BOOK REVIEW: Keep Me by Anna Zaires

It's Release Day for Anna Zaire's Keep Me! This is one book that I have so looked forward to. And I was not disappointed.

If you have not read the first, book Twist Me, then you need to start there. Click on the title for buy links and the blog's book review! You can also read our interview with Anna Zaires.

If you've already read Twist Me and are anxiously awaiting Keep Me, then wait no more...

Abducted at eighteen. Held captive for 15 months.

It reads like one of those headlines. And yes, I did it. I stole her. Nora, with her long dark hair and silky skin. She’s my weakness, my obsession.

I’m not a good man. I never pretended to be one. She can love me, but she can’t change me.

I can, however, change her.

My name is Julian Esguerra, and Nora is mine to keep.

*For ages 17+ due to sexual content, language, and violence*

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Book Review: Keep Me (Twist Me #2) by Anna Zaires

5 Stars

“Love is for those who are noble and selfless, for people who still have some semblance of a heart. That’s not for me. It’s never been me. What I feel for Nora is nothing like the soft, flowery emotion depicted in all the books and movies. It’s deeper, far more visceral than that. I need her with a violence that twists my guts, with a longing that both demolishes and uplifts me. I need her like I need air, and I would do whatever it takes to keep her with me.”  —Julian

Keep Me picks up right where Twist Me left off. If you need a quick refresher, Julian is alive, having barely survived the terrorist’s explosion, but now healed and returned for Nora.

Nora goes with him willingly this time. After all, he might be her kidnapper but he’s hot, emits some kind of animal magnetism, and she’s been miserable without him for four months. Hey, I’d have gone with Julian Esquerra too. ;-)

But the dynamics have changed. Not only does Nora desire to go with Julian, but now the world, or most specifically Julian’s criminal world, knows about Nora, and so some additional precautions must be taken, most of which Nora is not on board with. 

For one, before they reach their new destination together, they make a little pit stop to make things…well…legal. Ah, this is the devilishly delicious part of Julian as he makes things happen and gets his own way. 

“This is exactly what I want, what I need—this deep, twisted connection that exists between us.” –Julian

Nora’s parents are notified this time right off the bat, and Julian certainly makes an impression on them. I found myself smiling at Julian as he eavesdropped via BlueTooth and provided his commentary to the reader. Yes, being in Julian's head this time is quite a treat! 

Nora settles into domestic bliss Julian-style at her new home at the compound in Colombia, resuming her painting, taking on-line college classes, and bonding with her man via martial arts training and afternoons at the shooting range.  And of course, there are plenty of hot and steamy encounters that have nothing to do with the climate or their close proximity to the Amazon rain forest.

 “I feel both empty and exhilarated at the same time, wrung out, yet invigorated by the maelstrom of emotions.” –Nora

Once again, Nora consciously questions her sanity as she embraces her love for the man that was once her kidnapper and still is a violent, illegal arms dealer. Nora must confront darkness and evil again, and this time she must also confront it in herself. In this strange twisted way, they become more like partners, closer to equals, though Julian remains in command.  But told via Nora and Julian’s alternating point of view, we see that Julian too wrestles with feeling he doesn’t believe he has and questions the changes that Nora has unconsciously made to him.

Is Julian capable of love?  Will he recognize it once he has fallen in it? And by falling, will he be unknowingly relinquishing some of the control? As Nora learns more about his past, businesses, and childhood, will it chill her affection for him or endear him to her even more with understanding? 

Meanwhile, there’s still the matter of Al-Quadar, the terrorist group who tried to stranglehold Julian into a weapons deal by kidnapping Nora and murdering Beth in Twist Me.  And when Julian’s business plans go awry, the action shifts from the bedroom to the dark and dirty details of Julian’s dangerous profession.

Who can be trusted? Who will be a captive? Has Julian's plan to keep Nora safe actually made her the perfect bait?

There’s danger; there’s deception; there’s action—both the adventure and sexual kind. There's a bit of role reversal this time, not of the sexual kind. (Come on, you didn't really think Julian would suddenly become submissive?) We see a brief return of Nora’s friends Jake and Leah as well as meet Julian’s associates Lucas and Peter, who make interesting supporting characters.

As with Twist Me, there isn’t a cliffhanger, but the story hints at what could be to come in their next adventure or stage of lives.  I know I closed the last page itching for more of Julian and Nora’s intense, insanely hot, and twisted love affair, and in 2015 we’ll get another dose with a third book, Hold Me!

Yay!!!

Stay tuned.

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Anna Zaires fell in love with books at the age of five, when her grandmother taught her to read. She wrote her first story shortly thereafter. Since then, she has always lived partially in a fantasy world where the only limits were those of her imagination. Currently residing in Florida, Anna is happily married to Dima Zales (a science fiction and fantasy author) and closely collaborates with him on all their works.

After graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics, Anna spent eight years on Wall Street analyzing stocks and writing research reports. In 2013, she became a full-time author, pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels.

Dima Zales is the love of her life and a huge inspiration in all aspects of her writing. Every book Anna writes is a product of their unique collaborative process.

In addition to reading and writing, Anna enjoys drinking tea (coconut oolong, anyone?), watching addictive TV shows, and discussing book ideas during long walks with her amazing husband.

She loves hearing from her readers, so please don't hesitate to contact her through her website or connect with her on Facebook, where she hangs out way too often. Also, please visit her husband and collaborator, Dima Zales, at www.dimazales.com and check out their fantasy & science fiction books.

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BOOK REVIEW: Torture to Her Soul by J.M. Darhower

Happy Release Day for J.M. Darhower's Torture to Her Soul! 

If you haven't read the first book Monster in His Eyes, what are you waiting for? Click on the title for buy links and the blog's book review! 

If you already read it and want the scoop on the sequel, here goes...

Torture to Her Soul (Monster in His Eyes #2) by J.M. Darhower

5 Stars

I have to admit I was scared to read this book. Not that the book is scary…well okay I’m sure Naz would be scary if you met him in the dark while he’s wearing those black gloves, but I was scared for how the conclusion to Naz and Karissa’s story would turn out. After all it is listed as being the conclusion. As in the end, close, finish, wrapping up—you get the definition of conclusion. But was this only the close to their story or the end of them as well?

I was tempted quite a few (read many) times to peak at the final pages. But I didn’t. 

“Just keep breathing, and it’ll be okay.”

So instead I read page by page, face in my Kindle screen while the rest of my household did chores and went about their evening. (Hey I warned them this day was coming.) Still, the lingering question remained as I read. Will this end as a romance? A tragedy? Or a tragic love story?  (Note: If you don’t want the answers, stop reading when I address those questions again. Till then you should be safe from any real spoilers. An abbreviated review is posted on Amazon and Goodreads. This is the unabridged version.)

The story picks up pretty much where Monster in His Eyes left off. Naz and Karissa are at a bit of an impasse. She hates him but she loves him. He loves her but he knows she’s hurt.  So how do they cope? What are they left with? 

“We’re a disaster, a certifiable catastrophe, and there’s nothing beautiful about the way we’re going. She’s trying to be unbreakable but I’m unshakeable. She’s going crazy, and I’m already goddamn insane. I clipped my jailbird’s wings so she couldn’t fly away from me, and then I wonder why the f*ck I can’t make her soar.”

Karissa has taken to torturing Naz with cooking shows and Tinker Bell, whether intentionally or not. 

“The woman tells me I’m a monster, but there’s a little beast in her that she unleashes from time to time.”

Naz, on the other hand, well he must work through his life and his issues. And, told from Naz’s perspective this time around, the story is largely about Naz the man.

Is he not a good man? Is he a bad man? (What’s the difference you ask? There is one perhaps.)  Is Naz even a real man at all? At least one person in his life thinks not. And the one closest to him is still trying to figure him out. 

“You’re like a caricature to me, Naz…you’re an outline of a man, a vague sketch of a person, and I’m just trying to fill in the rest of the picture…”

But Naz is no caricature to the reader.  He’s a fully developed, intriguing, mesmerizing, deep, intelligent character who sticks in the reader's head long after you’re done being in his. 

“I’m the kind of man who easily slips between the dark and the light, the kind of monster who walks along the shadows.”

Monster or not, one thing is certain, Naz is a man with fears and haunted by the past. The confident, fearless Naz that Karissa introduced  in Monster in His Eyes, is struggling with so much. He suffers insomnia, is plagued by nightmares that were once a reality, and contemplates death. A lot. Right down to the interpretation of fairytales. Others death. His own death. Yes, the foreshadowing is heavy and it contributed to my own fears—how will this all end for two characters that fell in love in the first book and, in return, readers fell in love with them?

Will Naz kill Carmela and if so will Karissa hate him even more for it? Will Ray take out Karissa if Naz won’t? Will Carmela get her own revenge for Johnny? If it comes down to it, will Naz give Karissa the “plank?” 

“I can see the curiosity in her eyes, and I have all the answers in the world, but she never asks the right questions.”

Not to worry, most lingering questions from the first book are answered. If you wondered what Naz thought or did about something in MiHE, then you’ll get the answers in this one.  Naz’s parents; the details of Santino’s death; how he felt about Karissa drugging him; the specifics of Naz’s “job;” Naz’s brand of kink—it’s all here.

The story this time is more psychological, less twists and suspense beyond the ultimate question of their fate. I did miss the mystery clues from the first book— ya know when you weren’t quite sure if Karissa was getting the double meaning in all of Naz’s….well Nazisms. But I appreciated the deepness to this one. Like Monster in His Eyes, Torture to Her Soul comes full circle from prologue to epilogue and Naz will tell you a secret in both. ;-)

So is TtHS romance? A tragedy? Or a tragic love story?  In a sense it’s all those things.

There is romance, particularly Naz and Karissa’s brand of romance. Once again there’s a trip and plenty of rough sex and a little exhibitionism this time. But there’s also a deeper level to their relationship shown, which should leave no doubt to the extent of their love—the things they are willing to accept of each other; the things they are willing and able to overlook.  

There is tragedy, much blood on Naz’s hands leaving him a damaged man who lost love and never grieved. As much as Karissa’s world was turned upside down, it is Naz who is the tortured soul, clinging to the light of the one he was never supposed to love.

So does that make this a tragic love story? For the most part I would suggest it is a love story with tragedy, but in the end love prevails.  There were aspects that made me tear up—I had immense sympathy for Naz and his loss of Maria. (Yes, Johnny I would have wanted to gun you down too.) That was tragic.  But Karissa is not Maria, nor is she her replacement. Naz may have found romantic love young and lost it young, nearly destroying him, but in the end, I did feel like Naz and Karissa’s love was more…as Naz put it— real. Right down to the ring this time. 

“What I have with you isn’t blissfully ignorant. It’s real, and it isn’t always pretty, but when it’s good, it’s good.”

They fight, they have angry sex, their age difference accounts for generational dissimilar cultural tastes, their daily habits are completely opposite. Yet inside they aren’t so different.  

“I thought at first she just didn’t see it, didn’t see what I was, but after a while I realized she saw it—she just didn’t mind it so much.”

Plus it’s Karissa (unlike anyone else he’s encountered in the last two decades) that makes him reexamine the person he is and desire to become something more. She touches him, reaches him, in a way no one else does.

“Because nobody is hopeless as long as they’re still breathing.”

 The End.

Oh wait!....There’s also a bonus scene via Karissa that left me wanting more of them—more of their life, more of their future, and of course those hypothetical children that Naz has stumped Karissa about ;-)  While this is their conclusion, I still craved more... 

 "More.
 More.
 More."

Hey, even Karissa begs for more.;-)

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2/23/16 UPDATE:  
Book 3, Target on our Backs!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Anna Zaires

It's just 1 day away from the release of Keep Me, the sequel to Anna Zaire's Twist Me!  To wet your appetite for the newest installment of Julian and Nora, the blog spoke with Anna about the books. 

5 Questions with Author Anna Zaires

Q1. Twist Me was such a hypnotic read. It just pulls you into the story, and I love how you showed Nora’s internal conflict between the reality of her situation and her attraction to Julian. Where did the inspiration for the plot and the characters come from? Was it based off any real news headlines?

A. No, not really, although I’m aware of these types of headlines. Who isn't, right? Real-world stuff like this is awful, and I wouldn't wish Nora's situation on anyone. What’s fascinating in fiction is usually horrifying in reality, and real-life kidnappers are generally nothing like Julian. Having said that, I must admit that I’ve always been intrigued by captive-themed (now known as dark) romances. When I was a teenager, I discovered bodice rippers from the eighties, and I absolutely devoured them. Something about those books really resonated with me. In a way, Twist Me is a modern-day version of those novels, although it’s more psychological in nature. Nora is aware of the wrongness of what’s being done to her, and she never completely forgets the fact that Julian is her kidnapper—which makes for an interesting dynamic as she begins to fall under his spell.

Q2. Twist Me was from Nora’s point of view. Keep Me is going to be from both. How was it writing from both of their perspectives this time? Was one easier or harder to write?

A. Oh, Julian’s POV was definitely harder. While I can see bits and pieces of myself in Nora, Julian is almost my polar opposite. He’s ruthless and amoral, yet there is something about him that draws you in. It wasn’t easy getting into his head—though once he let me in there, it was quite the experience.

Book-Bosomed Book Blog: You did a great job with Julian!

Q3. Julian is dark and mysterious and he doesn’t “date,” but Nora spent over a year with him. In that time what kinds of “normal” things did she gradually learn about him that would have otherwise come naturally had he actually dated her? Does Julian ever just sit back and watch a movie, read a book? What can you tell us about Julian’s favorite things?

A. You’ll learn about a couple of those things in Keep Me. In general, though, their relationship is still developing, and I would like you to discover more about Julian alongside with Nora. Otherwise, you’ll know more than she does, and she’ll get jealous :).

Q4. Do you have any favorite scenes from either Twist Me or Keep Me?  Ones that you thought were particularly profound to Nora and Julian’s relationship or just ones that were fun to write?

A. Oh, absolutely. I think the birthday scene in Twist Me is a pivotal point in their relationship, and it was one of my favorite ones to write. In Keep Me, there are several very intense scenes, both action-wise and relationship-wise, and I could definitely feel my adrenaline surging as I was writing them. I won’t say more, so as not to give spoilers, but there is also one sex scene that is my favorite out of all I’ve written to date :).

Q5. What brought you to the decision to give Nora and Julian a third book? (Any hints about it?) And how does Hold Me play into your release schedule for 2015? Will it be before or after White Nights, which is previewed at the end of Keep Me?

A. I have a super-long blog post on this subject, actually:  http://www.annazaires.com/1/post/2014/09/will-there-be-twist-me-3.html.
As to the timing of book releases, that’s always a tricky question with me. I think I’ll play it by ear for now and see which book flows easier before I commit definitively to one book or the other coming out first :D.

Thank you so much Anna!  Both books are well done and looking forward to Hold Me as well!

 Twist Me is on sale right now for 99 cents (limited time offer). 

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You can read the blog's review of Twist Me and Keep Me. 

Keep Me is available at a discount for pre-orders and for the week of release. 
Release date September 30th.

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RELEASE BLITZ: Stepbrother Dearest By Penelope Ward

You’re not supposed to want the one who torments you.

When my stepbrother, Elec, came to live with us my senior year, I wasn’t prepared for how much of a jerk he’d be.

I hated that he took it out on me because he didn’t want to be here.

I hated that he brought girls from our high school back to his room.

But what I hated the most was the unwanted way my body reacted to him.

At first, I thought all he had going for him were his rock-hard tattooed abs and chiseled face. Then, things started changing between us, and it all came to a head one night.

Just as quickly as he’d come into my life, he was gone back to California.

It had been years since I’d seen Elec.

When tragedy struck our family, I’d have to face him again.

And holy hell, the teenager who made me crazy was now a man that drove me insane.

I had a feeling my heart was about to get broken again.

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Stepbrother Dearest is a standalone novel.

**Contains graphic sexual content and harsh language. It is only appropriate for adult readers age 18+ 

Penelope Ward is a USA Today Bestselling author.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers. She spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career.

Penelope lives for reading books in the new adult genre, coffee and hanging out with her friends and family on weekends.

She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism (the inspiration for the character Callie in Gemini) and a 8-year-old boy, both of whom are the lights of her life.

Penelope, her husband and kids reside in Rhode Island.

She is currently working on her fifth novel, Jake Understood. She is the author of Gemini, Jake Undone, My Skylar and Stepbrother Dearest.

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RELEASE BLITZ: What A Girl Wants (Rock Stars in Disguise: Rhiannon) by Blair Babylon

 

99c for THIS WEEK ONLY!

Regular price $2.99

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Music is a bitch mistress.

When Rhiannon is hired as a back-up singer for Killer Valentine, the hottest breakout rock band on the planet, her contract includes an iron-clad no-fraternization clause. However, it doesn’t take her long to figure out that Killer Valentine is falling apart from the stresses of touring and promotion. The band’s manager Jonas Rees, a green-eyed starmaker, is frantically trying to prevent them from self-destructing during their grueling tour and right before their first major-label record deal, but neither Jonas nor Rhiannon can deny the attraction that flares between them.

When the band’s problems threaten to derail the tour and Jonas slips and reveals their relationship, the lead singer demands that Rhiannon choose between music and love.

What A Girl Wants is the first novel in a series of stand alone novels about Killer Valentine. Rock Stars in Disguise: Tryp will be published in December, 2014.

RELEASE BLITZ: My Coyote Ugly Life (My Life #1) by Jessica Spoon

“How on earth do I get myself in these situations? I swear it’s like a never-ending bad dream. One of all my mistakes that continuously bite me in my size ten ass.”

Azaria ‘Ree’ Gable had her one experience with heartbreak and that was enough for her. She’s perfectly satisfied with her ‘One Month Rule’ and doesn't need her life changing anytime soon.

When circumstances take her back home, she learns things have changed…

A lot…

First and foremost being with the complete and astonishing overhaul and revamp of the Belton Police Department, where apparently the application was changed to state ‘Ugly Men Need Not Apply’ and the only requirement is ‘How Well Do You Look In This Uniform?’

Ree unexpectedly catches the eye of the new ‘gina-quiver inducing Chief of Police Grayson Cole, which starts an endless game of cat and mouse.

Will Ree let go of her misconceptions about relationships and allow Grayson to show her how beautiful life can really be?

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Excerpt

See, this is what annoys me. I don’t care if a guy is checking me out. Not tonight anyway. I’m just here to say goodbye to people I’ve come to love over the years. This night isn’t about getting laid and after this morning I feel that I need to tone it back. The ‘clingers’ are just getting too frequent.  

I think all of this in the second it takes me to turn my head (like I’m just looking around the bar) and then my eyes lock on a delicious slice of heaven sent straight from the Gods. And he is looking right at me. I try to keep my composure, but my body’s reaction to him is instantaneous. Everything tightens. Especially my super-secret places.  

Even sitting I can tell that he’s tall, very tall, has short dark hair that stands up in different directions, like he runs his hands through it a lot. His jaw is perfectly square and clean shaven; his nose straight, with what appears to be a slight bump on the bridge that adds character to his face. His body is lean and clearly defined in a maroon shirt that is tight around his arms, chest and shoulders. His skin is a golden tan color, and somehow I can tell that he must work outside a lot. He doesn’t seem the type to lay in a tanning bed. His legs look long and powerful in a pair of faded jeans that had to have been designed just for him. He may be fully clothed, but I can tell that he is an exquisite package of pure muscle.  

His eyes lazily work their way up my body, causing me to shiver, until they stop to look into mine. I can feel myself panting, like a dog in heat, and I would be embarrassed if it wasn’t for the fact that he obviously notices, and a slow, sexy, half grin spreads across his face.  

I immediately take back every negative thing I have ever said about half grins in my life. They are the sexiest fucking things God ever deemed necessary to give to man. My ‘gina agrees whole heartedly as it begins to (literally) quiver.  

After a few minutes in Swoonville, I decide that my night of ‘no sex’ was just a delusional thought, during a weak moment. I turn back to my friends, smile at them, pick up my drink and walk towards the bar. I don’t feel bad about not saying goodbye to them; they know how it is.

I sidle up to the bar and take a seat next to him, surprised it isn’t already taken, and lift my bottle of beer up towards the bartender, like that was my purpose for coming over here in the first place. I can see his smile deepen through my peripheral vision. Well, at least he’s not dense and can figure out what I’m doing. Hopefully, he plays along…

The bartender brings my beer and sets it down in front of me. I reach in my pocket to pull out money, but Mr. Sexy Half Grin places a five on the bar stating, “I’ve got it.” Thank God.  

I turn to him and smile, “Thanks.”

He turns his body towards me and smiles, full on. No half smile. Just a full playful smile and I’m pretty sure my vagina has a seizure.  

“Well, that’s the way the game is played, right?” he asks me straight out. How rude!

“You know, you shouldn’t point it out,” I inform him. “It’s rude and could wound my girlie pride.”

He chuckles, annnd… another seizure for my ‘gina.  

“I have a feeling you can take it,” he says lifting his beer to his mouth.

Yeah, I can take it. I could take it all.  

Wow. Those lips are fucking sexy. Like, sexy, sexy. World Peace could be made with those lips.  

“What’s your name?” he asks me.

“Ree,” I reach out my hand to shake his.

“Ree?” he asks grabbing my hand, not shaking it. Just holding it, making electricity shoot up my arm.  

“Yeah,” I sigh, exhausted from having to explain this to everyone I meet, “It’s short for Azaria.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” he says in all seriousness and my eyes widen incredulously, “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s ridiculous. My parents must have been high when they named me,” I explain, what I think is, unnecessarily; my mind notices that he is still holding my hand and I don’t even care.  “What’s your name?” I ask him.  

Author Bio

My first book, Darkness Deserved, released July/2013. It is the first book in the Shattering the Darkness Series. 

I'm crazy and love my friends, family and booze. Yes. Booze. (Don't judge me.)
I used to never read when I was growing up. My mother always tried to get me to read and I wanted no part in it. I figured why read when it's going to be a movie. (Yes, like I said crazy.)
Well a few years ago I jumped on the Twilight band wagon. I've always loved supernatural movies and when I saw the previews I knew I wanted to see it. And see it I did. I immediately went out and bought the books and became hooked.
They came to me at a very special time in my life.
I discovered I loved to read and found my nitch in the paranormal and romance genre. I started a book club with a cousin and all of a sudden these thoughts kept assaulting my brain.
So I wrote them down. Then, deciding that I wanted to write, I contacted some wonderfully amazing women who helped me through the process. This is the result.
I love Breccan and Harper and hope you all do as well. The book is dark and graphic. It pushes the boundaries and will make you cry, (hopefully) laugh and (hopefully) fall in love.

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RELEASE BLITZ: Stone, At Your Service (Carolina Bad Boys #1) by Rie Warren

Hell on wheels meets hell in high heels.

Bad boy mechanic Josh Stone likes to get his hands dirty any way he can—the filthier, the better. Ever since his wife walked out on him and their young son, he’s only had room in his heart for two loves: the kid and cars.

Roped into playing his best buddy’s gay boyfriend during a romance writers convention, the player meets the girl who’s gonna rock his world. Leelee Songchild. Shy, bashful, beautiful Leelee who blushes at the drop of a hat yet writes hardcore smut to rival Josh’s backlist of Penthouse Forum.

The only problem is his hands are tied. Josh can’t stab his old friend/fake lover in the back even though all he wants to do is take luscious Leelee to bed, and maybe, love her. When the truth comes out, all hell breaks loose.

Too bad romance is just for books.

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Book Review: Stone, At Your Service by Rie Warren

3.5 stars

Josh Stone is a man’s man. He’s runs his family’s garage surrounded all day by boisterous men; drinks beer; and beds a different woman every Friday night. He’s completely heterosexual…oh except for the week he’s pretending to be his best friend’s gay lover.

Stone’s wife walked out on him and their son. Nicky, Stone’s paranormal romance writing best friend, stepped up and helped him out so now Stone’s returning the favor by keeping the over-enthusiastic fellow romance writers and fan girls at bay at a romance convention.  It’s all planned out and should go according to plan till Stone lands his eyes on romance writer Leelee Songchild.

There’s plenty of sexy scenes and conversations. And sexy excerpts from Leelee’s book. There’s also humor surrounding the stereotypes and lexicons of the romance writing world. It’s a light-hearted read.

Unfortunately, I never quite connected with Stone and Leelee. Or perhaps I just never felt the chemistry between them. That's not to say it wasn't a well written  story, and one that I'm sure many will enjoy. The drama revolves around the facade of Stone and Nicky’s sexuality and an agent hounding Leelee at the convention.  In the end, Stone can take away at least one acronym from his romance convention experience. He learns what an HEA stand for.

A chapter of Nicky’s story entitled Love, In The Fast Lane (Carolina Bad Boys #2), coming December 2014, is included. 

Rie Warren is the badass, sassafras author of Sugar Daddy and the Don’t Tell series–a breakthrough trilogy that crosses traditional publishing boundaries beginning with In His Command. Her latest endeavor, the Carolina Bad Boys series, is fun, hot, and southern-sexy.

A Yankee transplant who has traveled the world, Rie started out a writer—causing her college professor to blush over her erotic poetry without one ounce of shame. Not much has changed. She swapped pen for paintbrushes and followed her other love during her twenties. From art school to marriage to children and many a wild and wonderful journey in between, Rie has come home to her calling. Her work has been called edgy, daring, and some of the sexiest smut around.

You can connect with Rie via the social media hangouts listed on her website https://www.riewarren.com. She is represented by Saritza Hernandez, Corvisiero Literary Agency. http://www.corvisieroagency.com/Saritza_Hernandez.html

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BOOK REVIEW: Savor You by Emily Snow

The Book-Bosomed blog's rocker romance festival featuring 10 fictional bands continues for week four. Vote for your favorite and check out the others on our poll posted on the right side bar of the blog and on our Facebook page. 

On Tour with Your Toxic Sequel...this is one moving and emotional show!

Savor You by Emily Snow

4.25 Stars

Seven years earlier we meet Kylie Wolfe at the age of nineteen in a hotel room in Texas, post-divorce from her four month marriage. Enter Wyatt McCrae, dirty blonde bassist for her brother’s band, Your Toxic Sequel. He and Kylie had a fling prior to her marriage and their feelings, despite what’s transpired, haven’t gone away. But hanging in the air between them (and for the reader) is the mystery of “Brenna” and ominous blackbird tattoos that adorn Kylie.

In the present, Wyatt has caught up to Kylie once again in the Big Easy where’s she’s taken a vacation (from his band which she works for) to avoid him.  Their last hook-up was Thanksgiving, over two months prior, where they once again went their separate ways after Kyle told him she loved him.

Kylie and Wyatt have one of those on-again/off-again relationships that time can’t dissolve, but the two of them can’t seem to make work.  Or Wyatt can’t seem to commit. They are both broken and struggle with issues from their families and over their shared past. Kylie in particular struggles with the eighteen mistakes she believes she’s made, some the result of him and some not. But Kylie doesn’t think she can take much more hurt and is resolved to finally get over Wyatt. Knowing he stands to lose her, Wyatt offers her a deal of one last fling before they return to L.A., and seeking closure, Kylie takes it.  

There is an air of finality to their time together—the way they speak, their acknowledgement of the end.  Kylie wants to move on, quit hurting. And Wyatt consents, but he clearly likes the status quo. Or does he?

An unfortunate event plays to Wyatt’s hand and his chance to remind her why she doesn’t really want to give up on them presents itself.  Their time together is extended and they are offered one last road trip to retrace old paths, remember good times and bad, confront jealousies, insecurities, and fears.

Savor You is gripping, tugging at your emotions at times. You can feel the pain that Kylie and Wyatt have been through over the years and all their failed attempts to make what they have together work. They have a vicious cycle of getting together, hurting each other, making up, and repeating, and one that no tattoo can fix. This is one of those tense, angsty love affairs. There have been lies; there have been betrayals; and they are all things that aren’t brushed over lightly or easily forgiven.

Told via Kylie’s point of view, this is one story where the pain is profoundly felt. You ache for her over the women he’s had in the years they’ve been in love with each other and yet you feel their connection and attraction that makes parting once and for all so hard. Wyatt has been far from a saint but it’s also clear he cares deeply for Kylie even when he hasn’t admitted it.  This is not a light-hearted story, but there are some humorous moments and banter between Kylie’s friend, Heidi, and Wyatt’s band mate, Cal. 

By the end, timelines come together—when they had their first hook up, where, what caused the first tattoo, why she got married—and…well the reader kinda has the big picture of their pain and hurt while Kylie finally hears what she needs to, when she needs to, and a glimpse at a possible future encompasses the final scene. HFN; no cliffhanger.

Savor You is a spin-off from the Devoured series that features Kylie’s brother and Wyatt’s bandmate, Lucas Wolfe. It includes a bonus scene from Devoured. However, Savor You can be read as a stand-alone. 

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BOOK REVIEW: A Lil' Less Broken by Tara Oakes

A Lil' Less Broken (The Kingsmen M.C. #1) by Tara Oakes

4 Stars

Julia Kaegan, known as Lil, has grown up in the motorcycle club lifestyle—her father, her brother—all members of the Kingsmen MC. At sixteen, her older brother’s best friend, Jasper known as Jay, professed his feelings for her, and they became a couple. But misunderstanding split them up a few years later.

In the present, Lil gets herself in a sticky situation one night at a bachelorette party, and it’s her family and Jay that to come to her rescue. The repercussions—she must return home and to Jay who she abandoned two years before.

With glimpses into the past, the highlights of their past relationship is unfolded. I can’t pinpoint what it is specifically, but I liked Lil and Jay together from the start. Perhaps it was their sweet rooftop early beginnings. 

“‘I’m not gonna play around with this anymore, babe. You my girl?’”

Or maybe it was the tension and animosity towards each other in the present. The “big reveal” that resolves their split from the past is priceless. 

“‘I’ll show you what you think you saw baby girl…’”

And one thing I appreciated is that their arguments in the present were always productive with truths and true feelings coming out, not drug out for unnecessary drama. And the make-up sex…ah well you can read those scenes and enjoy ;-)  The real drama occurs at the very end and it leaves you with a cliffhanger and one shocking event that I didn’t see coming. And while in general I'm not a fan of cliffys, the final scenes are exciting and would make a great TV episode ending should Jay and Lil ever get their own series. Cue the dramatic music. 

Told mainly via Lil's point of view (1 chapter by Jay) and listed as a novella at a little over a hundred pages, it’s still a fully developed story (or part one of the story) and a great introduction to the MC subgenre as the author provides a glossary of MC terms in the front matter.  While there is danger, the book is more sweet than gritty or angsty (which was fine by me).

Has Jay paid off Lil’s “debt?”  Did “repaying” Jay cause an extra ride along? Was Lil’s rash decision in the past influenced by something or someone?  What are Shade and his boys up to?

Get your copy of (#1) A Lil' Less Broken 

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 Book Review of (#2) A Lil' Less Lost

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COVER REVEAL: Damaged Perfection by Nicki Rae

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Thriller

Guilt is dangerous.

It rules my life.

I am riddled with it.

After fifteen years, you would think it would lessen.

It hasn’t.

Drugs numb it, women relieve it.

But it always returns, stronger and heavier.

Always.

The light, it is refreshing.

It gets closer and I reach for it.

But it is always just out of my grasp.

Always.

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Nicki Rae was born in Dayton, Ohio. Today she resides just outside of Indianapolis with her husband, her nine year old son and her zoo full of animals; two cats (Sam and Shelby), fish, a bearded dragon (Spike) and a tarantula (Bill).

Nicki has a degree in Human Resources and is a banker by trade.

Along with being an avid reader, she is also a lover of music and a HUGE sports fan (Go Colts!).

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RELEASE BLITZ: Holly Madison (Sins of the Father #2) by Jen Khan

I'm Holly. I wear pencil skirts, heels, and never have a hair out of place. Well, that was until I met Tristan Holt. Now, my hair is always a freakin' wreck, whether it's due to being on the back of his motorcycle, or because he's pullin it. He's a dominant one. Either way, he's changed me, helped me to step outside of my comfort zone.

He's also a player, bad boy type who runs his own MMA gym on the outskirts of Tryon. His very own fight club, if you will. I wonder if there are rules there like in the movie. It's probably not that cool.

The man infuriates me, sets my blood to boil. I let him worm his way into my thoughts and my heart like a stupid, stupid little girl. Even worse? I can tell he is falling for me. That is, until he finds out about my secret.

Now, in my defense, I didn't even know it was as bad as it is until all of the horrifying pieces are put together.

My father continues to ruin my life one effing blow after another from the comfort of his very own jail cell. Oh yeah, I didn't tell you that he murdered a woman, did I? Well, watch how that blows up in my face.

***Warning*** This book is intended for adults 18 years and older. Descriptive sexual content and language.***

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Excerpt

Before I knew it, I found myself pinned to the wall holding my breath, covering my mouth so that I didn’t scream at the top of my lungs.

Asshole.

The leggy blonde who I will now refer to as Giggles, because she giggled incessantly was well…giggling. Tristan was moaning. How the hell could he go from me last night to that in there tonight?

I heard the sound of a zipper followed by a male hiss and a female giggle/gasp. I thought I was going to be sick. My eyes roamed the hall leading to the office taking in the clothing that was discarded throughout. Then her lacy bra went sailing through the air in what seemed to be slow motion, like in one of those Bruce Willis action flicks, landing poetically at my feet.

My mouth watered and I could feel the bile slowly trudging up my throat. I needed to get the hell out of there and fast.

I squeezed my eyes and covered my ears when she giggled.

Again.

It was time to make my escape. I tilted my head back, opened my eyes looking to the heavens for guidance and thought, “God are you there? It’s me, Holly.” Nothing. “No?” Of course not.

“Leave your message after the beep” was more like the response I was used to.

I skirted by the office unnoticed only to be captured by Giggles’ lacy bra that had tangled itself firmly around my ankle and held on for dear life. I lifted my leg doing a one legged hop trying to shake it off but the damn thing wouldn’t give up. It had me in a death grip. I reached down, grabbed the bra, peeled it from my ankle and slung it behind me as I ran out the back door.

Jen Khan is that very unassuming gal at first sight due to her quiet nature, but look out when she lets you into her world. Buckle up and get ready for an adventure. You will find her at a party, or just out and about with friends sitting in the corner taking a minute to assess her surroundings and the people in it before she dives in with her quick witt, charm and slinging her endless supply of sarcasm. She's a mom, aunt, teacher, dancing puppet to little people, chauffer, walking ATM, and master of all things domestic. She loves her son, family, friends, wine, giggling, singing out of tune and dancing like a fool. She has a zest for life that rubs off on everyone in her presence.

Jen has always been an aspiring writer/author. She woke up one morning realizing that it was time to make it happen. She is a teacher by trade which allowed her to put her skills to use. You will find adventure, suspense and always romance in her books.

Jen lives in Northern Virginia with her son. When she needs a break from the daily chaos of her life, you can most likely find her going out for a run, on her treadmill or with her beloved Kindle in hand.

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