BOOK REVIEW: The Rocker Who Holds Me by Terri Anne Browning

The Rocker Who Holds Me (The Rocker…Series, Book 1) by Terri Anne Browning

5+ Stars

Welcome to the Demon’s Wings Saga!

The Rocker Who Holds Me kicks off The Rocker…Series with an introduction to the band, Demon’s Wings, via Emmie and her tale of which Demon rocker holds her heart. 

Green eyed, auburn haired, 21 year old Ember Jameson has bonded to the four rocker stars (Nik, Jesse, Drake, and Shane) she tours with who have taken her under their wing as they all share difficult childhoods growing up together in a run down trailer park unbeknownst to their fans. She is their unofficial manager taking care of them as adults much like they took care of her as a child.  Emmie is content being perceived as a “little sister” to all of the guys except one—the one she’s fallen in love with.

But what’s a girl to do when the boy she wants doesn't seem to notice, or so Emmie thinks. And when Emmie’s health takes a turn for the worse, she’s even sicker over telling him what’s wrong. (This scene is one of the best). After many years on tour the band is ready for a break, but are they ready for the changes that are to come in their lives?

Emmie is strong, fiery, and doesn't take crap while being loving, selfless, and sometimes insecure.  The first person POV narrative captures Emmie’s toughness as well as her naivety, which doesn't seem off base when you consider that she has not lived a normal childhood or adolescence.  Abused by her mother and raised on the road by four male rockers from the age of fifteen, Emmie’s not exactly your average twenty-one year old girl.

Emmie’s love story is sweet, sexy, and at times mysterious with her rocker love’s feelings unknown till the later half of the book. And even then when his side of the story is sparce, not to worry. This is only the opening act as her big bad rocker gets his own story in The Rocker Who Holds Her, and in between the rest of the guys get theirs. If you find yourself wondering about something, rest assured it will probably come into play in a later book. The whole series is just deliciously designed that way.

As for Emmie’s story, there is a perfect HEA and no cliffhanger. More details on her new roles with the band follow in the next book and future books. Throughout the series, the band’s back story further develops for the reader as the band members deal with their own demons while finding their true loves. Has Nik finally gotten what he wants? Can Jesse reign in his temper? Will Drake beat his alcohol addiction? And how much kinky stuff is Shane into?

At just over a hundred pages, this is probably shortest of all the stories but it holds my heart and sealed the deal for me on this gang of hard core rockers who really have hearts of gold.  Each book in the series is a complete story with a full ending while at the same time still manages to make the crowd chant for more.   Terri Anne Browning could probably write a 500 page book on these rockers and I’d still be ready for the next installment as there’s always just enough hints dropped to perk your interest in the next title to come.

Amazon   Goodreads   Barnes & Noble

*Updated 7/28/15*
Get All the Demons in a Box Set!

Amazon  US    UK    CA    AU 
B&N   Kobo

Next, is Jesse ready to settle down?
The Rocker Who Saviors Me #2

BOOK REVIEW: The Rocker Who Saviors Me by Terri Anne Browning

The Rocker Who Saviors Me (The Rocker…Series, Book 2) by Terri Anne Browning

5 Stars

The Second Act Heats Up

This second book in The Rocker…Series picks up a few months after where the first book left off (epilogue excluded) with the band settling in California, awaiting the birth of front runner Nik Armstrong’s and his girlfriend Ember Jameson’s baby. 

Seven months pregnant, Emmie’s first order of business in the new house is to hire some help. Well, and deal with a crew of lazy, petulant movers. Pregnancy has just made Emmie tougher. While the first two interviewees run fleeing from the house cowering in disgust, it’s the third applicant that not only isn’t scared away but meets Emmie’s approval and captures Jesee’s heart.  Big, bad, bald Demon’s Wings drummer Jesse Thorton is center stage for this story as he sets his sights on Emmie’s new housekeeper, Layla Daniels.

Analogy time!... Nik and Emmie’s story is to sweet as Jesse and Layla’s story is to hot!  Grab a cold drink and a fan to cool yourselves down during their sex scene.  There is also a nice touch with the development of friendship between Layla and Emmie, especially considering that Emmie’s life until this point has largely been devoid of trustworthy female friends.

Alternating POV between Jesse and Layla along with a chapter by Emmie. Nik and Emmie still have a significant role in this book, even though the focus in on Jesse’s romance with Layla. Guitarist Drake is introduced to Layla’s younger sister Lana, which sets the stage for book 3.

Can Jesse and Layla make a relationship work or will Jesse drive away Emmie’s new best friend and confidant? Will Emmie deliver the baby safely and will Nik and the boys make it to the birth in time?  And can both Jesse and Layla handle the fall out when his connections to her family and her past is revealed?

These big bad rockers are settling down, but they haven’t lost their edge!  Lots of cute scenes again this time that show how devoted the gang is to each other. 

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

Can Drake conquer his demons?
The Rocker Who Needs Me #3

BOOK REVIEW: The Rocker Who Needs Me by Terri Anne Browning

The Rocker Who Needs Me (The Rocker…Series, Book 3) by Terri Anne Browning

4.5 Stars

                                                      

Drake’s Journey out of Darkness and Despair Brings More Drama to the Demon’s Wings

The third book in The Rocker…Series intertwines slightly with the time frame of the previous book. Guitarist Drake Stevenson might be hung over but it isn’t a drunk fog that causes him to see an angel. At least that’s how he thinks of Layla’s sister Lana from the first moment he meets her.  

But with the numbers ‘one’ and ‘seven’ flashing across his brain, 31 year old Drake can’t wrap his head around the emotions he feels toward a straight A high school senior even though that doesn't stop him from taking long walks on the beach with her, drawing her pictures, or taking her shopping. 

Readers know from the previous two books that Drake indulges in excessive drinking to numb his painful past. The prologue further reveals how tragic the gang’s life was prior to stardom, establishing the reason for Drake’s decent into alcoholism.  His penchant for the bottle is the catalyst for many of Drake’s screw-ups with his relationship with Lana, which ultimately must set him on the road to recovery.

The Rocker Who Needs Me, while still delivering the HEA at the end, is darker than its predecessors but, given Drake’s struggles, it fits the story, however shocking the scenes play out. “Oh no, he didn’t just do that!” I was left gaping, more times than once.

Can Drake get clean and keep from falling off the wagon? Can Lana forgive Drake for his indiscretions or will she make a new college life for herself in New York?   How will a new career opportunity affect Drake’s future?

Told from Drake and Lana’s alternating POV (with a bonus chapter by Emmie), Drake’s book is full of drama and fans will cheer on the fight scene between the girls, which has the rocker boys looking like kitty cats.  Emmie, Nik, Jesse, and Layla have minor roles for the most part once the setting shifts to New York City where the stage is set for Shane’s story in the next book.  Shane’s friendship with Lana is a nice touch. You can feel the rocker family growing.

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

Can Shane's wild side be tamed? Will Harper want to?
The Rocker Who Loves Me #4

BOOK REVIEW: The Rocker Who Loves Me by Terri Anne Browning

The Rocker Who Loves Me (The Rocker…Series, Book 4) by Terri Anne Browning

4 Stars

50 Shades of Shane

The Rocker…Series continues with the fourth book focusing on bassist Shane Stevenson, now living in New York.  Until this point we haven’t learned a whole lot about Shane other than he battles his own addiction as a coping mechanism to his troubled past and it’s of the bedroom variety. Now it's his turn to take center stage. 

Though he has a penchant for kinky sex, it turns out that Shane is otherwise fairly down to earth. As hinted in the previous book, Shane falls for Lana’s reserved and virginal roommate Harper.

Can Harper trust Shane to put his man-whore ways behind him? Can she over come her self-esteem issues after years of emotional abuse from her mother?

The story told via Shane and Harper is about taming Shane and bringing out Harper’s inner wild side.

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

The next book takes you back to the beginning as Nik’s POV is finally revealed!
The Rocker Who Holds Her #5

BOOK REVIEW: The Rocker Who Holds Her by Terri Anne Browning

The Rocker Who Holds Her (The Rocker…Series, Book 5) by Terri Anne Browning

5 Stars

Tabloids Report That Lead Singer Will Steal Your Heart!

                                                      

The Rocker Who Holds Me introduced us to Ember Jameson and the love of her life, Demon’s Wings lead singer Nik Armstrong.  Now The Rocker Who Holds Her goes back to the early days of the band, treating fans to how it all started. Told almost entirely by Nik’s POV (a few chapters by Emmie), the band’s rise to stardom and early days on the road are finally detailed along with Nik’s perspective on the events from Emmie’s book, and more details of their life that follows.

Some scenes from Emmie’s book reappear, but they are from a fresh perspective and would leave gaps in their love story without them. They are very much necessary if not crucial.  And who doesn’t want to know what was actually going through Nik’s head when he found out about the pregnancy or how in the world he “forgot” his first night with her to begin with. Oh yeah, that scene is sexy and funny all in one. 

“She was barefoot, which was fine with me, but normally in my dreams Emmie came to me in thigh high boots and very little else.”

“She tasted of toothpaste, which might have thrown me off for a moment if I hadn’t been drunk before I’d fallen asleep.”

This is a wonderful companion to the first book rounding out Emmie and Nik’s love story as well as filling in some missing details from Emmie’s story.  All the sweetness, playfulness, and love that Nik and Emmie have for each other is captured here right along with their desperations and insecurities that make them feel real.

This is definitely the book for Nik and Emmie fans (like me!)  Not only can Nik sing but he can tell one sweet bedtime story. All the Nik fans will be swooning as he takes care of baby Mia.

“Once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl with a tear streaked face. She had no idea that the boy next door was going to spend the rest of his life loving her…”

 Nik is definitely going to have plenty of panties thrown on stage at him after fans read this. 

How long has Nik been in love with Emmie? How did the boys really get custody of her all those year ago? Can Emmie solve Nik’s insomnia? (This is probably one of my favorite scenes). Will Emmie finally marry Nik?

There are some new tattoos, new reveals about Gabriella Moreitti, and as always a very sweet HEA.

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

The show's not over yet...

The Rockers' Babies #6

BOOK REVIEW: The Rockers’ Babies by Terri Anne Browning

Fridays Rock So Let's Kick Off This Friday with a Series of Books that Rock! The Rocker Who Wants Me (#7) is available. Counting down through the series with reviews on each book. If you haven't read them, now's the time to check them out with their amazing updated covers too!

The Rockers’ Babies (The Rocker…Series, Book 6) by Terri Anne Browning

5 Stars

All the gang is together and this installment is filled with excitement

“…why was it so hot?”  Emmie ponders as she starts off the book. Oh Emmie, it’s because you’re surrounded by two bands' worth of hot rockers. Your body temperature would have to always be five degrees warmer than the average girl. :-)

But that’s not really Emmie’s problem. The rocker boys are in Universal Studios, California for the Halloween festivities and Shane’s bachelor party. Yep, you heard that right. It’s a family friendly one though as Layla and Lana waddle through the park pregnant, Mia drips sticky treats on Nik’s head, Shane tries to reign in his queasy stomach with all the blood and gore, and Dallas is face to face with her clown phobia. And that’s all only the beginning.

Pregnancies, births, kidnappings, and weddings. There is joy, there are tears, there are fears, some heart break, and some laugh out loud humor.

Someone is using drugs. Axton must deal with his “bat-shit crazy ex.” Two of the boys must give someone a beat-down. Emmie must do some hiring. There’s a car-jacking and “wedding crashers.”  Oh and amongst all this excitement, each couple has at least one very sexy and erotic scene!

How much trouble can the twins give Layla? Does Emmie have too much on her plate?  Is the producer’s assistant out for Drake?  Will Shane and Harper be able to share in the joy that his fellow bandmates experience?

This one is a total page turner! If you think you are going to get to a stopping point to get a drink or use the potty, forget it! Only a fire will make you put this down. So empty your bladder, grab a snack, drink, and a fan because this book is a must read for fans of the series!

Told from alternating point of views of all the gang, highlighting an ensemble crew, The Rockers’ Babies is filled with so much drama, but drama in a good way. It’s also a great way to bring together all of the Demon Wing members as well as segueway into the lives of the OtherWorld members. 

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

Next up…Axton Cage!
The Rocker Who Wants Me #7

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: East Park Series

5 Questions with the East Park Co-eds

*Reader Warning: It is strongly recommended that Exposure, Dark Frame, and Aberration be read before this interview to avoid spoilers.

Book-Bosomed Blog caught up with the East Park models Evan, Dallas, and Jaime as well as photographer-in-chief Britain yesterday afternoon for a quick chat about love, life, and future plans.  Yes, all the gang was clothed. Like their "creator" Iris Blaire, the group answered five burning questions for this blog based off their stories. 

Evan— you and Dallas had some issues when you had to go separate ways and you even broke up for a little while, but you seem in a better place now. Are you two secure in your relationship at this point? Any plans for the future as in engagement, marriage, babies?

Evan: Hah! Dallas and I are both very wrapped up in our careers, so the thought of children terrifies us both. Marriage? Maybe somewhere down the line, but right now we're very happy with our relationship and living situation, sharing an apartment near Boston.

*Interviewer imagines they would make some very photogenic babies some day but Evan is right; they are young and have plenty of time.*

Dallas— Evan was insecure about your relationship during the separation and she wasn't comfortable with Laina, your research partner in Costa Rica. Did you ever consider anything happening between you and Laina while Evan and you were broken up or was the interest only on Laina’s side? Did Laina ever try to cross any lines? 

Dallas: Cross any lines? I wouldn't go that far. She was flirty and I was single, so she totally had the right to flirt. But my head was too wrapped around Evan to respond to any of her advances. I hope she finds a great guy though, because she's a sweet and very smart girl.

Britain— How are things with your family?  Have your parents come around at all?  Do you think they will ever open their minds?

Britain: Well, if you consider pulling my inheritance coming around! I haven't actually talked to either of them since the incident, but my mom still texts me every once in a while to ask how I am. I think my dad's still too bitter about Jaime turning down his job offer to come work for me. As for opening their minds--well, some people are just stuck in their ways, if you catch my drift.

Britain and Jaime— Britain you learned a little more about Jaime’s sexuality during the last shoot. How does that play into your current relationship? Are you two totally committed to each other or are you open to bringing someone else into the bedroom? For example, could you handle Jaime and Adam?  Jaime, how would you feel about that?

Britain: I'm not gonna lie, the whole three-way kiss in Boston was pretty damn hot. And I still have a good time shooting Jaime, regardless of who his modeling partner is. As for the bedroom? We're pretty exclusive right now.

Jaime: It's one thing to have multiple partners (at once *wicked grin*) when you're single, but being with someone else right now isn't really that appealing to me. I like guys, but I don't miss being with them, know what I mean? Britain's it for me right now, which I'm good with.

*Interviewer swoons a little right now at how ornery but sweet Jaime is*.

Evan, Dallas, Brit, Jaime— Where do you all see yourselves 5 or 10 years down the road, both personally and professionally?

Evan: Hopefully I'll have finished my PhD and be working in a lab. And still be with Dallas, of course. As for modeling? It will probably be a thing of the past, except for when Britain wants to test out some new experimental project on me and Dallas, which is happening more often than not. *raises eyebrow at Britain*

Dallas: Be finished with school. Hoping to split my time between traveling for work and being Evan's love slave.

Britain: Taking over ze world with pornography! MUAHAHAHA!

Jaime: I'll be done with my master's and working full-time at managing Britain's expenses as she takes over the world with pornography.

*Interviewer thinks Britain will keep every one of them employed via pornography for years to come. And that’s just fine by their fans! *

All three books are now available in the Shut Up and Model for Me collection.

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

BOOK REVIEW: Aberration by Iris Blaire

Aberration (East Park #3) by Iris Blaire

A

(Grades will be given in lieu of stars for these titles)

The third book in the East Park series and the follow up to Dark Frame, Aberration picks up where the email exchange between Brit and Jamie left off. This one is told entirely from Brit’s POV and finds her in Malibu at her parents’ home for the summer. When her editor moves up the release of her erotic novella, which still needs a plotline, shooting has to begin right away. A modern beach house is “offered up” for the local of the shoot this time.

Evan and Dallas as well as Brit’s other closest models are on board for the project and arrive in town. But Brit’s not-so-secret life as an erotica photographer is still a secret with her conservative and naïve parents. How long can Brit play the high society daughter and hide her real self?

Meanwhile, there is also the little issue of Jaime leaving her high and dry in Boston months ago, as well as the accusations of his corporate thieving from her family’s company when he was an intern. There are explanations to be made and secrets to be revealed.

The narration is witty and the author does a good job with the dialogue—as in Jaime talks like a guy would. They have some cute, fun, and sexy banter. All of the model characters are likable and are familiar faces from the previous books so it makes the story a light-hearted and fun read this time around. While I'd recommend reading the other books first, there is probably enough background provided to follow this story if you are just now jumping into the series.

As with the previous books, this one also pulls off the kinky scenarios and scenes of exhibitionism and voyeurism without coming off corny or cheesy. The erotic photography angle once again works in this story of twenty-something college graduates and their soft-porn publications.

There is no cliffhanger this time!!! HEA w/an epilogue.

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

East Park books #1-3 in the Shut Up and Model for Me collection.
Amazon
Goodreads
Barnes & Noble

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Iris Blaire

5 Questions with Author Iris Blaire

Q1. What was your inspiration to write the East Park series?

A.  I read an article a little while back about an erotic magazine at an Ivy League university that was an actual school organization. I thought to myself, "Someone needs to write a book about that!" Then I decided that I would :)

Q2. Can you tell us a little bit about the next set of books?  Will the previous characters be featured or will there be new characters as the main focus?  Will Delilah and Adam ever have their own story?

A.  The new books will focus mostly on new characters, but still feature some of the old characters (specifically Britain, because she's, you know, in charge of everything). Delilah may get her own story. As for Adam being the love interest... well, you'll just have to wait and find out ;)

*Interviewer's note: The East Park Chapters books can be added to your Goodreads list now!*

Q3. Between the three books, we’ve had Dallas, Evan, and Brit’s point of view.  Among them is there one in particular that you favored/enjoyed writing more? 

A.  I'm going to pull the annoying author card and say that I liked them all for different reasons. With Evan, she was so unlike any romance heroines that I've personally read in fiction, and creating her seemed like I was pioneering in a way, which was a lot of fun. Dallas was also fun to write because he was a guy, and kind of vulnerable. I've gotten a lot of positive comments on his authenticity. As for Britain, she was different than Evan in terms of her struggles. ABERRATION gets a little political, and I really enjoyed writing Britain's point of view on issues involving sex, slut shaming, etc., because she was a character who had two faces and had to appear naïve and sexually experienced, given her circumstance.

Q4. So this series has to have some of the most creative “love scenes” (and I put that in quotes because in Exposure Evan and Dallas aren’t even having sex with each other yet and it’s suddenly 100 degrees in the room).  Do you have any favorite scenes?

A.  I love the foreplay the best. In a way, it's even sexier than sex. My two favorite "love scenes" are probably the student/professor shoot in EXPOSUREbecause of it's absolute ridiculousness, and then the three-way make-out scene in DARK FRAME between Britain, Jaime, and Adam. 

Q5. If you had the chance to be one of your characters for a day, would you rather be Evan in front of the camera or Britain behind the scenes?

A.  OH GOD, that's a hard question. I used to act for the stage, so I'd probably be more comfortable in front of the camera. The erotic aspect of it all though? I'd probably look like a doof, but I guess you never know until you try, right?

Thanks Iris! The East Park series is a very original concept and it features such fresh, fun characters. So glad you decided to write it.

All three books are now available in the Shut Up and Model for Me collection.

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

Tomorrow is the review of Aberration and….a character interview with Evan, Dallas, Britain, and Jaime! 

BOOK REVIEW: Dark Frame by Iris Blaire

Our steamy semester is still in session with the East Park class of super, sexy models but we're leaving campus for Harvard in...

Dark Frame (East Park #2) by Iris Blaire

A-
(Grades will be given in lieu of stars for these titles)

Sex Sells But at What Price for the East Park Co-eds?

Photographer and East Park Exposed founder Britain McCulley has sold the magazine into the big leagues. So fame, fortune, and success should be at the East Park gang’s door, right?

Not quite.

This sequel to Exposure picks up a few months later. Evan and Dallas are still together but ready to go their separate ways for schooling; meanwhile, Britain is getting ready to take the magazine national. But when everyone convenes on a creepy mansion for the first shoot under the direction of their new boss, the great and powerful Oz—A.J. Harrison, Brit and the gang discover they aren't in Kansas anymore.

Things go from tense to worse on the set as Evan and Dallas’s relationship is rocky, Harrison’s overbearing presence is sucking the creativity and sparkle right out of the shoots, and Brit must sort out her feelings for a past crush when her older brother’s best friend, Jaimie, shows up for a modeling job. Yet for the reader, all this turmoil intensifies the sexual tension and the encounters between the models become more heated.

  

This book features an alternating POV between Evan and Britain rather than Evan and Dallas this time around.  I enjoyed the inclusion of Britain, and she is most definitely further developed as a character in this story.  Missed Dallas’s POV as there is ambiguity at certain points regarding what he’s thinking and doing.  Britain’s “love interest” Jaimie is introduced as a new character and he’s definitely an intriguing character. Boy can this boy “apologize” for his past mistakes.

There is one catch with this edition (as opposed to the first). There is a cliff-hanger (groan). But the good news is that there’s no more waiting for the next issue.  Aberration is available! We’ll cover it in class tomorrow. For now, class dismissed.

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

East Park books #1-3 in the Shut Up and Model for Me collection.

Amazon
Goodreads
Barnes & Noble

BOOK REVIEW: Exposure by Iris Blaire

Steamy Semesters!

The summer days are dwindling down and soon college campuses across the country will be abuzz with activity once again. Are you ready to go back to school?  You might be after checking out these titles. 

Escape to one of the fictional campuses I’ll be featuring throughout the rest of the month. Your first Sex Ed. course starts at East Park University in California where the topic is exhibitionism and voyeurism. Intrigued? Keep reading…

Exposure (East Park #1) by Iris Blaire

A+

(Grades will be given in lieu of stars for these titles)

The lyrics to J. Geils’s Band Centerfold run through my head as the subscribers of East Park Exposed flip through their pages, staring at their angel cover girl in the flesh, Rylan Willow, wondering if she's the real thing. 

But sexy Rylan Willow isn’t really Rylan Willow. She’s just Evan Cosette’s “virginal” alter ego for the university’s Playboy-like magazine. Only her best friend and photographer, Brit, as well as the other models know her true identity—a hard-studying biochemistry undergrad. That is until Dallas Whitley comes on the scene.

       

Dallas, it turns out, is a graduate student/teaching assistant for one of her classes. When Brit pairs them together for a photo shoot, their chemistry is off the charts. In compromising positions in front of the camera, it’s a little hard for him to hide his attraction to her. Color him even more surprised when he discovers her true identity on campus.

Can Evan keep their working relationship separate from their academic affiliations? Can Dallas (who has a girlfriend) keep his hands off Evan when Brit calls a wrap?  Or will the two finally give into their desire in front of the camera?

The premise of this story is quite original, the “drama” is refreshing, and the “love scenes” are creative. (Okay, some of the love scenes aren’t even full sex but they are hot, hot, hot!)  There’s nothing cheesy about it. The characters are real, upbeat, and while they have their struggles (mostly real world struggles like how to pay for college) they don’t have tons of baggage from their past or extreme sexual tendencies. Dallas is simply an average (albeit quite good looking) down-to-earth grad student in a long term (but long ago lost its passion) relationship trying to finance his academic career. He applies to be a male model with the approval and by the suggestion of his girlfriend! Evan is a natural beauty, but she looks like a bookworm co-ed when she’s not in front of the lens. And despite how frequently she undresses for the camera, her real life doesn't generally see much action.

This unique take on a romance story is told by Evan and Dallas’s alternating 1st person POV. Very sexy!

HFN (but no cliffhanger)…a sequel follows. Check back in tomorrow for my review of Dark Frame.

Get Exposure for 99 cents* (price subject to change). 

Amazon

Goodreads
Barnes & Noble

Or purchase East Park books #1-3 in the Shut Up and Model for Me collection.
Amazon
Goodreads
Barnes & Noble

PREVIEW: Adrian Lessons by L.A. Rose

Coming AUGUST 25TH, 2014

Synopsis: 

If there’s one thing Cleo Reynolds knows, it’s that she’s not into Adrian King.

The son of a model with the looks to prove it, the experienced author of her school newspaper’s sex advice column, the cocky playboy with a hint of darkness. That Adrian King.

Nope. Nuh-uh. No way. 

The problem is, he’s very into her.

After accidentally flashing him, and slightly-less-accidentally-but-still-totally-unintentionally making out with him in front of the whole class, she expects to be called crazy. Instead, he asks her out. 

Cleo’s determined not to end up as another notch on his bedpost. Except she hasn’t done…you know…it in a while. (Read: ever.) And as a girl who pays her tuition by writing all the sex scenes in her roommate’s bestselling romance series, the lack of inspiration has served up a fat slice of writer’s block.

Until her roommate proposes that Cleo and Adrian act out all the steamy scenes in her book.

It’s just research. No feelings involved.

Nope. Nuh-uh.

No way.

Add it to your Goodreads list! 

BOOK REVIEW: Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower

Happy Friday! To finish off the week, I’m recommending one of the best books I've read this year. Have you read Monster in His Eyes? The sequel is coming out soon (I hope).  If you haven't, now’s the time to check it out. If you've already read it, this is one to read more than once.

Monster in His Eyes by J. M. Darhower

5+ stars

Fresh, Suspenseful, Dark Romance Mystery That Will Keep You Guessing Up Till the End…and then some!

Karissa Reed is an eighteen going on nineteen year old college freshman at NYU.  Ignazio "Naz" Vitale is the thirty-six year old mysterious stranger she first meets outside her Philosophy class. She quickly becomes drawn to him, and they engage in a love affair. But while Naz doesn't tell lies, he is full of secrets—secrets from his past and hers!

I think this is my ultimate favorite read all year, and I really hope the sequel lives up to this one. (As in I’m hoping for all the goodies outlined below along with a HEA. I think that’s what I’m holding my breath on. I have no idea how Ms. Darwhower is going to do it but in the end I’m rooting for Karissa and Naz together.) So since I don’t want to spoil the story, I’ll give you all the things that are great about this book in general categories:

Fresh—There are a lot of cookie cutter plots out there. This is not one of them. By any means.  Monster in his Eyes takes you on a ride, a dark ride, but a daring and delicious ride that will have you questioning good and bad along with right and wrong.

“The monster is peeking through, peering at me from behind his mask. He wants to come out. He wants me to play with him.” —Karissa

Suspenseful—Told from Karissa’s first person POV, Naz’s intentions, background, and associates are to some degree a mystery with devious clues planted for the reader in Naz’s words, actions, and often double entendres.  The devil is in the details, and this is one story to read twice.

“There’s something about you…something I’ve sought for a very long time. Something I’ve always wanted. And now that I’ve found it, I don’t know if I can let it go.” —Naz

Dark—Naz is a self-admitted bad man. So if you love bad boys, well he takes them to a whole other level. But like any great dark hero (okay I might be using that term really loosely) Naz is broken and damaged and that makes him intensely deep.  

“I lost my life…And then I almost died.” —Naz

Romance—This is not a hearts and flowers kind of romance. Well, actually there are flowers, expensive dresses, and high roller weekend trips. But there’s also dress ripping, some ominous black gloves, late night visits, and some intense role-playing.

“...If you love me…If you mean it, you’ll fight back.” —Naz

It’s deep, it’s dark, and it pushes traditional conventions of love and sex.  This is for the reader that enjoys something gritty, gripping, and riveting but without a ton of angst and over-done drama. While there is a large age gap between the two, it is very much necessarily to make the plot work, as well it adds to the depth and psychological layers of their relationship (to which there are many).

“Love means seeing the beauty in the ugly, the light in the dark, and accepting that even if the lights are off, and I can’t see what’s in front of me, there will be something there to guide my way. Love means turning yourself inside out, handing yourself over to somebody else, and trusting them…” —Karissa

Mystery—What are Naz’s intentions with Karissa? How chance was their meeting? Why is Karissa’s mom so paranoid?  What does Naz want with Professor Santino? Will Karissa pass his class?  What is the deal with her roommate’s new boyfriend?  What will Karissa do when she finally gets the big picture?  So many mysteries unravel the deeper Karissa’s relationship with Naz becomes.

“You know who I am…The question you should be asking is who are they.” —Naz

The Ending—Without giving anything away because this is one book where the magic is in the gradual reveal, I’ll admit that prior to reading the book I was concerned about the ending. I’m a stickler for HEAs, and I don’t like to be strung along or left for months on a cliffhanger.   So is there a cliffhanger?  Well, not exactly.  By the end of the book some new questions are raised, some old ones are left to be answered and some items may simply be open for interpretation.

“The wound is deeper, an emotional scar I think won’t ever heal, no matter how much time I give it. He touches my body but he tears at my soul, ripping pieces out of me that are now his and his alone.” —Karissa

The ending most definitely wets your appetite for more of Naz and Karissa in Torture in Her Soul. Okay, it doesn't just wet your appetite it makes you starving for the rest of their tale. But there is enough closure to leave you temporarily satisfied as the book is well structured from prologue to epilogue and comes full circle by the last page.

Check out Monster in His Eyes at the following:

Amazon   Goodreads   Barnes & Noble

9/29/14 UPDATE: Book 2, Torture to Her Soul

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

BOOK REVIEW: Hothouse Flower by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Next week I’ll be kicking off a new theme of book reviews. Till then I’m sharing a few of my favorite reads this year, ones that I’m anxiously awaiting the sequels to! If you haven't read the titles I’m featuring today and tomorrow, then make weekend plans with these amazing books…

Hothouse Flower (Callaway Sisters) by Krista and Becca Ritchie

5 Stars

Sex addict, Alcoholic, Virgin, Smartass, Jackass, Daredevil, and Rebel…Wait! Rebel isn't one of the character stereotypes; that’s this reviewer!

Yes, I’m the rebel. At least during this particular reading and review. Browsing books on Amazon one afternoon I came across Hothouse Flower. I was totally unfamiliar with the series but it sounded interesting so I downloaded the sample and ignored all the warnings and recommendations to read the previous books. To be fair, I did read the synopsis for Kiss the Sky, which filled in a few gaps.  Something just attracted me to Ryke and Daisy’s story, and so I went against the rules and conventions, bought the full title and jumped into the series at this juncture. But I suppose if your going to be a rebel when reading this series, this book would be the one to do it with as Ryke and Daisy are a bit rebels themselves, often going against the wishes of their family and society, whether it has to do with their careers, their appearances, or their love for one another. But I’m getting ahead of the plot.

Hothouse Flower (title explained towards the end of the book) follows Ryke Meadows and Daisy Calloway. As background, if you are coming into this series for the first time like I was, previous books have dealt with Ryke’s brother Lo, who battles an alcohol addiction, and Daisey’s sister Lily, who battles a sex addiction. Both families are famous. Ryke and Lo’s father is a baby product mogul and the Callaway girls’ father is the soda king.  In the previous book, Daisy’s other sister Rose had her life filmed for a reality show, thrusting them all further into the spotlight. Plagued by the paparazzi, Daisy suffers a sleep disorder.

Daisy is an eighteen year old model. Ryke is a twenty-five year old athlete/rock climber. The idea of them pairing up has been frowned upon until now because of her age and their close family connections. Despite all that, Daisy and Ryke exhibit a strong sexual attraction (oh man do they ever) and an intense closeness and respect for each other.

Ryke is the guy you want in your corner. He is fiercely loyal and well…pretty hot. He knows how to handle Daisy’s ADD personality, and possibly loves her a little more for it. Ryke is deep and complex. He has boundaries, yet he cares and doesn't care what people think about him at the same time.

“He’s the hero of my story, but he refused to claim any of those moments…” –Daisy

Daisy is adorable. She is a unique mix of innocence and experience that fits her age and lifestyle.  She has a free spirit and holds her own bantering/flirting with Ryke from the very beginning. I felt bad for Daisy the way her older sisters excluded her at times (whether intentional or not), and at how she had to suffer because of their mistakes and poor choices.

Ryke and Daisy are perfectly flawed—as in their flaws make them endearing and who they are, not annoying characters. They are definitely ones to root for, and I’m glad they faced their problems and their families together. They trusted in what they knew about each other and believed in each other. They didn't let circumstances stand in their way. I wish more writers would develop couples that do this.  That is not to say the book didn't have drama, but it was a well developed and well balanced drama that fit the storyline and did not feel over the top.

Told from Ryke and Daisy’s alternating 1^st Person POV, the story perfectly balances adventure plot (road trip!!!) and couple time (some very hot and creative love scenes that fit the pair well) as part of the gang flies to Daisy’s “rescue” in Paris and then later all of the gang treks across the country for Ryke’s big rock climb.  The dialogue and inner monologues are also well balanced and flow well as the story unfolds. 

There is no insta-love or insta-lust. Even having not read the previous books that Ryke and Daisy appeared in, I could feel their history and their strong feelings for each other. Their personalities made it completely believable that they would be attracted to and fall in love with each other.  Plus, there was so much sexual tension long before they ever even kissed.

“I wonder if that’s us. Soft to his hard. Sweet to his rough. Wild to his stone.” –Daisy

Daisy and Ryke compliment each other so perfectly, and their story captures all the elements of being young and free. I was continually torn between wanting to see them have their own little “crazy babies” or let their free spirits adventure longer.

Long Way Down (the next book from Daisy and Ryke's POV) is on my Want To Read list. Add it to yours at Goodreads.

Check out Hothouse Flower at the following:

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

If you are not a rebel and prefer to read the series in order, you can find all the details on previous and future books at  Krista and Becca Ritchie's site. Their latest title Thrive is now available!

All quotes from Hothouse Flower by Krista and Becca Ritchie, 2014.