters.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: J9

Book Review: Icebound by Corinna Rogers

Title: Icebound
Series: Mortals & Myths
Author: Corinna Rogers
Genre: Urban Fantasy, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: September 25, 2014 by HarperImpulse

It’s been ten years since Shane Conell sold his soul to the Ice King in order to save the life of the man he loves. Correction, loved.

After ten years, it’s growing difficult to remember love, and hate, and laughter – until a chance appears to get back the only thing his frozen heart still wants…

Drake Young is doing fine. Really. He’s got a good job, nice benefits, and the soulless husk of his old lover only comes by to torment him every so often. However, it only takes the appearance of a creature from the Etherworld wreaking havoc on the decidedly nonmagical city streets to drag him out of retirement, forcing him to team up with the one person he can’t bear even to look at!

Now, Drake and Shane must race against the clock to keep their city from being destroyed, even if it means working together. And no matter how difficult it is to catch the creature, it’s a hell of a lot more difficult to resist the urges that ten years haven’t managed to kill.

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Crissy

Book Review: The Holiday Hoax by Skylar M. Cates

Title: The Holiday Hoax
Author: Skylar M. Cates
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Innocent
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: December 12, 2014 by Dreamspinner Press 

I’m Evan Goodman, budding actor, future star, college freshman. Oh, and let's not forget—recently dumped. If only my family wasn't expecting to meet my new boyfriend over the holiday break. Enter JD Laurens—a sweet and quiet science major who mostly keeps to himself. When he gathers the courage to come out, poor JD gets abandoned by his only family right in front of me, and now he has nowhere to go for Christmas. But I have a proposition for him: pretend to be my boyfriend for the holidays so I can take him home. It’s a win-win. What could go wrong?

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Crissy

Book Review: Comfort and Joy Anthology

Title: Comfort and Joy
Author: Joanna Chambers, Harper Fox, L.B. Gregg, Josh Lanyon,
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by author
Published: December 6, 2014 by JustJoshin Publishing

A Holiday anthology

Rest and Be Thankful by Joanna Chambers
Two stormy hearts find peace when feuding neighbors in the Scottish Highlands are trapped by a blizzard.

Things haven’t been going well for Cam McMorrow since he moved to Inverbechie. His business is failing, his cottage is falling apart and following his very public argument with café owner Rob Armstrong, he’s become a social outcast.

Cam needs to get away from his troubles and when his sister buys him a ticket to the biggest Hogmanay party in Glasgow, he can’t leave Inverbechie quick enough. But when events conspire to strand him in the middle of nowhere in a snowstorm, not only is he liable to miss the party, he’ll also have to ask his nemesis, Rob, for help.

Out by Harper Fox
Can a stranger unlock the courage and passion in a young man’s captive heart?

It’s Christmas at Edinburgh’s magnificent Barlinney Hotel, and chief housekeeper Cosmo Grant is in charge of the festivities. He’s already got his hands full when handsome Ren Vaudrey checks in.

It soon turns out that Ren is an undercover cop. Cosmo wants to help him, but unless he can do it within the Barlinney’s walls, Cosmo is stuck. A victim of crippling agoraphobia, he’s been a prisoner in this gilded cage for over a year. Cosmo gathers all his courage to do the right thing by Ren and Sam—and as a glittering Christmas Eve descends on the city, finds himself confronting his very darkest fears.

Waiting for Winter by LB Gregg
Some mistakes are worth repeating.

Luke always thought he and Winter were the perfect couple—until the day Winter announced he was taking a new job and they were uprooting and headed for Germany. No discussion. No debate. For the first time in his life, Winter miscalculated. Badly. Now Luke is trying his best to move on with his life, but Winter is back in town and he’s set on digging their relationship out of the deep freeze.

Baby, It's Cold by Josh Lanyon
Or maybe it's the flu. Breaking up is hard to do -- especially around the holidays.

Talk about Kitchen Nightmares! TV Chef Rocky and Foodie blogger Jesse have been pals forever, so it should have been the most natural thing in the world to move their relationship to the next level. Instead, it turned out to be a disaster. But Christmas is the season of love, and someone's cooking up a sweet surprise...

amazon | goodreads

Reviewed by: Crissy

Book Review: Razed by Shiloh Walker

Title: Razed
Series: Barnes Brothers, Book 2
Author: Shiloh Walker
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: December 2, 2014 by Berkley

Tattoo artist Keelie Jessup can handle that someone else has claimed the man of her dreams. She’s just not pleased with her remaining options…

Keelie doesn’t believe in the “perfect man.” But the men who are worth the trouble are usually taken—like her business partner Zach Barnes. After a string of bad luck and the lost chance with Zach, Keelie decides that maybe flying solo—and living with suppressed desires—is the key to happiness.

As a photographer, Zane Barnes has an eye for the human form, and his eyes can’t get enough of Keelie’s curves. Unfortunately, Keelie is like most women—always fawning over his little brother, Zach. Zane is about ready to give up, but then a few stolen moments at his brother’s wedding have him thinking maybe there’s a chance there after all. Now he just has to prove that the perfect man does exist…for her.

amazon | goodreads