Reviews Published Professional Reader Challenge Participant 80% 2016 NetGalley Challenge 50 Book Reviews

Monday, May 27, 2019

Siren Unleashed (Texas Sirens #7) by Lexi Blake & Sophie Oak

My Rating: 5 Stars
Sex Scenes: Yes.
Series: Yes, Texas Sirens #7.
Synopsis:
Siren Unleashed, a sexy romance in the Texas Sirens Series from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake writing as Sophie Oak, is available now! 

Detectives Ben and Chase Dawson have been sent to investigate an unusual murder at an exclusive resort owned by Julian Lodge. The prime suspect is a young woman who was the last person to see the victim alive. Julian wants them to ensure her safety while also conducting the investigation. The job seems simple enough, until Ben and Chase discover that the beautiful woman they have both come to desire has dark secrets.

Natalie Buchanan came to the Willow Fork Tranquility Spa seeking sanctuary after escaping the clutches of a twisted sadist. Working as a massage therapist at the resort has given her a chance to heal. It also offers her an opportunity to reconnect to the lifestyle she thought she would never be comfortable in again. But when one of her regular clients ends up dead on her table, Natalie fears that the monster she once escaped has come back to claim her.



As Natalie rediscovers her own power, all three will be forced to confront her past.




Re-released in a second edition with new content.



SU - BT banner.jpg





YES! I'm always so happy when the time comes to review another Texas Siren books, because I know I will eat it up in a day. Let's just say I was not disappointed. 

The Dawson brothers are intriguing characters and I was dying to know more about them. 

I was in love with the scene when Natalie and Chase met; there was something so powerful about him. Nobody had faith in him to be the right one to help set her free, but sometimes wrong is just so right. He had her the moment he said his first word, I knew the moment she submitted to him, that she was as good as done. 

Chase is by far my favorite character in the series, even though him and Ben are twins I just imagined him so differently in my head, as if I was sure I would be able to tell them apart at first sight. 
His brooding personality and strange brain made his feelings for her extra special. She brought out a part of him that had never been triggered and he couldn't get enough. In his mind she was now his, it didn't matter what happened, she would always be his girl.

I don't want you thinking I don't like Ben, he was sweet and he had this easiness about him, that brought light to every situation. He didn't have anything holding him back; with him, what you see is what you get.

Now this guys are not just some soft lovers, they are vicious when it comes to defending their woman, and they will stop at nothing to ensure her safety. 

Natalie had an incredibly horrible thing happen to her, and since then she had retreated into herself. She didn't enjoy life anymore, she was hiding, and it might take just the right kind of guys to make her come out of the shadows. Submitting is all about power, she has forgotten that by doing that she will have all the control and freedom even in restraints.

A must read!





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Excerpt: 

“Why don’t you smile?” Chase shrugged. “I don’t know. Just how I was born. So where’s the dragon tattoo?” Now she was the one smiling. Smart-mouthed bastard. Yeah, that was kind of sexy. “Hey, I was fucked up before it was cool. This is my fourth hair color this year. I was bright yellow two months ago, but someone called me Big Bird.” His hand came up, barely touching her hair. “I like Cotton Candy better.” “Yeah, don’t expect sweet.” There it was, that hint of a smile that made her want more. “I think you could be very sweet if someone handled you the right way.” “What if I don’t want to be handled?” The question came out on a flirty huff. God, was that really her voice? Was she flirting with this Dom like she could take him on? The smile deepened, bringing out ridiculously sexy dimples. “Oh, you want to be handled, sweets.” She kind of did. But she was still afraid. “I don’t think I could stand to be tied down.” “How about a male hand on your body? Could you handle that? No ropes. No cuffs. But I would have to put hands on you, and not in that ‘I’m your dad’ way the other guy did.” Honesty. Lots of honesty. “I don’t know how I would handle it. I know I didn’t like the thought of you servicing me. When you walked up, it felt like I was hiring you or something. I didn’t like that.” He softly brought the pad of his index finger to brush her nose. “Picky sub.” “I know what it feels like to be used. I don’t want to use you.” A single muscular shoulder shrugged. “We all use people. It comes down to how we use them and whether or not they’re okay with being used. How are you going to get what you need if you don’t use someone?” “It feels wrong.” “Are you being honest with me about what you want? Is this a plot to trick me into marrying you?” She rolled her eyes. “No.” “Then we’re good, sub,” he promised. “You want to play a little in a safe environment with someone who’ll give you some space. I’m cool with that.” “What do you get out of it?” She needed to know that there was an exchange. “Ah, you’re a clean-slate girl. Well, sweetness, what I get out of it is the sight of what I think is going to be a spectacular ass. And when I turn in later, I’ll have something to masturbate to.” She felt her eyes flare. Well, there was honesty for her. “I think you could find someone to help you out.” He grimaced. “It would be harder than you think. Not a lot of women appreciate my sparkling personality. And besides, I think I’m going to be faithful for the night. I doubt you’ll let me have you, so I’ll pretend.” The idea of him lying in bed, his hand on his cock while he thought about her, made her breath catch. And still she had to push. “Why me?” He was silent for a moment, as though deciding how honest he should be. “Because you’re vibrant and different and you’ve muted your glow, but I think you could light up this room if you let go. I would be using you a little, too. I don’t do many good things. I’m basically selfish. Maybe I want to feel good about myself for once.” She wasn’t giving him credit. She was judging him the way she expected to be judged, on the outside without a single thought to what was happening in his head. She’d looked at his gorgeous body and expected him to not have a soul, much less one as screwed over as hers. “We could try. You could try to touch me.” She could handle that surely. “Why don’t you touch me instead?” 




About Lexi Blake


















New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places. Lexi believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome or foursome may seem. 

Connect with Lexi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlexiblake/

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http://bit.ly/LexiBlakeNL                Website: http://www.lexiblake.net/

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Unbroken (Loveless, Texas 0.5) by Jay Crownover



My Rating: 5 Stars
Sex Scenes: Yes.
Series: Yes, Loveless, Texas 0.5.
Subject:Just like magnets. 
Synopsis:
About UNBROKEN:
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes a captivating novella about a rugged rodeo star who will do anything to protect the people he loves.
When rodeo star Crew Lawton loses everything in a bad bet, he has no choice but to take a new job to pay off his debts – even if it means becoming the face of an expensive male skincare line. Crew is used to getting sweaty and rustling in the dirt, not posing for photo shoots. And he’s certainly not used to being bossed around by a woman who doesn’t even know the difference between bulls and broncs. But Crew owes money to dangerous criminals, and he’ll do anything Della says in order to pay them back and keep them far away from his family in Loveless, Texas…
The launch of her new men’s line for her family’s company means everything to Della Deveaux, and she’s not willing to let some rugged, arrogant cowboy ruin her campaign. Crew Lawton is the last man she would have chosen to represent her chic, sophisticated brand. Unfortunately, her father already invested millions in Crew’s stupidly handsome face. Yet the more time they spend together, Della and Crew realize that opposites do attract. But when the time comes for Crew to face his past mistakes, will he be able to protect his family…and the woman he’s come to love?









Crew and Della’s story was short fun and sweet. They met by chance and knowing each other changed them a lot more than they expected, they brought out the best of each other.

Della lived for her job, she was uptight in the worst kind of way, she was certain she had no idea what having fun and letting go meant.

Crew was just about the fun and the right now kind of thrills. He had no idea what he was doing or where his life was going. And by the looks of it, he probably didn’t have a lot of time left before something ended it prematurely.

Playing model was just what he needs, easy gig, easy cash. But he wasn’t expecting her, the connection they had made everything more complicated.
If he wanted to be worthy of her he had to risk it all.

Della had no idea what she was thinking, he was wrong for her, a risky bet she wasn’t willing to take, but what is life if we don’t?





From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes UNBROKEN, the prequel novella in her brand new Loveless, Texas series! Check out the amazing excerpt below, and grab your copy today!

 

GRAB YOUR COPY OF UNBROKEN TODAY!

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EXCERPT: “This the one, Ms. Priss?” I turned in a circle, hating how restrictive and stiff the refined suit felt. There would be no staying on the horse for eight seconds in something like this. I doubted I could even bend over and pull my boots on in this getup. I failed to see how being dressed like I was going to high tea with the queen was going to convince normal men with a little extra cash to buy the junk in my hair. It felt like overkill, but I would chew my tongue off before telling Della that. I knew how much this campaign meant to her, and I needed her to keep me around so I could get paid. .. and get to kiss her again. Della circled around me, eyes scanning from head to toe. A small frown tugged her perfectly arched brows down into a V, and her lush, soft mouth pulled into a pout I was becoming achingly familiar with. She lifted a hand and touched the knot of the silk tie where it rested at the base of my throat. She fingered the delicate material and heaved a sigh. “You look perfect, but something is still off.” She met my gaze with a scowl. “Can you try and look a little less like you’re being tortured? That might help the overall image.” Her snippy tone and the upturn of her nose made me grin. I rolled my head around, causing my neck to pop and my shoulders to relax. Della’s expression softened when I was no longer standing at attention, but she still let out a dejected-sounding sigh and reached for my tie, releasing me from the expensive noose. “You have a body made for designer clothes, but something is lost when you put them on. I feel like we’re trying to wrap the Mona Lisa in silk or something. Frankly, it’s annoying that you make denim and flannel look just as good as Versace and Prada.” Once she had the tie off, she told me to go ahead and get back into my own clothes. I asked her what the plan was for the shoot and a brief flare of panic and doubt lit up her catlike eyes. She forced a smile and told me she would figure it out. Since I was totally a fish out of water in this scenario, all I could do was follow orders like a good soldier. I stripped out of the fitted vest and worked on the tiny buttons of the shirt. I was handing them both off to the flirty wardrobe girl who was enjoying the impromptu striptease when Della’s “Wait a second!” had both of us freezing on the spot. She was looking at me in the mirror, eyes roving over my half-dressed form. She wandered over to where my jeans and boots were tossed in a haphazard pile on the floor. After a second of rooting around, she came toward me, my black wifebeater in one hand and my boots in the other. “Put these on with the pants.” She looked at the wardrobe girl with a lifted brow and had to snap her fingers in the woman’s face to get her attention. “Go find me a pair of suspenders, leather if you have them.” The other woman scurried off to do as she was told and I dropped to the seat to pull on my boots. “I keep trying to turn you into something better.” I looked up at Della as she snorted out a laugh. “But from the start, you were perfect the way you are.”

Be sure to pre-order JUSTIFIED, the first novel in this brand new, sexy series!


About JUSTIFIED:

The New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series delivers a romance about a rugged Texas sheriff who must protect the woman who was once his sworn enemy...

Case Lawton comes from a family of criminals. So as the sheriff of Loveless, Texas, he's determined to do everything by the book--until he's called to Aspen Barlow's office after a so-called break-in. The last thing he wants to do is help the woman who cost him custody of his son. But Aspen isn't the heartless lawyer Case remembers, and he starts to question his long-held grudge...

Aspen is scared for her life, and Case is her last hope for protection. But to get him on her side, she'll have to reveal the painful truth from all those years ago. Now, as they work together to track down a dangerous criminal, Case and Aspen learn to trust each other. And as the threats escalate, it becomes clear there's a thin line between love and hate... because there's nothing Case wouldn't do to keep her safe.

 

Pre-order your copy of JUSTIFIED today!

  About Jay Crownover: Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series, the Saints of Denver series, the Point series, the Breaking Point series, the Getaway series, and the Loveless, Texas series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.    

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Monday, May 6, 2019

The Dating Proposal by Lauren Blakely

My Rating: 5 Stars
Sex Scenes: Yes.
Series: No.
Subject: Amazing second chances.
Synopsis:


Watch out world — I’m ready to date again.

The seven years I invested in my ex left me with nothing but scorch marks from the way he peeled out and left me at the altar. I’m not looking to put my heart into a relationship any time soon. But getting back out there? That sounds like a helluva good idea to get my groove back.

Then I bump into Chris….Clever and funny, with a sexy surfer’s bod and a brilliant nerd brain, he has just the right screwdriver to fix my hard drive. (Yes, the one for my computer.) I wouldn’t mind dating him. The trouble is he just proposed to me—to be the new dating guru on his TV show. 

Now he’s my new business partner.

What happens when you meet the right person at the wrong time?

Note: Back in the day, I wrote a book called TROPHY HUSBAND, and though it’s no longer available for sale, the characters of Chris and McKenna seemed to demand another chance in the spotlight. THE DATING PROPOSAL is a complete reimagining of their romance, with 85 percent brand-new material, a fresh plot, and vastly expanded characterizations so you can come to know and love Chris and McKenna like I do. Enjoy! 


 












I loved McKenna and Chris’s story!

From the beginning I was captivated by her and her enormous strength. Running into the person that broke your heart only to realize that you have already healed yourself must be one of the most amazing feelings in the world. To be ready to move on, to take the next step and taking control of your life.

The ultimate meet cute situation brings them together and Chris becomes her knight in shining armor. Chris was just perfect; he had some issues but nothing that would mess up his chances with McKenna. 

They had instant chemistry and every interaction they shared made me giddy for more, completely impossible to put the book down. I was rooting for both of them to just stop pretending and fall into bed and in love together. 

A story that shows that damaged people can grow and heal from their pain, no matter how hard it is. Just because someone broke your heart, doesn’t mean you have to close up and run away from anything emotional. 
That's the easy way out, the coward move, strong people are not scared to open up their hearts again. Just because you run into the wrong person doesn’t mean that there isn’t an amazing one waiting out there for you.





LIVE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED!
The first rule of dating? Don’t fall for your business partner! Find out what happens when McKenna breaks that rule in THE DATING PROPOSAL, a witty, clever new standalone romantic comedy from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely now available in KINDLE UNLIMITED! Grab it at the amazing price of 99 cents NOW because the price will be going up to $3.99 at the stroke of midnight tonight!
The Dating 101 lesson rule book...
✔ Get back out there!
✔ Have some fun!
✔ Don't fall for your new business partner!
Dive into this fun, fresh romance about the pitfalls and perils of the dating circuit! Especially when they involve falling for the one person you shouldn’t!
And the audiobook is now available too! It's narrated by Sebastian York and Andi Arndt with a special treat at the end - a bonus novella read duet style by Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke. Pick up your copy today!
   

✮✮✮ THE DATING PROPOSAL is here & free in KINDLE UNLIMITED! Grab your copy today! ✮✮✮



ORDER YOUR COPIES HERE!
✦ Kindle ➜ https://blkly.pub/DatingKindle (FREE in KU!)
✦ Paperback ➜ https://blkly.pub/DatingPB
✦ Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/DatingAudible (Andi Arndt & Sebastian York)
     




✦ THE DATING PROPOSAL is narrated by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York! Lose yourself in this fantastic story, and then, treat yourself to the bonus novella, DELAYED SATISFACTION! Get your copy today! ✦ ✦ Audio ➜ https://blkly.pub/DatingAudible




     




"This is the kind of story that has romance readers squealing in delight, swooning in their seats and laughing out loud. I loved every single word, every single moment and innuendo." ~ Red Cheeks Reads

   


“Seriously outrageously entertaining with such witty flirty banter that made my cheeks hurt from laughing so much! This story was the book dreams are made of!” ~ Marina, MiBookshelf

“Chris and McKenna are pure gold.” ~ Becca, Wicked Quests of a Book Ninja

   







About Lauren Blakely: A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's sweet, sexy and witty. Her heroines are strong and smart and her heroes have hearts of gold and fantastic funny bones. She lives in California with her family, including her smoking hot and hilarious husband and her two brilliant and kind children. She has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs -- she might have four dogs, or maybe five. If she's lucky, she'll soon have six dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 100 times, and she's sold more than 3 million books. In May she'll release THE DATING PROPOSAL, in June SATISFACTION GUARANTEED and in September INSTANT GRATIFICATION. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter ** Goodreads



EXCERPT

~Chris~

I’m not checking out her body.

I’m not staring at her face. I’m focused on the task at hand. Thank God I have one, because otherwise, I’d be staring at those eyes. They’re blue with gold flecks, making them look almost hazel at times. She has all sorts of colors working in her irises, and the net effect is totally captivating.

So is her lush mouth.

She’s running it while I carefully screw the case back together. It’s painstaking work since it’s tiny and the screwdrivers are the size of nails.

“I tried to fix my shower once,” McKenna says, wrapping her slender hands around a cup of coffee. Yes, even her hands are hot. Lord help me.

“Yeah?” I glance at her hands then back at the hard drive. “How’d it go?”

“Well, if you consider scars a good thing, it went well.”

I look up. “Scars can be cool. I trust it ween exceedingly well?”

She lifts her chin and shows me a thin white scar on the right side of her jaw. “Then I did a fabulous job of ‘fixing’ the shower.” She sketches air quotes.

“Looks like it to me. But how exactly did the shower hit you in the face?”

“When the door fell.” She says it so matter-of-factly.

I blink, trying to process the enormity of everything that could have gone wrong. “I don’t know if I should be impressed you tried to fix a shower door without any fix-it skills, or impressed with your good luck in surviving the incident. Because those things are heavy.”

“Hey! How do you know I don’t have any fix-it skills?”

I grin. “Lucky guess?”

“Fine. You’re right. But what else was I to do?” She shrugs, her tone light and breezy. “It wouldn’t close all the way. And that was getting me down because I like to take really hot showers. We’re talking sauna temperature. You know the type? Imagine you walk into the bathroom, and steam is everywhere, and you can barely even see the other person in the shower. Just the silhouette? Can you picture that?”

Can I picture it? Hell, I can feel that. In my pants. “Yep,” I answer, and it comes out a little dry, a little gravelly. Because painting crazy-hot images is playing below the belt, and I bet she doesn’t even realize it. Hot women shouldn’t use the word “shower” in casual conversation. It’s wholly unnecessary, along with “yoga pants” and “strawberries.”

“So you tried to fix it?” I ask, forcing myself to focus on the project in front of me, rather than on images of steam rising, which lead to other things rising.

“Yup. And then that shower door showed me who was boss.” She holds up her forearm vertically then lets it fall as she makes a kaboom sound.

I can’t help but laugh. “And whacked you on its way down?”

“Completely whacked. It’s kind of a miracle I’m alive, come to think of it.”

“I’m glad you survived the shower whacking. What happened with the door thought?”

“I called my friend Andy. He fixed it for me. It works like a steamy, dreamy charm now.” She takes a sip of her coffee, smiling happily.

I stop and take a drink of espresso.

“Andy? So he’s Handy Andy?” I kind of hate him already. Wait. That’s dumb. I don’t feel a thing for Handy Andy who was in McKenna’s shower, that lucky bastard.

“That’s a good one. Can you rhyme my name?”

“Henna McKenna?” I toss out.

“And you’ll be Chris who brings me bliss by fixing the hard drive,” she says, and I just smile at her.

“You’re a bundle of energy,” I say as I return to my project, moving to the right side of the case.

“And you’re a bundle of skills. What do you do when you’re not rescuing hard drives from evil cats?”

“Admittedly, that does occupy a large portion of my day. But in the few hours I can eke out, I host a show.”

“Like radio show or a podcast?”

I twist the screwdriver a notch. “It’s a TV show. On WebFlix. It’s called Geeking Out.”

She narrows her eyes and points at me, circling her finger. “You’re a geek?”

“You say that like it doesn’t compute, and yet here I am, fixing your tech in a coffee shop. I’d say that makes me a geek.”

“You definitely don’t look like a geek.”

I meet her eyes. They’re sparking with a glint of playfulness. “And what does a geek look like?”

“Not like a surfer. You look like you’re going to go hang ten.”

“I do that too. For fun.”

She pumps a fist. “Nailed it. You totally have that vibe about you. Not that I’m pigeonholing you based on your looks. But with the Nor Cal T-shirt, it wasn’t the hardest round of Jeopardy! to play.” She imitates Alex Trebek. “What is the most likely profession of a guy with floppy hair, a not-from-the-salon tan, and casual charm?”

I quirk up the corner of my lips. “You think I’m charming?”

She blushes, but it disappears quickly. “You charmed my hard drive out of my hands.”

I screw the final piece of the case back together, set down the tiny tool, drag a hand through my hair, and gesture to the repaired device. “Good as new.”

“Wow,” she says appreciatively, picking up the drive and gazing at it in admiration. “Thank you so much. You are Mr. Fix It.”

I puff out my chest playfully. “Why, thank you very much. I’m having T-shirts made with that saying. Want one?”

“I do. I want one to sleep in at night.”

And there she goes again.