The Things I Do For You by Minx Malone

Grade-D-
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Series-The Alexanders #2
Reviewed by Kay

Nick Alexander is a financial whiz kid and a bit of a reputed playboy. He owns the reputation with no problem at all but it is more of who he used to be. He had a blistering one night stand with his future sister-in-law awhile back and that has him rethinking his ways.

Raina Winters is a model whose biggest hope is to be a mother. She has endometriosis and has a timetable to get pregnant. She also has a fiancee who seems to be on the same page with a marriage of convenience. She will never forget the night of passion she shared with Nick, her future brother-in-law.

I loved the premise of the book and that's what drew me in. What the book became was tedious and infuriating. Raina was a horribly selfish and annoying heroine. She constantly fought against her feelings for Nick. I won't tell you how they end up as a couple just in case you want to read it for yourself. Nick does everything he can to prove himself and I thought it was a bit ridiculous. I have read Minx Malone before and enjoyed it but not this offering, not at all.

The Jezebel by Saskia Walker

Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Low Kink
Genre: Historical set Paranormal
Series: Taskill Witches #3
Reviewed by Anne

Maisie is a witch.  After being forced to watch her mother burned at the stake, Maisie is taken in (actually, nearly kidnapped) by a very rich couple who keep her safe and raise her.  Unfortunately, her adoptive "father" Cyrus is also grooming her to be his possession and tool.  He raises her to be afraid of witch hunters and hide her powers, all while guiding her to use them for his benefit.  Once Maisie realizes what is going on, she runs away and talks ship captain Roderick Cameron into taking her aboard his ship, which is on its way to her homeland of Scotland.  In exchange for the trip she agrees give him her virginity.  He doesn't believe she's a virgin, but agrees to take her on in exchange for sex.

One of the most delightful things about this book is how this setup is quickly turned upside down.  Just reading the summary above or the back of the book blurb sets you up to think Maisie is sacrificing her virginity in order to escape a horrible situation.  In actuality, you find out quickly that losing her virginity will bring her into her full witchy powers.  She knows this, and is using Roderick for her own means.  This makes it so they come into this relationship on pretty equal grounds, and that was refreshing!

Maisie also turns out to really enjoy sex, and isn't shy about that.  Roderick, in turn, really enjoys the fact that Maisie enjoys sex.  There's no slut shaming and no "sex=evil" in this story which was great!  

 

Maisie is also a strong character.  She finds herself in a tough situation and devises a plan to get herself out of it.  I found myself rooting for her, and as much as I liked Roderick, I really wanted Maisie to be her own hero and save herself.  I want you to enjoy this book without me spoiling it for you, so I won't detail how things worked out, but I was really happy with the resolution of things.

 

One final note: This is the third book in the Taskill Witches series. However, I had no problems following along without having read the first two. It stand alone very well - the only problem is you'll want to go back and read the first two, because this one was so good!

Bonds of Need by Lynda Aicher

Grade: B
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: BDSM, high kink
Genre: Contemporary, BDSM
Series: Wicked Play #2
Reviewed by Kate

Kendra, a masochist, has escaped an abusive relationship with her self-esteem in tatters and has decided to never give someone the power to hurt her like that again.  That means she will ignore her sexual desires and needs instead.  But when she attends an open night at a sex club (as a way to prove to herself that she no longer needs the pain), she realizes she can't bury her needs forever.  Deklan, co-owner of the sex club, has met Kendra before, but when he sees her at the club he thinks he might be able to help her accept her needs.  And Deklan is always a giver and helper.  Deklan and Kendra enter into a two month Dom/sub contract, but both make discoveries about themselves that change everything.

 

This book was a little more intense, pain-wise, than most other BDSMs that I have read.  A masochist as a heroine was a new experience for me and I enjoyed Kendra's character a lot.  She is a strong woman who has lost herself and is fighting to get back to some sort of normal.  Deklan is a wounded hero who has failed to help too many times in the past.  He struggles with allowing Kendra to find her own way, not helping too much.  I loved watching Kendra and Deklan change during the course of their contract.  I look forward to reading more of this series (the first book is now added to my TBR list) and more by this author.

 

 

Once Tempted by Laura Moore

Grade-D
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Series-Silver Creek #1
Reviewed by Kay

Tess Casari was swept off of her feet into a whirlwind romance and marriage. Less than six months later, she was a estranged widow. Distraught and terribly insecure she plays pin-the-tail-on-the-location and moves to start fresh.

Ward Knowles is a ranch at his family's vacation ranch. He's kind of sullen and somber. He has had his own share of disappointment in the love department. His ex-fiancee dumped him for what she thought was something more.

When Tess starts working at the ranch, she immediately dislikes him despite her attraction to him. Ward doesn't dislike her but is cautious regarding his attraction to her. They play a cat and mouse game with each other and their feelings. As the relationship grows, they each learn more about the other and their secrets.

The story was okay but nothing special. I felt bored throughout most of it and had to force myself to finish it. This was my first novel by this author. It was hard to connect totally with the characters. I pitied Tess for the tragedy she went through with her deceased husband and his family. It ended nicely which was a plus. There were love scenes but they were too tame for me. This would probably be a good read for someone who likes a more tame and/or sedate love story.

Too Hot to Handle by Victoria Dahl

Grade - B

Hotness Level - Blaze
Kink Level - no kink
Genre - Contemporary

Series - Jackson #1
Reviewed by Anne

Merry has been a tumbleweed through life, but she's finally putting down roots and showing her family and friends she can be a success.  She's gotten a job as curator of a ghost town.  She's going to develop it and turn it into a tourist attraction.  Shane lives across the hall from Merry.  He has ties to the ghost town that Merry doesn't know about.  In fact, he is contesting a will that has direct effect on the ghost town.  Merry knows he does carpentry work and asks him to do some restoration work in the ghost town.  Shane accepts the job, thinking he can get a little inside information on the committee opposing him in the lawsuit about the will.  When he starts feeling attracted to Merry, his deception weighs on him, but not quiet enough for him to come clean.

I usually don't like this kind of set up.  I'm not a fan of BIG SECRETS.  And I was initially annoyed at this one.  However, the farther I got into the story, the more believable it got.  Shane tells himself, just a little while longer.  With every passing day you know the revelation of the big secret will be even more painful, but I found myself rooting for them to stay in the lie just a little longer, because they were so good for each other and I knew the truth would rip them apart.  So I understood why Shane kept the secret.  In the end, I felt like his grovel and apology were fitting for the hurt he caused and I was ok with everything.

 

Other than the BIG SECRET, I really have nothing to complain about. I loved Shane and Merry's chemistry.  Victoria Dahl is such a fun and funny writer!  There were so many stand out scenes in this book.  The shower scene, the hidden vibrator scene, all the moments between Merry and Grace were delightful, too.  I really enjoy a book where the characters have real friends.  Raylene at the bar was a hoot!  

 

This is the second book in the Jackson series.  I haven't read the first book and I followed this one just fine.  I'm going to read the first one, though, because Grace was such a good friend to Merry and such a strong woman that I want to know more about her.  This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it!  Dahl is back on my favorite writers list.

Wolf With Benefits by Shelly Laurenston

Grade-A+
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Series-Pride #8
Reviewed by Kay and Anne

Anne and Kay are both huge Laurenston fans.   This is their joint review.

Kay: Ricky Lee Reed is one of those "Reed Boys". He's a wolf shifter from the Smith pack. He has recently relocated from Tennessee to New York to work security for Llewellyn Security, a shifter run company. Oh, he's also a slow talkin', swagger walkin', non blasphemin' Southern redneck hillbilly.

Antonella Jean-Louise Parker is a jackal shifter and very much a little girl lost in her family of prodigies. She's the eldest child of her family and has devoted her life up until this point to them. She constantly handles and protects every aspect of their lives. Let's not forget, these are shifter children, so to say they are handfuls, is an understatement.

This couple's romance builds slowly. It never boils but it was still precious to read. I was afraid I'd have unanswered questions at the end of the book but I didn't. I got to find out not only who the culprit was but what kind of shifter Livy was. This book had a little of everything. Romance, mystery and suspense.

Shelly Laurenston is a phenomenal author! This latest edition to her Prides series is a masterpiece. This is writing at its finest. Her best book by far and I say that every time she releases a new one. She has hit her stride and keeps on improving book to book. I am worshipping at the alter of Ms. Laurenston. At a time when I was asking myself who my favorite paranormal author is, I now have my answer. If you have never read a Shelly Laurenston novel yet, what the heck is wrong with you?

Anne:  I love Laurenston, too!  Her books suck me in and take me away from my real world!  I love the swearing and violence – though there was a little less swearing in this one due to Ricky Lee’s delicate sensibilities. :)  I don’t think I’d call this Laurenston’s best book yet, though.  For me that will probably always be either Irene and Niles’ book (“Miss Congeniality” in When He Was Bad) or Bo and Blayne’s book (Beast Behaving Badly.)  The fact that Wolf With Benefits has Irene AND Bo and Blayne as secondary characters is what pushed it to an A rating for me.

I thought Ricky Lee and Toni’s story was ok.  I wasn’t blown away by it.  I thought the story was more about Toni’s relationship with her family, especially her siblings.  So, on that basis it would have been a B for me, but when you add in the siblings, Bo and Blayne, and Irene…  well I KNOW I’m going to read it again.  So it bumps to an A.

 

What did you think of Toni's oldest sister, Delilah?  I thought she was horribly creepy!

 

Kay: I agree with you, Anne. She was creepy. She made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Her detachment was chilling. The scene between Olivia and her was scary. I thought the resolution was a little too simple though. What do you think?

Anne: Delilah’s story line made me sad. I really, really was hoping for redemption. I mean, here she was in this wonderful family, and I wanted that to be enough. I didn’t really like the resolution with Delilah either. Oddly, I think it was too complicated for me. There was a very simple ending that I wanted. I understood what they did, and even why they did it that way, but I didn’t like it.

Kay: And what about when they had to go looking for Miki?

 

Anne: While I vaguely remember that they did go see Miki, I don’t really remember it and can’t find it easily on my reader. 

 

Kay: DeeAnn goes to find Miki, who is part of the Magnus Pack. DeeAnn is the only one not afraid to risk the wrath of Sarah, the alpha female of the Magnus Pack. When she came out with the gun on the porch in her long T-shirt, I laughed so hard.

 

Anne:  Oh, yeah!  That was good! I bookmarked some favorite parts.  I LOVED this coversation between Kyle (Toni's 11 year old artist prodigy brother) and Bo Novikov:
 

(Novikov asks) “So do you play hockey?”

“No, sir."

“Really, How come?"

“Because I plan to use my brilliance for something real and important, not something petty like sports."

"Sorry?"

“See, what I like about what you do,” the boy explained, his hands accenting with each word, his voice intense, “is the raw rage and violence. I can use that in my work. And while you’ll probably be forgotten soon after you retire, which is the way of you athletic types whose happiest years are usually when you’re in high school… my legacy will live on for centuries. People will study my work, copy it. My work will start a new art movement, a new wave of creativity born out of blood and violence and rage. And you… youMr. Novikov will be my David."

"David?"

"Like Michaelangelo’s David? But instead my piece will be called Jean-Louis Parker’s Novikov, and it will be the greatest art anyone has ever seen. And you… you, Mr. Novikov, will be my muse."
 

This exchange between the two of them, and so many more scenes with Toni's siblings were just hilarious!  I also really loved Ricky Lee's wolf patience while pursuing Toni.  He was content to be with her and wait for her (or her family) to provide entertainment.  He saw through to the heart of things with her quickly, but was patient enough to let things play out over time.  I really enjoyed that.  Did you have a favorite part?
  

Kay: I also enjoyed the scenes where people tried to guess what Olivia was.   I was a little irritated with how Blayne was treated and am shocked that Bo put up with it. I love Blayne and Toni being mean to her did not sit sell with me at all.

Anne: Olivia!  She was awesome!  I was so afraid we wouldn't get to know *what* she was.  And when it was finally revealed, I laughed and laughed! 

I actually kind of appreciated that someone didn't fall in love with Blayne immediately.  I've always thought she was annoying, though in an endearing way. :) It was hilarious that Toni couldn't remember her name!

Back when we started this review, you said Laurenston just may be your favorite paranormal author.  I think that’s true for me, too.  I really love her books, and this one is one of her best – not so much in the romance for me, but the overall story and humor.  Awesome book!

 

Most Likely to Succeed by Katie Davies

Grade: C
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, Novella
Series: Girl Most Likely to... #1
Reviewed by: Anne

 

Kelsey and Nathan were lab partners back in high school.  Despite having feelings for each other, they never acted on them and lost touch once college rolled around.  Because of this, Nathan doesn't know that Kelsey didn't end up going to college.  Instead, when her mother fell ill, she helped out in her mother's flower shop and ended up staying there.  Now it's class reunion time and Kelsey is ashamed to have her brilliant lab partner discover what she's been doing.

 

Thankfully (for me, hater of BIG SECRETS) this big secret isn't a secret for long.  That was a point in the story's favor.  Unfortunately, it really took a while for this one to be enjoyable for me.  The first half of my copy of the novella is full of bookmarks with comments from me like:

"Wow, that's an odd thing to do after years apart."

"Hero seems to be a saint with no flaws."

"Answers the door in a towel.  Really?"

"Awfully touchy with a stranger."

"Whatever."

The book also has one of my personal pet peeves... sex on top of the hotel comforter.  I just don't trust that that those are washed every time!  PLEASE, fold back the comforter and have sex on the sheets!

 

Once I got past the midpoint of the book (and ignored the comforter sex) the story really grew on me.  Nathan is pretty perfect, but he makes some very real mistakes with Kelsey and things get kind of messy.  That was believable to me and I enjoyed seeing the two of them work through it.  By the end of the novella, I wanted it to be longer.  I wanted to see more of Kelsey's transformation.

 

Interestingly, it looks like the books in this series (I'm going to guess there will be 3) are all taking place during the same 4 days of the high school reunion.  There were enough teasers to really make me want to read the second book, Cutest Couple, which comes out in April.  So, my overall grade is a C, but it's a hopeful C.