Wednesday, October 24, 2018

BOOK REVIEW: All the Right Moves by Becca Taylor

~Synopsis~

Being called the worst boyfriend can do a number on a man’s ego. 
But I handled it the way any full-grown adult male would—by eating copious amounts of carbs and wallowing over whether I was good enough.
I admit, it wasn’t the best of moments, but it made me realize I needed answers to the question, what are women looking for inside and out of the bedroom?
After I researched the subject, I compiled my data into a solution. 
Thirty days. 
Thirty right moves.
But I needed to test out my newfound theories, and my best friend, Tenley, was going to help. 
It was a foolproof plan. 
We would date and act like a real couple, all in the name of research. And when the thirty days were up, we would go back to being just friends. 
Piece of cake, right?
Only, I forgot to take into consideration the multiple outcomes. Specifically, the one where it left me wanting more and refusing to go back to what we were... ever again.



~Book Review~

4.25 Stars

When his snotty, shallow girlfriend dumps him with a list of thirty reasons why he’s the worst boyfriend, Preston Griffin, 25, embarks on a plan to redeem himself. And the person he turns to is his neighbor and best friend since they were seven, Tenley Ray.

Told via their dual first person POV, this is a friends to lovers romance. It’s super sweet and the sexy times are steamy and yet still done meaningfully. It definitely came across that they were making love, not just hooking up. The pair made a cute couple.

“A couple who shared a washer together stayed together.”
Preston most certainly didn’t have the wrong moves nor was he a bad boyfriend at all. He was a really caring and attentive guy and very supportive. A total sweetie. He just needed to reexamine what or more specifically who he wanted.

Tenley has a few insecurities and she’s had a crush on Preston for a long time. I do wish that had been more balanced, though there are certainly hints that Preston had latent feeling for her that he didn’t recognize till now. When he struggles with jealousy and insecurities himself, well it was a nice dose of karma. 

“‘I don’t want to mess this up.’
‘You’re not going to .’
‘How do you know?’
“Because it’s me and you. And you haven’ messed it up in the eighteen years I’ve known you. You’ve been there for me, and I’ve been there for you. So right now, we’re going to be there for each other. Together. And it’s going to be amazing.’”
All in all, I enjoyed the story as a romantic and feel-good read. There are just two cringe-worthy lines that could have been edited out to make the story better. First, Tenley mentions that they share an apartment wall and she used to hear Preston with his ex. Even though the ex was a faker, that’s a sound and image that neither the heroine in a romance or the reader needs. Secondly, Preston’s thoughts on marriage include asking the father for permission. That’s an archaic custom that implies another man has control over a grown woman’s life. I was disappointed that a modern guy like Preston still bought into that sexist practice.

This is mainly a low angst romance aside from some predictable drama at the climax. Loved the well done epilogue. Epilogues set further in the future like that are always a treat in romancelandia.



Amazon US    Amazon CA     Amazon UK    Amazon AU

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

REVIEW/RELEASE BLITZ: Doggy Style by Alana Albertson

Series: Rescue Me Series, Book #1
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Erotic, Romance, Romantic Comedy

~Blurb~
When it comes to doggy style, he’s behind you 100%.

Preston Evans is a legend in and out of the bedroom. He’s six foot two, gorgeous, and famous because his celebrity ex snapchatted his huge package. I hate him. I hate his stupid puppy store, Doggy Style. I hate the way he looks at me like I’m a piece of meat. I don’t care that his abs are chiseled, his arms are tattooed, and his face belongs on the cover of a magazine. Every dog bred means a shelter dog dead!

I chain myself to his store in protest, but instead of calling the cops, he throws me a bone.

If I spend one week with him in Hawaii pretending to be his fiancĂ©e to snag an investor, he will transform his store into a shelter dog adoption center, saving thousands of dogs’ lives.

One week and I never have to see this sexy, dirty-talking jerk again. How hard can he, uh I mean it, be?

Sex is off the table. So why do I want him to bend me over it?

~Book Review~
2.5 Stars

Former Marine, Preston Evans is cashing in on his notoriety by opening a pet store after a sex video with his reality star ex-girlfriend goes viral. Yesenia Cordova is a tattoo artist and dog rescuer who sets her sights on Preston and his new pure bred puppy store.

The opening kept me engaged; it paced well and the characters and premise had potential, but by the halfway point I found my connection with the characters quickly weakening and certain rhetoric growing stale. Specifically…

While Preston was confident and resourceful and I liked the fact that he was quick to solve problems and had a calm demeanor, the frequent reminders of what a horn dog (pun intended) he was inhibited the connection between them.
“My sex life over the past few months has consisted of swipe rights through dating apps and shopping from an endless catalog of women. As horrible as it sounds, I don’t remember most of them. Meaningless sex and hook-ups soothed my soul for a while.”
Told via their dual first person POV, if Preston wasn’t referencing his penchant for dating app hook-ups, he was mentioning his ex. And talking about other women to the reader is just as tacky and counterproductive as doing it on a real life date. No one needs that in their head when they are trying to make a romantic connection.
“It isn’t love at first sight, more like an insatiable lust, a lust I haven’t felt in months. Not since Kira.”
That I’d agree with. It’s definitely insta-lust, not love, at play throughout the whole story. The romantic angle is weak, overshadowed by Preston’s sex brain working overtime every time he’s in a conversation with the heroine. It was a shame because Preston could have been a great guy—in certain scenes he showed some integrity and respect for women— if he would have just stopped thinking with his dick and prioritizing getting laid. It really felt like the characterization caved to the tired manho prototype that’s a dime a dozen these days in the romance market, much like the billionaire trope. (How did Preston afford his upper-class lifestyle???) Removing those angles would have taken the story up a level. A guy can be sexy without having to be constantly in heat.

But add in the fact that the heroine has not only seen his sex video (which included both doggystyle and muff diving) but she’s watched it more than once! While I believe that people can have a life before finding ‘the one,’ knowing about it and seeing it in living color are totally different monsters. I just couldn’t connect with Yessi’s fascination with his video. Not if I was supposed to believe these two were end game. As a meaningless hook-up, it’s one thing; but as a love story, it doesn’t spell romance.

(Reviewer’s Note: The original blurb when I signed up for this title a year ago read:  “Preston Evans is a legend in and out of the bedroom. He’s six foot two, gorgeous, and famous because his celebrity ex snapchatted his huge package.” It has now been updated to the more accurate representation of the story: “…his celebrity ex Snapchatted him doing her doggy style.” If the original story was just a dick pic, it’s a shame it was changed to a graphic sex video. I’m not sure I would have signed up for this if I’d have known he had a porn w/OW.)

While in the opening I appreciated Yessi’s tenacity and dedication to a cause, after a while it just became too much.  I wholeheartedly agree there should be better education in regards to responsible pet ownership, but it became too repetitive and outright preachy. It’s hardly the romcom it’s billed as, and while the title evokes a more light-hearted tone, the story’s message comes off heavy-handed. It was about as subtle as a PETA ad flashing across the page.

More disturbingly, Yessi’s obsession with animals was a crutch for her own issues of abandonment. Her activism didn’t make her courageous; it just made her seem like she needed some therapy in order to obtain a well adjusted life.
 “…I have the maturity of a five-year-old. I’m emotionally stunted.”
She was absolutely immature, exhibiting a serious issue with pushing her beliefs onto others, at times even speaking hypocritically, as well as letting her emotions interfere with…well just about everything! Between Preston following her around like a puppy, making decisions based on the whims of his peen, and Yessi’s overbearing personality, not only was their business realistically doomed to fail, so was their relationship.  
 “…our emotional intimacy hasn’t caught up to our physical intimacy.”
Good sex doesn’t equal love any more than flat villains make for a compelling climax.  I was ready to check out way back when Yessi got wet from Preston forking over hundreds of dollars to save an injured stray. That was a little creepy and so not my kink. I should have probably saved myself the time and bailed then. I was looking for more romance and likable characters, less Dog Lives Matter.

The next book in the series on his ex is definitely a pass for me.


Alana Albertson is an award winning Latina author, the former President of Romance Writers of America’s Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, and Young Adult chapters. She holds a Masters of Education from Harvard and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford. A recovering professional ballroom dancer, Alana currently writes new adult romantic suspense, young adult, and contemporary romance. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two sons, and five dogs. When she’s not spending her time needlepointing, dancing, or saving dogs from high kill shelters through her rescue Pugs N Roses, she can be found watching episodes of House Hunters, Homeland, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.


~Giveaway~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, October 22, 2018

COVER REVEAL: The Assist by Rebecca Jenshak

Series: Smart Jocks #1
Genre: College Sports Romance
Release Date: November 5, 2018

~Blurb~

You know those stories where the smart girl tutors the dumb jock? This isn’t it.

Blair
What’s the probability of insulting the one guy on campus I need to help me pass statistics? If I knew, I wouldn’t be standing in front of Wes Reynolds begging him to tutor me.

Basketball player, sexy, arrogant, always sleeping through class… these are the things I knew about him. What I didn’t know is that he is a seriously smart jock.

Wes
What’s the best way to get rid of the peppy and unrelenting girl that keeps asking me to tutor her? If I knew, I wouldn’t be staring at her tan legs and attempting to teach her statistics.

Sorority girl, fine as f**k, determined, ball buster… these are the things I knew about her. What I didn’t know is that she is all the things I didn’t realize I wanted or needed.

Or that one semester with her would change everything.

Cover Design: Jena Brignola
Photo: Wander Aguiar Photography
Model: Thom

~Excerpt~
“Rise and shine,” Joel says as he nudges me. I’m not asleep.
I wish I were. My eyes are closed, hat pulled down, but there’s no sleep to be had.
“She’s coming back for more.” The tone in his voice is almost inspired.
I don’t have to look up to know who he’s talking about, but I do anyway. She’s the most entertaining thing about this class. Open my eyes and lift the hat, turn it backward so my view isn’t the least bit blocked.
Today she’s wearing little pink shorts that show off tan legs, yellow tennis shoes that don’t match but somehow work, and a bracelet with a little charm around her left ankle. It’s too small to make out, but I stare anyway. Her brown hair is pulled up in a high ponytail, and she has a megawatt smile plastered on her face. A big bow on top of her head is all she’d need to look like head cheerleader of my high school fantasies.
“Wes, hey, can I talk to you for a second?”
“What’s up?”
I’m hella impressed by the balls on this chick. She’s put her foot in her mouth, not once, but twice, and damn near insulted the entire student athlete population, but she keeps coming back. She has determination and grit. I admire that about her.
I also am not in the least bit offended by her assumption that I’m a dumb jock. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised she came right out and asked who my tutor was, but I know exactly what it looks like. I’ve fed into the stereotype for years, doing nothing to make it seem otherwise. Well, nothing but get straight A’s.
“I have sort of a favor.”
“What’s up?” I stand to walk with her out of the class.
“The tutor center was a bust. I know you said . . .” She looks like she’s choosing her words carefully. “Do you have old study notes or tests from previous semesters?”
“Still convinced I’m not capable of passing on my own, huh?”
“I’m sorry, really, no offense. I just want in on whatever study materials you’re using. I can’t afford to fail another test. What’s your secret?”
The secret? I’m fucking smart. Photographic memory smart and statistics is my whole world, but I can’t resist messing with her.
“You know, saying no offense doesn’t make whatever you’re saying less offensive. It just makes you feel better about saying something offensive.”
Joel snickers behind me. I just can’t resist fucking with her. She’s making it too easy.
“Sorry. I’m really so sorry. What about the other guys on the team? Anyone have any awesome math tutors who aren’t available to us non-jock students? I can pay.” 
“Couldn’t say for sure, but I don’t think so. Most the guys hold their own academically.” I lean in catching a whiff of her hair. It smells good—like sugar cookies or candy canes or something sugary sweet that I want to sink my teeth into. “Shocking, I know.”
Her shoulders slump in defeat, and I can tell she’s finally accepted that I have no answers for her. At this point, I almost wish I knew of someone to send her to. I don’t exactly travel in circles that clue me in on secret study sessions and underground tutor societies.
“Thanks anyway.” She gives a little wave with the hand clutched around the strap of her backpack.
Joel catches up to me, and we watch as she crosses the campus toward the library. “Dude. That chick . . .”
“I know,” I say, and we continue to stare after her completely awe stricken.


Rebecca Jenshak is a self-proclaimed margarita addict, college basketball fanatic, and Hallmark channel devotee. A Midwest native transplanted to the desert, she likes being outdoors (drinking on patios) and singing (in the shower) when she isn't writing books about hot guys and the girls who love them.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

BLOG TOUR: The Whiskey Saga by Ryan Ringbloom

 Genres: Adult, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Standalones

#1 WHISKEY DICK

Publication Date: July 24, 2018

~Synopsis~

A NIGHT WITH NO HARD FEELINGS

Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. It’s a fluke. Too much whiskey. Believe me when I say, it will NEVER happen again.
I’m trying not to take it personally. Sh*t happens. It’s not a reflection on me. He claims it was too much whiskey. A onetime occurrence. And I believe him.
But then why the hell does it happen a second time?
Fate’s a funny thing. 
He likes her.
She likes him. 
They say the third time’s a charm….


Get ready to laugh, cringe, and swoon as two terrified flyers travel toward romance in this lovable Romantic Comedy.
This is a standalone book intended for mature readers.

~Book Review~

4.75 Stars

A delay with his flight is not helping Jaxson Kay’s nerves. But a stop at the airport bar might either be the best choice or biggest mistake of his night. There Paisley Robins finds the aviophobia stranger attractive, pegging him as a “Model? Firefighter? Cowboy?”

Nope, it turns out Jax, 30, is simply a retail chain manager and how refreshing was that! I really enjoyed reading about everyday people with regular jobs. It also turns out that Paisley, 32, works in the same industry. That’s not the only thing they have in common. Both are about one more mechanical delay away from a panic attack.

I also don’t fly the not-so-friendly skies so I related to Jax and Paisley’s fears and dread. This was a book that clicked with me right away. This story was a hoot! It easily makes my funniest romcoms list. The comedic element kept me smiling and even had me laughing out loud at parts.

As far as the characters go, I adored how Paisley maintained her confidence despite all their mishaps.
“‘My self-esteem doesn’t hang in the balance of other people’s opinions.’” —Paisley
I also appreciated how she handled Jax’s wounded pride. That was the only slight I had against him. There’s a point where he lets his malfunctioning appendage get the best of him, and he momentarily treats her like a dick (no pun intended), but unlike the aforementioned third leg, Jax’s mood/personality recovers more quickly.  
“It’s weird how one minute something can seem like such a good idea and the next you can see how truly asinine it really is.” —Jaxson
Getting the story from both of their first person POVs went a long way though, and it was also clear to see how the stressful trip was weighing on both of them.  The writing here is strong. One minute I couldn’t imagine how they could get past it all, and the next I could see them married for forty years.
“‘I mean, if you’d rather we could drag this out, make it some angsty drama where we both feel this connection and an attraction but fuck it all up by overthinking and second-guessing.’”
And that’s so not what this story is thankfully, which was also refreshing. It’s light-hearted, upbeat, and feel-good despite the pair’s seemingly insurmountable moments, bad timing, and unknowingly ill-thought choices. Turns out, some lessons are hard to learn.
“‘One room, one bed, condoms.’”
But the ‘all is not lost’ message seals the romantic factor and the chemistry is palpable.
What these two trudge through as part of their potential ONS gone awry would have doused cold water on the steam of many other romances, but here it amped the anticipation and showed how they not only found someone they were seriously attracted to, but they also found the type of friendship that’s often the foundation of long lasting marriages.

Will the worn and weary travelers get home before their next scheduled work shift?

Will they love or hate each other by the time they reach the Jersey border?

Will Jax get the wind back in his sail?

Amazon     Amazon CA     Amazon UK    Amazon AU   Amazon MX 

~Excerpt~

18+

Once she finishes teasing me against her mouth, she returns to a steady rhythmic sucking while one of her hands wanders to a place it shouldn’t and the tip of her finger taunts new territory. I don’t hate it. Not at all. It feels so… fucking… good. But my dick reacts differently. 

What the fuck is happening?

“Sorry, was that too much?” she asks, pulling away. 

“No. It’s fine. I just….” I pause for a moment to scream at my dick. Get up! Get up! Get back up, motherfucker! “I just… think it’s time to switch things up and I take care of you.” 

“Oh, okay.” She beams, switching places with me, settling into the covers. Her chest heaves with anticipatory breaths. 

I don’t know what’s going on. Why isn’t my dick hard? On a scale of one to ten on the hotness scale, that was a twelve. Is it possible I shot my load and don’t even know it? No. It’s not possible. Then what the fuck is this?


#2 WHISKEY CHICK

Publication Date: September 9, 2018

~Synopsis~

A NIGHT FULL OF HARD FEELINGS

Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. It’s a fluke. Too much whiskey. Believe me when I say, it will NEVER happen again.
I’m trying not to take it personally. Sh*t happens. It was a blind date. She drank too much whiskey. I hope it wasn’t a reflection on me.
Okay, so the first date didn’t work out. But what happens when the second one doesn’t either?
Fate’s a funny thing. 
She likes him. 
He likes her.
They say the third time’s a charm….


Get ready to laugh, cringe, and swoon as fate blindly intervenes in this lovable Romantic Comedy.
This is a standalone book that features a new couple intended for mature readers.

~Book Review~

4.5 Stars

Whiskey Chick is notorious. A legend in her own right.
“I’m fluent in drunk.”
Adam Barclay, 29, is still telling the story two years later. But he might be entertaining family and friends with the filtered version.

Remi Kay, 30, occasionally lacks filters. She has been stumbling through life, but now she’s finally found her career calling and is on the road to adulting.

Told via their dual first person POV, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Remi since she was such a hot mess in the glimpses we got of her in her brother’s book, Whiskey Dick. But I ended up liking her, and rooting for her to get the one who almost got away.

I adore the fact that the author’s bio confesses that she can’t write alphas. Based off the heroes in this series, the regular guys are more interesting anyways. I really enjoyed the realness to them. It was far more enjoyable than over-the-top alpha-assholes. Adam seemed like a good guy. I just wish we’d have gotten a little more background on him. His narration was funny, even when he was stressed. Maybe even especially when he was stressed.
“It’s a five-point fix-up pentagram from hell.”
Despite the confusion, mix-ups, and fix-ups that plague this pair, I was swooning by the end. Adam sealed his fate as a sweetie.
 “Forget dating, our tongues have just checked into a hotel that charges by the hour.”
Though entertaining as their “mating ritual” was, I do wish there were more detailed sexy times. This book seemed a little shorter than the first. But it was still an enjoyable and engaging read. I’m not usually a fan of bathroom-type humor, but it didn’t bother me here. I think because it was referenced rather than graphically depicted.

I was pleased when I reached the end and saw that The Whiskey Saga will continue. While I thought Henry was kinda a douche in this one, I’ll keep an open mind because Remi worked out for me. Jenn was cool so I’m looking forward to her finding the one. And I gotta put in a plea for a sequel for Jax and Paisley. I’m dying to read about their next adventure in life. I need more books like this series. Seriously, I wish I could spend more reading hours with safe, funny romances like these. 

Amazon    Amazon CA    Amazon UK    Amazon AU    Amazon MX

~Excerpt~


“Adam, tell the Whiskey Chick story. Please,” my sister begs with full-on prayer hands. “Katie’s never heard it before,” she says, referring to my cousin’s new girlfriend who’s joining us for family dinner for the first time. 

I’ve told the story about a million times, but every time there’s someone new in the mix my sister always asks me to tell the now-famous tale. Not that I really mind; it’s one of my favorite stories. A story I love to tell. 

“Oh geez, here we go,” my older brother says under his breath. Henry turns and addresses the newcomer. “Just so you know, we have doubts that this girl really exists. This story is about as credible as a Loch Ness Monster sighting.”

“She exists.” Jenn rolls her eyes at him. “I mean, we’ve never seen her, but she definitely exists.”

“Adam, is this really appropriate dinner conversation?” My mom shoots me a look over the table. 

“Oh, it’s fine, just tell it.” Jenn waves her off. My sister lives for this story. I know if I don’t tell it, she will. 

I glance over at my mom, who rolls her eyes, dismissively shaking her head. She knows once the topic of the whiskey chick is brought up there’s no going back, and so I begin. 

“It started off completely normal.” I say my opening line in unison with my two siblings. I wait for them to stop and continue. “It was about two years ago. A friend of mine thought I’d hit it off with a girl she met at the gym and arranged for us to meet. We chose a date and a time that worked for us, I picked the location, and my friend set the whole thing up. I was really nervous about the whole blind date thing, but that night when she walked in, my jaw dropped. Tight black dress, super high heels, and these killer blue eyes accentuated by long strands of silky pink through really blonde hair.”

“Platinum,” Jenn provides. 

“We were at a really nice place, James Miu, and the table wasn’t going to be ready right away. So we sat at the bar and I offered to buy her a drink. I ordered a beer, and she ordered a Manhattan.”


Hi, I’m Ryan Ringbloom, a Jersey girl who doesn’t write Alphas. I couldn’t if I tried. Social Media stresses me the frick out, yet I can’t seem to walk away from it. I love to binge watch TV. I think cats are awesome. I’m obsessed with coffee and Fireball. But never together. My road rage is ridiculous. And if there is ever a zombie apocalypse, I won’t even try to run. I will let the first one I see eat my brain and get it over with.


~Giveaway~

Friday, September 28, 2018

REVIEW/RELEASE BLITZ: Without Judgment by Aubrey Bondurant

Series: The Without Series #3
Genre: Contemporary Adult Romance

~Blurb~

Do you know what I got for always being the good girl?  A cheating ex, fake friends, and now a scandal that has even my own father ashamed of me.

No one believes it isn’t me on the video.  My new bodyguard is no exception.  Mason is not only my brother’s best friend, but my newly assigned babysitter who wishes he was anywhere but here. 

He’s both hot and judgmental.  It’s a maddening combination that has me wanting to push all his buttons.

With his bad boy vibe, alpha demeanor and the way he calls me princess, I'm convinced my draw to him is madness. Until I learn under the tattoos and piercings there may be more than meets the eye. Turns out I may not be the only one fighting the attraction.

I’m determined not to be the helpless girl everyone thinks I am, even if it means taking drastic measures.

The question is whose side will Mason be on in the end?

~Book Review~
4.25 Stars

Avery Newhall, 22, doesn’t think her ex-fiancĂ© can sink any lower than cheating on her with her former best friend till he releases a sex video he claims to be her.

“Babysitting” his college buddy’s little sister isn’t exactly the security job ex-Marine Mason Butler, 28, has in mind for his new company, but he owes Trevor (WithoutRegret) a favor and their father has capital to invest.  

The story pulled me in from the beginning. It was engaging and the characters had depth. Like book one (Without Apology) there’s a bit of a suspense  angle that kept me turning pages to find out the real story behind the sex tape.

While Avery didn’t start out the type of heroine I typically gravitate to, she was likeable and I found myself sympathetic to her woes. And then she gained her footing and her voice, standing up for herself and taking charge of the situation. She was definitely someone to root for, and the route she took—I didn’t see that coming.

Mason had a very tall order to fill in the hero department in comparison to Simon and Trevor from the previous books.
“I didn’t bother to remind my erection that she was way off-limits. Instead, I took my discomfort as penance for being an asshole to her.”
Truth be told, he was kinda an asshole to her at different times. Deep down I think he was a good guy, but he was a bit broken.

I didn’t care for the fact that he added to her already fragile self-esteem after what she’d been through, and just when I’d think that Mason had worked past some of his own issues and came to realize that he and Avery weren’t so different after all, he’d reverted back to asshole mode again. While I also had sympathy for Mason and what he’d been through, it was Avery who shined when the going got tough.
“I hate when you use the word ‘fine.’” —Mason
“Then maybe you should’ve inspired something better….”—Avery
Despite the moments where I wanted Mason to grovel more (or when I contemplated fantasized swoon-worthy hotties Simon and Trevor staging an intervention to help him get his head out of his ass), in the end I liked where they eventually ended up. There was a sweetness to the story and plenty of steamy times.
“You taste better than the fantasy.”
Told via Avery and Mason’s alternating first person POV, the story balances the light-hearted moments, positive messages, and some sad, more serious themes well. When I got to the end and it dawned on me that there were no more couples to read about, I realized I’d miss this well-written series. 

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
~Also Available~
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited


Aubrey Bondurant is a working mom who loves to write, read and travel. She describes her writing style as: "Adult Contemporary Erotic Romantic Comedy," which is just another way of saying she likes her characters funny, her bedroom scenes hot, and her romances with a happy ending. 

When Aubrey isn't working her day job, or spending time with her family, she's on her laptop typing away on her next story. She only wishes there were more hours of the day!

She's a former member of the US Marine Corps and passionate about veteran charities and giving back to the community. She loves a big drooly dog, a fantastic margarita, and football. 

FACEBOOK     WEBSITE     TWITTER    MAILING LIST

Monday, September 10, 2018

BOOK REVIEW: His Whiskey Sour by Kim Loraine

3.25 Stars

Easton Harrison is a musician with writer’s block. Ireland is a cocktail waitress in Vegas. He needs inspiration and upon meeting Ireland he finds his muse.

Easton isn’t your typical rocker, which is quite refreshing. He doesn’t drink or do drugs, and he hasn’t had sex in a year. That’s like light-years for a rockstar.  

I liked Ireland in the opening scenes from Easton’s POV, but not as much in her own POV. She has issues from a past failed relationship which she keeps projecting on this one. One minute she’s keeping Easton at a distance, the next moment she’s professing insta-love. Her hot/cold didn’t work for me, specifically in regards to the following instances.
 “It might seem too fast for some, but we’ve spent more time together than most couples in their first few months of dating. We’ve just done it all at once.”
This quote really had me seriously side-eying the heroine.  What’s she’s saying makes no sense.  These two have known each other less than a week, been secluded together less than 2 days. Vacationing together in a bubble is not the same as negotiating a relationship in the real world over the course of time. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy romantic fiction with this premise—where the hero and heroine get to know each other void of OW/OM drama—but the message that the heroine is trying to convey here is naĂŻve at best, possibly even a little delusional.

Ireland is also a bit reckless. A guy you just met and who you think is only going to be in your life temporary should not be a man you’re having unprotected sex with.  Sure in romancelandia the reader knows they’ll get their HEA, but romance is also realistic fiction, and this gal wasn’t being very realistic….or practical…or responsible. If he reaches for a condom, let him freaking use it!

This started off strong and the pair has some steamy encounters, but it slipped as the story progressed. The misunderstanding is ridiculous on the heroine’s part given she already knew enough pieces of Easton’s backstory to put it together.  

The pitfalls of a novella length showed at places such as times where scenes seemed to switch abruptly and with the insta-love. This was not a romance that convinced me these two had staying power.

The story ends at 74%.

GOODREADS     AMAZON 

~Also in The Cocktail Girls Series~
The Cocktail Girls is a shared world between 14 romance authors!
Each novella is a stand-alone story set in the city of sin. 
Book Review

Friday, August 24, 2018

REVIEW/RELEASE BLITZ: Reckless King by Maya Hughes

Series: Kings of Rittenhouse #2
Genre: New Adult/Sports Romance

~Blurb~

An irresistibly steamy college sports romance.

I’m Heath Taylor.
Laid back. Easy going. Fastest guy on two skates and chill to a fault. Until Kara.

Three nights together and I’m done for. Her laugh, her smile, the way my hand curves around her waist. She’s the one. Not a doubt in my mind...until I walk into my last class of the semester.

Kara, the woman of my dreams, is my new instructor. My hockey season and her career prospects are on the line. One false move--if anyone finds out--we’re both sunk.

On the ice I’m a beast that can’t be stopped, but thoughts of her are throwing me off my game.
My fingers itch to feel her in my arms again. But risking everything could ruin what we’ve worked so hard for.

Sometimes life has a way of changing the best laid plans. And sometimes you can’t stay away no matter the promises you make.

Life doesn’t play fair, but neither do I…

~Book Review~
3.5 Stars

This is really hard to rate. But since there were things I liked and things I didn’t enjoy, a middle of the road rating is probably most accurate. Starting with the positive….

The characters were likable, and I enjoyed them as a couple. I was intrigued with Heath from the previous book. Heath Taylor, 22, was a catch in this one too. He cooks, he knows his flowers, and his favorite movie is The Breakfast Club. This was off to a good start.

He was sexy:
“‘…that will make it that much hotter when I rip those pants off you, bend you over that desk and eat you out from behind when this session is over.’”
And so sweet:
“How was I supposed to go an entire semester without touching her? Without holding her and falling asleep in her arms? She’d already carved out a place in my heart…”
The guy knew how to woo on a date too. Too bad there wasn’t more time spent on that, and less spent on the story’s conflicts. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Kara Ellis, 23, was hardworking and smart, and I really enjoyed her approach to their initial “meeting.” She wasn’t self conscious about what she looked like naked; she wasn’t afraid to appreciate him naked; and this was quite refreshing in romanclandia where there are just too many blushing virgins.  We need more heroines like Kara who can enjoy the experience for what it is and who have had some experience.  

There was insta-love, but it wasn’t a big issue here because I could sense their connection. There was no OW drama—woohoo! This was looking good. So color me more than disappointed when the story dropped off in the second half.

For one, I think my patience with student-teacher scenarios is wearing thin, and this one felt contrived in that regard. On one hand I feel like if you’re really into a person, a few months of friendship wouldn’t hurt, nor should it be taboo. Again, the forbidden angle felt forced. Or the simple, mature solution would have been to notify the appropriate university personnel that you already know each other/are involved. No harm, no foul. Surely something could have been worked out if it was a university large enough to have graduate students teaching undergrad classes (not all colleges allow this in the first place). But the story’s eventual resolution turns out, perhaps, to be too convenient. I’m sure this school’s policy on credits was not the one on file during my college days.

I might have been able to shrug off most of that, along with a few errors I picked up along the way and some pacing awkwardness, but then came more angst and…well, personally I felt it went too far. I don’t like depressing twists in my romances, mostly because some of those things I’ve either lived through myself or known others who have. Like many others romance readers, I read romance to escape, and this one hit a personal trigger.  

Told via Heath and Kara’s alternating first person POV, the first half is sweet and sexy, but the later half is drug down with angst.  It just clouded the whole story with a sad feeling. This couple had a ton of potential, but their chemistry eventually became overshadowed by a plot that came to rely too much on angst and a twist that felt like cheap shock value rather than the development of a mature relationship. I also craved more of a sweeping epic epilogue to overcome so much of the depressing turn of events. 

This is probably my last one in this series.  I’m still not connecting with the rest of the series characters. In fact, in both books I found the references to them tiresome, their stories hinted at but their characters never fully dimensional.  For different reasons, their premises are not appealing nor are they romantic to me.

$2.99 for a limited time
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited

~Playlist~


~Also Available~
FREE prequel!!
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited

Maya Hughes has always loved romance novels. One look at her Kindle is confirmation. She started writing her first romance novel while pregnant with her third child and she hasn’t looked back. Now, her romance writing addiction has replaced her romance reading addiction.

You can find her writing on her foldable keyboard and phone anytime inspiration strikes. Her sweet and steamy stories range from rockstars to small towns and everything in between. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her three kids, running errands or vegging on the couch with the love of her life and biggest fan, her husband.

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~Giveaway~