Book Review: Rule by Jay Crownover

Title: Rule
Series: Marked Men, Book 1
Author: Jay Crownover
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: library
Published: May 7, 2013 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want--and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Fever by Maya Banks

Title: Fever
Series: Breathless, Book 2
Author: Maya Banks
Genre: Erotic Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: library
Published: April 2, 2013 by Berkley

Jace, Ash, and Gabe: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. For Jace, it’s a woman whose allure takes him completely by surprise...

Jace Crestwell, Ash McIntyre, and Gabe Hamilton have been best friends and successful business partners for years. They’re powerful, they’re imposing, they’re irresistibly sexy, and Jace and Ash share everything—including their women.

When they meet Bethany, Jace begins to feel things he’s never experienced before: jealousy, and a powerful obsession that threatens him, overwhelms him—and excites him beyond control.

Jace isn’t sharing Bethany—with anyone. He’s determined to be the only man in her life, and it’s jeopardizing a lifelong friendship with Ash. Bethany will be his and his alone. Even if it means turning his back on his best friend.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: My Sweetest Escape by Chelsea M. Cameron

Title: My Sweetest Escape
Series: My Favorite Mistake, Book 2
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Sensual
Source: library
Published: January 28, 2014 by Harlequin HQN

The past will always find you.

Jos Archer was the girl with the perfect life; until the night it all came crashing down around her. Now, nine months later, she still hasn't begun to pick up the pieces. Even transferring to a new college and living under the watchful eye of her older sister, Renee, isn't enough to help her feel normal again.

And then she meets Dusty Sharp. For reasons Jos can't begin to fathom, the newly reformed campus bad boy seems determined to draw her out of her shell. And if she's not careful, his knowing green eyes and wicked smile will make her feel things she's no longer sure she deserves.

But even as Dusty coaxes Jos to open up about the past, he's hiding secrets of his own. Secrets about the night her old life fell apart. When the truth is finally revealed, will it bring them closer together;or tear them apart for good?

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Riding Temptation by Jaci Burton

Title: Riding Temptation
Series: Wild Riders, Book 2
Author: Jaci Burton
Genre: Romantic Suspense, MC Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: library
Published: October 7, 2008 by Berkley Books

He’s a biker working undercover for the Feds. She has reasons of her own for joining the Wild Riders. Together, they’re burning up the asphalt and tearing headlong into danger and passion.

The guys always thought of Jessie as their kid sister, except Diaz Delgado. The past few years he’s been watching her–and Jessie’s glad somebody is. Delgado’s dark good looks and killer body have tempted her since day one. Diaz’s unbrotherly urges have been hard to fight but the last thing he wants is to hurt Jessie. But when they both go undercover with killer survivalists, he knows it’ll be hard to keep his distance–especially when the mission takes a risky turn. Now Diaz has no choice but to open himself up to the one woman strong enough to take him on.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren

Title: Beautiful Stranger
Series: Beautiful Bastard, Book2
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: library
Published: April 16, 2013 by Gallery Books

Escaping a cheating ex, finance whiz Sara Dillon’s moved to New York City and is looking for excitement and passion without a lot of strings attached. So meeting the irresistible, sexy Brit at a dance club should have meant nothing more than a night’s fun. But the manner—and speed—with which he melts her inhibitions turns him from a one-time hookup and into her Beautiful Stranger.

The whole city knows that Max Stella loves women, not that he’s ever found one he particularly wants to keep around. Despite pulling in plenty with his Wall Street bad boy charm, it’s not until Sara—and the wild photos she lets him take of her—that he starts wondering if there’s someone for him outside of the bedroom.

Hooking up in places where anybody could catch them, the only thing scarier for Sara than getting caught in public is having Max get too close in private.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Down and Out by Kelley R. Martin

Title: Down and Out
Series: Knock Out Love, Book 1
Author: Kelley R. Martin
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by author
Published: September 30, 2014 (self-published)

“Tattooed package of sin.”

That’s how Savannah Ryan would describe her new boss, Declan Whitmore, the deliciously tatted and pierced fighter who holds the top spot in Boston’s newest underground fighting organization. She’d also describe him as bossy, arrogant, and—depending on what he does to piss her off that particular day—an asshole.

It’s that aloof attitude, along with Savannah’s witty comebacks and tight little body that land her on his radar. Unfortunately for her, Declan is relentless when he sets his sights on someone, both in and out of the ring. Unfortunately for him, this recently reformed bad girl is trying to go straight after heading down a dangerous path. She’s not going to make this easy for him. In fact, she’s going to make it—and him—very, very hard.

Declan’s not worried, though. He’ll have Savannah come hell or high water, because if there’s one word he’d use to describe her, it’s “MINE.”

*Don’t read this book if you don’t like snarky, dominant, tattooed men who say things like “Open your mouth, and I will,” after you tell them to shove it. And don’t read this book if you don’t like sassy, strong-willed, fiercely independent heroines who use phrases like “bossy asshole” as a term of endearment. You have been warned.*

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Until Alex by J. Nathan

Title: Until Alex
Author: J. Nathan
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Sensual
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: June 17, 2014 (self-published)

On the outside, Hayden is every girl's fantasy, brooding and devastatingly gorgeous. He spends his nights losing himself in alcohol and faceless girls, but it's all just a facade. An elaborate cover for the emotionless shell of a man he is. One who harbors too many secrets and destroys lives the way his was destroyed. It’s the reason he avoids relationships and keeps everyone at arm's length…

Until Alex
Alex’s life just shattered into a million pieces, leaving her with more grief than she knows what to do with and guilt so deep it’s destroyed the carefree girl she once was. Now she’s hundreds of miles from home, living with an aunt she doesn't know, finishing senior year at a college she’s never been to, and trying desperately to get through a single day without breaking down. She's never felt more alone in her life...

Until Hayden

The trouble with Hayden is who he wants to be and who he is are in constant flux. And though he’d die before letting Alex learn the truth about him, he can’t be sure he's strong enough to let her in…or push her away. She’s the one person who just might see the real him.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: The Real Thing by Susann Oriel

Title: The Real Thing
Author: Susann Oriel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: September 8, 2014 Crimson Romance

Top art expert Gemma Gilmore can easily spot a fake from across a crowded gallery. So she wonders why the smoking-hot man standing alone in the far corner of the auction room isn’t bidding. She and her killer five-inch pumps vow to find out.

Mac Buchanan is on an undercover assignment that leaves no room for small talk and soft emotions. When one of the expensive paintings Gemma authenticated turns out to be a fake, he’s the prime investigator, and he’s determined not to let her breathtaking sex appeal whitewash a serious crime.

But even facing off over a $50 million art fraud case isn’t enough to contain their blazing sexual chemistry. Time and again, passion draws them together, but they’re driven apart by an ever-increasing web of lies, set-ups, and betrayals.

When the truth behind the fraud is revealed, will their relationship shatter or will they discover their intense connection is the real thing?

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Her Best Shot by Shannyn Schroeder

Title: Her Best Shot
Series: Hot & Nerdy, Book 1
Author: Shannyn Schroeder
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: September 29, 2014 by eKensington

With college graduation looming, three childhood friends vow to make spring break their last blast of pure fun. But at least one of them didn’t count on such incredible heat…

Layla Sharpe is definitely more math ninja than bikini babe, and her future has been calculated with razor precision. Convinced to let loose over spring break, Layla is finally ready to party—until her car breaks down halfway to her destination, leaving her stranded in Georgia with a mouthwateringly hot pool shark. She knows more than enough about angles to learn the game, but this week she wants him to appreciate her curves…

Phin Marks has never met a girl like Layla. She’s more Star Wars geek than seductress, and when he offers her a place to stay while her car is in the shop, he’s counting on the attraction between them to set the nights ablaze, no strings attached. But every moment he spends with Layla makes it harder to let her go. Can he persuade her to gamble in the most dangerous way possible…on forever?

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning

Title: Beyond the Highland Mist
Series: Highlander, Book 1
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Genre: Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Time Travel Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: personal shelf
Published: March 9, 1999 by Dell

He would sell his warrior soul to possess her. . . .

An alluring laird...

He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart—until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm's length—but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve.

A prisoner in time...

She had a perfect "no" on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side. . .

.
Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron

Title: My Favorite Mistake
Series: My Favorite Mistake, Book 1
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Sensual
Source: library
Published: August 27, 2013 by Harlequin

Two secrets. One bet. Who will break first?

Taylor Caldwell can't decide if she wants to kiss her new college roommate or punch him.

On the one hand, Hunter Zaccadelli is a handsome blue-eyed bundle of charm. On the other, he's a tattooed, guitar-playing bad boy. Maybe that's why Taylor's afraid of falling in love with him, or anyone else. She doesn't want to get burned, so she needs him gone before it's too late.

Hunter himself has been burned before, but Taylor's sexy laugh and refusal to let him get away with anything make her irresistible. Determined not to be kicked out of her life without a fight, Hunter proposes a bet: if she can convince him she either truly loves or hates him, he'll leave the apartment;and leave her alone.

But when the man behind Taylor's fear of giving up her heart resurfaces, she has to decide: trust Hunter with her greatest secret, or do everything in her power to win that bet and drive him away forever.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Unfixable by Tessa Bailey

Title: Unfixable
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Sensual
Source: personal shelf
Published: April 14, 2014 by Entangled Embrace

He’s the last thing she wants...but the only thing she needs.

Willa Peet isn’t interested in love. She’s been there, done that, and has the shattered heart to prove it. Ready to shake the breakup, she heads to Dublin, Ireland. But there’s a problem. A dark-haired, blue-eyed problem with a bad attitude that rivals her own. And he’s not doling out friendly Irish welcomes.

Shane Claymore just wants to race. The death of his father forced him off the Formula One circuit, but he’s only staying in Dublin long enough to sell the Claymore Inn and get things in order for his mother and younger sister. He never expected the sarcastic American girl staying at the inn to make him question everything.

But even as Willa and Shane’s fiery natures draw them together, their pasts threaten to rip them apart. Can Shane give up racing to be with the woman he loves, or will Willa’s quest to resurrect the tough-talking, no-shit-taking girl she used to be destroy any hope of a future together?

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Witch of Arundale Hall by Jennifer Leeland

Title: Witch of Arundale Hall
Author: Jennifer Leeland
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Erotic Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: August 8, 2014 by Ellora’s Cave

A wicked curse on the men of Arundale transforms them into bloodthirsty beasts when their passions are high. Lady Sarah Ayers can wait no longer to do what only she can—end the curse. Her ancestor cast the spell, and she must undo it. But to accomplish her goal, she cannot let her body overrule her sense of duty, no matter how hard she finds it to resist the deviant sexual impulses that hold her in thrall to Perry Arundale.

Perry will do whatever it takes, with his words or his wilder side, to make Sarah his. But he doesn’t know that the bond between them could lead Sarah to lose not only her heart but her life.

Inside Scoop: This story contains scenes of voyeurism, BDSM and mixed-gender ménage.

A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren

Title: Sweet Filthy Boy
Series: Wild Seasons, Book 1
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: library
Published: May 13, 2014 by Gallery Books

One-night stands are supposed to be with someone convenient, or wickedly persuasive, or regrettable. They aren’t supposed to be with someone like him.

But after a crazy Vegas weekend celebrating her college graduation—and terrified of the future path she knows is a cop-out—Mia Holland makes the wildest decision of her life: follow Ansel Guillaume—her sweet, filthy fling—to France for the summer and just…play.

When feelings begin to develop behind the provocative roles they take on, and their temporary masquerade adventures begin to feel real, Mia will have to decide if she belongs in the life she left because it was all wrong, or in the strange new one that seems worlds away.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Home in Your Arms by Sarah Bale

Title: Home in Your Arms
Author: Sarah Bale
Genre: Fantasy, Erotic Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: August 6, 2014 by Ellora’s Cave

Swept away in a tornado, Lexi lands in a magical realm where evil witches threaten everything. Lexi’s only hope of getting home is Ian, the hot leader of the royal guard. As soon as she sees him, she feels a connection to him that leaves her panting. But something is happening to her and she needs to reach the Sapphire Palace and the king to find out what.

Ian could lose himself in Lexi, but if she turns out to be a witch, he’ll be forced to kill her when he’d rather be loving her. Their few moments together show that there is definitely heat between them, something Ian wants more of.

Getting Lexi to safety is urgent but the Witches are doing everything to stop them, including kidnapping Ian. Lexi launches a desperate plan to free him. With help from others, she faces the Witches and learns the truth about herself. Along the yellow-brick road, Lexi and Ian’s love blossoms…almost as if it were magic.

A Romantica® fantasy erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Disobedience by Design by Regina Kammer

Title: Disobedience by Design
Author: Regina Kammer
Genre: Historical Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: July 25, 2014 by Ellora’s Cave

Harwell Heirs series, Book Two Lady Sophia is presented to Society on her eighteenth birthday and is unimpressed. Her parents encourage the suit of a duke, a man older than her father! Yet free-spirited Sophia is smitten with her brother's handsome American business partner, who introduces her to sensual delights beyond the bounds of propriety. Seeking investors for his railroad enterprise, Joseph is out of his depth among the British aristocracy. Even worse, he can't keep his hands off Sophia, a beauty far beyond his social class who is betrothed to a duke. When the duke's villainy is revealed Joseph decides to risk all to protect Sophia and he embarks upon a partnership of an entirely unexpected nature. Inside Scoop: Disobedient and excitable Sophia enjoys a bit of disciplinary spanking. Joseph likes to watch when he's not part of the action and has a taste for men as well as women-sometimes both at once. Includes references to the villain's evil: rape, child abuse and violence.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Riding Wild by Jaci Burton

Title: Riding Wild
Series: Wild Riders, Book 1
Author: Jaci Burton
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: library
Published: February 5, 2008 by Berkley HEAT

Mac Canfield was the last man Lily West expected to see again, never mind aim her gun at. But there he was, the bad boy who'd broken her heart years ago - still a thief, hijacking a priceless artifact - and it was all she could do to push aside the memories of how it felt to have his perfectly chiseled body next to hers.

Mac was no less shocked to see the beautiful girl next-door again, threatening to shoot him. Little did she know she was blowing his cover. He had to get her out of harm's way without succumbing to his desire to take her on a hot trip down memory lane.

But Lily has no intention of going anywhere with Mac, which means he'll have to resort to kidnapping. Unless she agrees to let him take her for the kind of ride destined to drive them both unbelievably wild.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Title: Very Bad Things
Series: Briarcrest Academy, Book 1
Author: Ilsa Madden-Mills
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: September 9, 2013 by Little Dove Publishing

Born into a life of privilege and secrets, Nora Blakely has everything any nineteen-year-old girl could desire. She’s an accomplished pianist, a Texas beauty queen, and on her way to Princeton after high school. She’s perfect...

Leaving behind her million-dollar mansion and Jimmy Choos, she becomes a girl hell-bent on pushing the limits with alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex.

Then she meets her soulmate. But he doesn’t want her.

When it comes to girls, twenty-five-year-old Leo Tate has one rule: never fall in love. His gym and his brother are all he cares about... until he meets Nora. He resists the pull of their attraction, hung up on their six year age difference.

As they struggle to stay away from each other, secrets will be revealed, tempers will flare, and hearts will be broken.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy... where sometimes, the best things in life are Very Bad Things.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre

Title: I Want It That Way
Series: 2B Trilogy, Book 1
Author: Ann Aguirre
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: August 26, 2014 by Harlequin HQN

Nadia Conrad has big dreams, and she's determined to make them come true—for her parents' sake as well as her own. But between maintaining her college scholarship and working at the local day care to support herself, she barely has time to think, let alone date. Then she moves into a new apartment and meets the taciturn yet irresistible guy in 1B….

Daniel Tyler has grown up too fast. Becoming a single dad at twenty turned his life upside down—and brought him heartache he can't risk again. Now, as he raises his four-year-old son while balancing a full-time construction management job and night classes, a social life is out of the question. The last thing he wants is for four noisy students to move into the apartment upstairs. But one night, Nadia's and Ty's paths cross, and soon they can't stay away from each other.

The timing is all wrong—but love happens when it happens. And you can't know what you truly need until you stand to lose it.

Reviewed By: Laura

Book Review: The Trouble with Wolves by Sierra Summers & VJ Summers

Title: The Trouble with Wolves
Author: Sierra Summers & VJ Summers
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: July 25, 2014 by Ellora’s Cave

The only woman Nigel wants is the one woman he can’t have.

Claire has entered the Mating Run at the urging of her coven, but it’s not yet Nigel’s turn to participate. Despite the pain it causes, leaving town is the only way to ensure he keeps his hands off the sultry witch. When his brother dies months later, Nigel is summoned home. Pack law dictates he must protect Taylor’s widow—Claire.

The only wolf Claire wants is the one who broke her heart two years earlier.

Instead of fighting for her, Nigel let pack law run him out of town. Now the sexy shifter’s back and their sexual chemistry is as combustible as ever. But Nigel is in line to be alpha, and Claire won’t be ruled by pack law ever again—it’s already destroyed more lives than Nigel knows.

Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published elsewhere as Hungry Like the Wolf.

Reviewed By: Laura