Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Review: Capturing Cora by Madelynne Ellis

This book was so adorable! It started out as boys versus girls in a game of "skittles".  

Miss Cora Reeve is in love with Branwell (Bran) and has been since childhood. When he proposes marriage to her, she is hurt, assumes it's a joke and turns him down in front of his peers.

Bran must convince Cora that he is sincere with his proposal. He has longed for her for quite some time now. He needs to prove she is not another play in his game in the correct gentlemanly way. When Bran and Cora are thrown into a game of hide and seek, it turns hot and Bran shows Cora a sensual side of him. But was it enough to make Cora believe he truly wants a marriage with her?

The book was probably no more than 60 pages and was historical in language. A nice short love story!


Monday, July 30, 2012

Review: Deadly Dance by Dee Davis



Deadly Dance is the ultimate Criminal Minds experience. The members of A-Tac team are made up of CIA agents masquerading as college professors. They have a super secret ops center below the campus of their university. Though they’ve been on the trail of a notorious terrorist group, they are always one step behind.

In this fifth installment of the A-Tac series, the group they’ve been after targets one of their own on a personal level. IT specialist Harrison Blake lost his twin sister to a brutal rapist and serial killer known as the Cyber Killer. Dormant for nine years, it seems the Cyber Killer is back or a close imitation of him is. Someone is picking up where he left off and making Harrison relive the horror. One problem though, these copycat killings draw out the real Cyber Killer and he’s ready to make up for lost time.

Such a great edge of my seat, suspense novel. I felt like I was literally curled up with 400 pages of CBS on Wednesday nights. What was not so great was the romance that developed between Harrison and his A-Tac colleague Hannah Marshall. They just didn’t work for me. I felt like the sex was out of place and the characters were rushed into it. Also, a little irritating was the fact that the team is supposed to be a secret. They have aliases in place for a reason. But yet they were running around their college campus interviewing witnesses; not very professor like. Other than that it was a great suspense thriller. It could easily be a two part episode on Criminal Minds.

Author Spotlight: Patricia Yager Delagrange




Brandy Chambers was looking forward to the birth of her first child.  She and Weston move from San Francisco to the small town of Alameda to start a family, she’s writing her second book, and Weston has a fantastic job working on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge project.  Having this baby would make her already-wonderful life perfect.


But when the baby dies after a difficult birth, Brandy’s perfect life blows up in her face.  Stricken with grief, she and Weston pull apart.  This new distance leads them both to disaster.  Not until a chance encounter with her high school friend, Edward Barnes, does Brandy pull herself together.  Brandy and Weston agree to recommit to each other, striving to forgive infidelity and recreate their previous existence.


Everything is once again going according to plan--until Brandy discovers she’s pregnant.  While she struggles to cope with this new obstacle, Edward Barnes returns to town and discovers she’s having a baby, while Weston is torn between his love for his wife and his anger at her betrayal.  Can Brandy manage to keep her marriage to Weston together?  Will Edward be a part of Brandy’s life if she and Weston separate?


My Favorite School Memory

When asked what my favorite school memory is, I wonder whether it’s possible to have just one favorite memory during so many, many years attending school.  The answer is definitely not.  Why?

What part of school would I write about?  Kindergarten, when I was five years old?  Grammar school from grade 1 through grade 12?  Or how about my four years of college for my Bachelor’s degree then two years at university for my Master’s?

So I will try to wheedle this down to one memory per school time period and hopefully it will give an overview of what I found memorable during my life as a student.

In kindergarten my mother forced my older sister Kathy to take me all the way to the door of the classroom and wait until I entered.  Need I say how very much she hated doing that?  I was such a mommy’s girl, I hated being away from my mother at all.  I’d cry and cry and my sister said she was so humiliated she wanted to die.  Thanks, Kathy, for doing that under duress!

Throughout my grammar school days I was absolutely and unequivocally intrigued with the nuns who taught me for twelve years.  I recall we all wondered if they were “normal” people like the rest of us.  Can you imagine?  They were covered in layers upon layers of thick black fabric, along with the white wimples that dug into their foreheads and the sides of their faces, keeping their hair hidden.  But did they have hair, we wondered?  Did they actually go the the bathroom like the rest of us?  Did they eat the same food as we did?  I kid you not, we saw them as direct messengers from God and we placed them so high on a pedestal, it’s no wonder they ultimately feel off somewhere during my high school days.

My junior year abroad at the University of Madrid was an indescribable experience for someone so young.  I was in the Courses for Foreigners Program and there were people from all over the world who attended these classes - the same classes that the Spanish students were in, taught by Spanish teachers who knew not a bit of English.  It was total immersion.  During that time I lived in the dorms and ate with the other Spanish students as well as those from different countries, and we only spoke Spanish, since that was the language that tied us together.  I made best friends with a Canadian girl whose parents came over at the end of the school year and took us in a car throughout Eastern Europe - something I would never have had the opportunity to experience if it weren’t for them.  We went to Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Austria and saw so much of the countryside and churches and buildings and people.  It was amazing.

I ended my school days at Oregon State University and hated the rain so much, I was horribly homesick for California.  But I made a best friend from Southern California with whom I am still friends, and got my Master’s degree which opened quite a few doors for me in the working world afterward.

Did I have a favorite school experience?  I’d have to say that traveling around Europe and learning about cultures made me more open-minded than I already was, having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I learned that the United States isn’t “the world” and that most Americans are horribly ignorant of other cultures and religions.  I’m so glad I had my eyes ripped open which made me more understanding of our world’s brothers and sisters.





Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, I attended St. Mary’s College, studied my junior year at the University of Madrid, received my B.A. in Spanish at UC Santa Barbara then went on to get my Master’s degree in Education at Oregon State University.  I live with my husband and two teenage children in Alameda, across the bay from San Francisco, along with two very large chocolate labs, Annabella and her son Jack.
My horse lives in the Oakland hills in a stall with a million dollar view.

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Twitter: @Patti Yager

Thursday, July 26, 2012

ARC Review: Need by Sherri Hayes

I am totally hooked on this series! Sherri Hayes can’t write these fast enough for me. How long do I have to wait until the third one? And YES, there is going to be a third one or I will personally picket Ms. Haye’s house until she writes it! You have been warned Ms. Hayes!

Brianna is such a strong and brave woman. She has suffered through so much and yet her will to live and fight has remained strong. Stephan finding her was a stroke of luck and he’s absolutely perfect for her!

One of the things I really like about this story is how things do not just magically happen for any of them. I find myself often complaining that things happen too easily for the characters in many of the stories. That is not the case in the Brianna series. Brianna has to fight for every step forward she makes, and it’s not always a forward progression. She suffers setbacks periodically. This holds true to how things happen in real life.

Stephan is surprisingly mature for his age and manages to provide the things Brianna needs, both physically and emotionally. He continues to push her boundaries but he does it in a caring and methodical manner. Stephan will sometimes ask Brianna to do something without explaining his reasoning to her, at least at first. This does a couple of things, one it requires Brianna to trust him, two it keeps the reader slightly off kilter, as the reasoning is not immediately clear. I like that!

There were several things that really appealed to me about this book. The first was the introduction of Cal Ross to the story. His previous connection to Brianna is proving interesting. I’m extremely curious to see what happens with this in the future. I like that Brianna has Lily to turn to and ask questions. Having someone other than your lover/boyfriend/savior to talk to and ask questions is essential. I also really like Tom. Yes, I know he’s the doorman/security at the penthouse building, but he makes me think of a father figure (I’m assuming age here). He’s taken a liking to Brianna and is very protective of her. I definitely think Brianna needs all the protection she can get, without the smothering. I also really like that as protective and possessive of Brianna as Stephan is, he’s pushing her to become independent and encouraging her to find her own voice.

SPOILER ALERT: Stephan and Brianna finally had sex and it was the sweetest thing. Stephan made sure she was comfortable, relaxed, and enjoying herself. I was completely enthralled by it. I’m hoping sometime in the near future, we can move beyond sweet and get it to HOT HOT HOT!

We’re once again left with questions. We still don’t know exactly why Brianna’s father played a part in her enslavement, although we are closer to knowing why. Knowing why will not ever tell HOW IN THE WORLD HE COULD DO IT TO HIS CHILD??? I’m horrified that any person could do this to another human being. But to do this to your OWN CHILD is pure evil. I’m hoping against hope that it’s all a big misunderstanding and he didn’t really do it.  The last question, or action rather, that better happen is Ian better get his! (Insert really bad words to describe Ian here).

One thing about this series that I waffle on is the speed at which things happen. While I like that things are not easy and happen overly quickly for Brianna and Stephan, I sometimes want the pace picked up a little. I know it’s contradictory but it’s just the way I am!

Ms. Hayes has left us with a HUGE cliffhanger and the only thing that pisses me off about it (because we all know I love cliffhangers) is I have to wait only who know how long until the next one comes out! You better get cracking Ms. Hayes!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Review: On the Prowl by Lucy Felthouse


This book was pretty enjoyable as one woman finds more than she was looking for while out for a night on the town, another woman finds herself aroused after a little goofing off with a coworker, and a married couple seeking to fulfill the woman’s most secret fantasy.  All three stories are both sweet and fun to varying degrees.  I’ll give you a little insight to each of them.

ON THE PROWL is the book’s namesake and lives up to the title perfectly.  A woman goes out to a club hoping to find a little action, and she finds not one, but two men that strike her fancy.  Things work out in a sexy and authentic feeling encounter, leaving the reader happy.

A STROKE OF PEACH is about a woman who works at a stationary store and while looking through the ancient boxes in the storeroom finds some scented pens.  She’s so absorbed in her exploration that she doesn’t hear her coworker sneak up behind her.  They engage in a bit of a war with the scented pens, primarily a peach one.  Fun and games turn serious as things heat up despite the danger of being caught.  This one was definitely a fun and sexy little read.

DOUBLE VISION is about a couple who are very open with each other and often act out their fantasies.  She’s kept one to herself however, and finally gets up the courage to tell him about it.  They have a rule of never bringing anyone else into their married bed, so he gets inventive in fulfilling her fantasy of multiple men.  This story was the most emotional because they’re married and just have that close connection, but that only makes it that much sweeter and sexier.


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Review: Working Out the Kinks by Angela R Sargenti

I was expecting some kinky play, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that while yes, there’s some kink in there, all three stories also had another element in common – a threesome relationship to some degree.  I love ménage stories, so I was thrilled at that discovery.  Read on for a bit about each tale.

XOXO is basically a diary entry from a girl detailing her first get together with her both of her boyfriends at the same time.  I found her love life interesting to have two guys and neither of them having a real problem with that.  It got even better as she brought them both together.  One is her somewhat kinky partner, enjoying a commanding attitude, while the other is pretty vanilla and unsure at first as to how to handle the experience.  He caught on pretty quick though, and the ending hints at more rendezvous and getting the boys in on some action with each other, leaving the reader wanting more.

AUTOBAHN is a story about a girl with a very kinky side and her boyfriend who’s still getting used to it.  He says some mean things, and she makes him pay for them in the best way a girl can.  I have to say it’s a little fun to see a guy mildly interested, but mostly afraid of a strap-on hehe.  Overall it felt a little incomplete, like the story was just a scene taken out of the context of a longer story.  I would’ve liked a little more background as I was confused about Jared’s role when he was introduced.

WORKING OUT THE KINKS is the book’s namesake, so it should be the big show.  I guess it kind of was, as it certainly had the more hardcore experience in it, but it also felt a little awkward in places.  It’s got some strong bondage and BDSM play, which I don’t mind so much, it’s the angle of her cheating so she’ll be punished part that I wasn’t as comfortable with.  I suppose the boys reacted accordingly though, so I digress.  It was certainly a more emotional story than I was expecting.  Plus, I thought the guys were pretty inventive, especially with the use of a Hot Wheels track… 

Review: Restraint by Erica Chilson

Ladies and Gentlemen, please make sure you seat backs and tray tables are in their upright and locked position and that your seatbelts are securely fastened. It’s gonna get bumpy!

This is one sick, twisted, F-ed up story! And I loved every minute of it. The prologue had me hooked in the first two sentences. Then when I actually got into the novel I couldn’t put it down. Ms. Chilson’s imagination is wicked and this is one F-ed up story! I’m going to have to read the next one in the series because I have to know more!

Katya is a switch and visits a local BDSM club, for the first time. When she arrives there she finds that everyone who works there knows her and has instructions to take care of her, watch over her. While she’s there, she’s shoved into a dark room and pinned to the wall. The Dom who has shoved her into the room places a bracelet on her wrist. He takes ownership of her. When Kat gets home, she tries to take the bracelet off, only to find she can’t, no matter what!  Thus begins the game of Kat and mouse. Master Ez tells her, he will reveal himself to her when she figures out who he is.

Katya finally figures out who Master Ez is but the game of Kat and mouse continues. There’s more to this story than meets the eye. Katya continues to use her investigative skills to work through the puzzle and reach the end game. To quote Katya “Game on, Bastards”.

Part way through the story I figured out the end game. I figured out what Katya was supposed to figure out.  I was crushed for her. I was also thinking OMG! This is so F-ed up! I was literally screaming on the inside (I couldn’t scram out loud as my family was asleep and I didn’t want to wake them up).

This is an amazing story and Ms. Chilson has one sick, twisted imagination. I loved every minute of it. I loved it so much; I stayed up until the week hours of the morning to finish it! Now on to the second one in the series: Unleashed. Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your attention, you may now return to your regularly scheduled reading.

Series in reading order:
Restraint
Unleashed
Dexter
Dalton

Coming soon:
Queen
Whitt
Cortez

Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. The author does not endorse nor condone any of the behavior enclosed within. The subject matter is not appropriate for minors. Please note this novel contains explicit sexual situations that include but are not limited to, force, BDSM activities, bi-sexual acts, and multiple partners. If any of the above mentioned acts offend, please do not read. Readers, please play safely, responsibly, and consensually.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Review: Lust and Longing by Naomi Bellina


These stories really only have one thing in common, and from the title you can guess what it is – a stoke of lust or a personal longing is involved for one reason or another for each main character.  Beyond that, every story is different making for a very interesting read.

AN AFTERNOON AT THE LIBRARY is a story about a girl doing research at the library to take her mind off all the sex she’s no longer having.  She sees a hot guy and decides to make a move.  When he mentions he’s seeing someone, instead of backing off, she invites the third party, not knowing what she was in for.   Another ménage story (oh happy day!) that’s fun and sweet, this story has an ending that leaves you wishing it was a longer story so you could keep reading.

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU is a very different story than I was expecting.  A girl who is essentially a prostitute in a time or world (that’s not all that clear) where there are kings and lords is contracted to kill the prince.  This story has some intrigue and violence, but mostly some twists and turns I didn’t see coming.  It was a surprisingly enjoyable little read, but not exactly in the romance or smut department.
ONE MORE TIME is the shortest story in here, only spanning one page.  A girl and guy who’ve broken up have one last go around.  It’s short, but sexy none the less.  It’s almost funny even!

THE HOME FOR WARWARD WOMEN is a story that actually left me feeling dirty just for having read it, and not in a fun way.  It’s a club where women are collected like a second chance shelter – they agree to reside there and behave in return for not going to prison.  Men can join at a high price, and the man we follow intends to pay the price any way he can.  It’s like a high class whore house with questionable consent on the women’s part I felt they were degraded, and I was just really uncomfortable reading this one in particular.

COMPUTER REPAIR SPECIAL is a story about a woman doing a writing project when her computer crashes leading her to call a repair man.  He arrives and she finds him hot, so she decides to do him for a little inspiration.  It truly was a little quickie, but the ending was still kind of surprisingly sweet.

THE IMPORTANCE OF READING LABELS is a story with a little magic in it.  A girl steals her professor’s stash of angel dust, only to discover it’s actually a modified version of demon dust.  She’s left so horny she’s insatiable.  It was sexy even if it was a “just do the first guy you see on the street” kind of situation, but more importantly, I found it kind of funny.  The phrase “instant karma” came to mind as I read!

Review: Rock Me by Cherrie Lynn

To sum it up: Candace Andrews has had enough of pleasing others. In an act of birthday rebellion, she sets out to please herself, by walking into the tattoo parlor owned by her cousin’s ex-boyfriend. All she wants is a little ink, and Brian’s just the guy to give it to her. As soon as she submits to his masterful hands, though, the forbidden attraction she’s always felt for him resurfaces... and she realizes the devilishly sexy artist could give her so much more. Sweet and innocent Candace is the last person Brian expected to see again. She’s everything he’s not, and her family despises him. He doesn’t need the hassle, but he needs her, and this time no one is taking her away. Not even those who threaten to make his life a living hell...

Words.
Can.
Not.
Even.
Describe.


...this book was completely flawless. I loved every single second of it- I never found myself getting bored, wishing a scene turned out differently, or getting frustrated with the characters- it was just that good! As a matter of fact, it isn't usual for me to be completely enthralled from the very first page, but this book just did me in. I told myself that this wasn't going to be a "how much I love Brian" review... but... did I mention, how much I love Brian? I mean, LADIES. The man is utter perfection. Complete deliciousness. And yes, I have to just come out and say it... I think he's probably my favorite hero to date- there's just absolutely no comparison when it comes to him. He's the quintessential black sheep of the family- all tatted up, covered in piercings in places that make even me blush, tan... sexy...puuurrrfect... he takes great pride in his artistic abilities, and very few people take the time to look beneath his bad boy exterior to see a man well worth taking the time to know.

And Candace... I have to say, I just absolutely loved her. I will admit though, I was a bit disappointed a few times towards the end, with how Candace waffled back and forth between strength and insecurity, but I was able to understand her issues, and Brian more than made up for all of her confusion, and helped them both to find their happily ever after. She's honestly, probably a new favorite heroine of mine, and as I'm sure you all know... a good heroine is hard to come by. ...I just love her sweet and innocence- and if you don't know me already, I'm a sucker for the theme revolving around the bad boy who falls for the good girl...*sigh* ...it's pretty rare for me to find a book, where I wake up in the morning totally excited to turn on my kindle and pick up right back where I left off the night before- but Rock Me had me intrigued from start to finish. This is a book where the characters and the story stays with you long after finishing. ...and did I mention it has some of the steamiest scenes? *fanning myself* ...now, I'm not one that finds it necessary to have tons of sex scenes throughout the entire novel- they start to feel like a constant filler, and I usually tend to become a bit bored- but not even once, did I want to hurry any love-making scene between Brian and Candace. It was just so... well... hot! (Let's be honest, the man doesn't lack skills in the bedroom, that's for sure.)

This is my first book by Cherrie Lynn, and it will most definitely not be my last- she just breathes sensuality and life into her characters. Everything about this story was just so well developed, and nothing about the characters felt two-dimensional. There were many times when I even laughed out loud at some of the dialogue between the characters... the conversations, characters, and everything about the book just felt so real. The plot flowed quickly and kept my attention from the first page to the last. This is definitely now added to my "favorites" shelf, and a keeper forever! :) I could go on and on when writing this review, but I think all of you catch my drift... Rock Me freaking Rocked. My. World.

 

Blog Tour: Song In The Wrong Key by Simon Lipson

Michael Kenton is a middle-aged man living in middle-class comfort with wife Lisa and daughters Millie and Katia. Drifting complacently towards retirement, Mike's world is turned upside-down when he is thrown unexpectedly onto the career scrapheap.

While Lisa's career sky-rockets, Mike slobs around in his track suit playing guitar, rekindling his teenage love affair with pop music. Knowing Lisa wouldn't approve, he plots a secret 'comeback' at a grimy Crouch End bistro where music executive Ben, desperate and out of time, asks if he can enter one of Mike's songs into the Eurovision Song Contest. With nothing to lose, Mike focuses on Eurovision but quickly finds himself staring down the barrel of low level fame. His crumbling marriage now page five news, he must choose between his musical dream and mending his broken family, a task complicated by the re-appearance of ex-love of his life Faye.


A laugh-out-loud comedy about love, family, friendship and Euro- tack by acclaimed stand-up and comedy writer Simon Lipson.



Excerpt

Mike has just been fired by his boss Pete. He has spent the afternoon at home moping in disbelief. Now his wife Lisa has just walked in and found him lying on the bed staring at the wall.

  ‘Pete? How could he, the bastard?’ growled Lisa.  
  ‘Ach, don’t shoot the messenger.’
  ‘All those years. For what?’
  ‘I know. Great start to the New Year.’
  ‘Doesn’t get better than this.’
  Lisa was prowling around me like a furious cat as I lay prostrate atop the duvet in my faded blue towelling robe and M & S moccasins. I’d hardly moved all afternoon, emerging from the bedroom only briefly for a quick shower which, rather than refresh me, had dampened my spirits still further. If Norman Bates had pitched up in Chiswick for some reason and found his way into the bathroom with his stiletto, I’d have let him get on with it. 
  ‘Didn’t you tell him we’re going to struggle financially?’ said Lisa.
  ‘He knows that’s not true.’
  ‘So?’
  ‘They’re not running a charity, are they? What do they care?’
  ‘Well what the hell are you going to do?’
  Lisa was already thinking beyond the emotional impact. Ever the practical one. ‘I don’t know. I’ll have to find something.’
  ‘I mean, seriously, we can’t afford to be smug about it. It’s all very well saying we’re ok, but when you add up the school fees and the mortgage and the council tax and…all the other stuff we have to pay for…’
  She was right. My salary tipped us into the warmer climes of comfortable; without it, there would have to be sacrifices. Maybe the exquisitely tailored Jaeger suit Lisa was wearing would have to last her a while longer. Just as well there were another twelve in the wardrobe.  
  ‘Why you?’ she said.
  ‘I don’t know. I keep asking myself the same question.’ Even though I knew the answer.
  Lisa smiled, her features softening at last, along with her tone. ‘I kept telling you, though, didn’t I? You were always vulnerable. You’re not a salesman, Mikey.’ Her first response was always that of a street fighter in the face of adversity, but she knew when to don the kid gloves. She draped her jacket neatly over the chair in the corner and sat in it, crossing her slim, shiny legs with a swish. She wasn’t quite ready to offer a consoling cuddle. 
  ‘Why didn’t they fire Arnie? He’s useless.’
  I shrugged, but he was making the company some money, useless
or otherwise. What did that make me? ‘I thought I was doing ok. I
nearly got Virgin.’
  ‘But…you said they blew you out of the water after the first submission.’
  Oh yeah, of course I did. That’s not what I told Pete, mind. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep track of which fib you’ve spun to whom. ‘Yeah. Ok, they did. But if I’d got in to see Branson…’
  I’d have had more chance of running Branson down on my bike in a Wolverhampton cul-de-sac. 
  ‘Don’t want to be...I mean, I did tell you to go back to hands-on IT maintenance, didn’t I?’ said Lisa. ‘You’re a geek.’
  ‘That’s a compliment, right?
  ‘Why didn’t they fire Arnie? He’s useless.’
  I shrugged, but he was making the company some money, useless
or otherwise. What did that make me? ‘I thought I was doing ok. I
nearly got Virgin.’
  ‘But…you said they blew you out of the water after the first submission.’
  Oh yeah, of course I did. That’s not what I told Pete, mind. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep track of which fib you’ve spun to whom. ‘Yeah. Ok, they did. But if I’d got in to see Branson…’
  I’d have had more chance of running Branson down on my bike in a Wolverhampton cul-de-sac. 
  ‘Don’t want to be...I mean, I did tell you to go back to hands-on IT maintenance, didn’t I?’ said Lisa. ‘You’re a geek.’
  ‘That’s a compliment, right?
  Lisa arched her perfectly plucked eyebrows with mild amusement. ‘So, have you been in touch with any recruitment agencies or looked on the internet…or have you just been lying there feeling sorry for yourself all afternoon?’
  ‘Lying here feeling sorry for myself. Ok? Leese, I’ve just lost my job after 17 years. My career’s in tatters. I have no income. And I’m forty-two, which makes me…unemployable. Probably need a day to absorb that little feast of good news?’
  Lisa rose regally from the chair, her lustrous, mid-length black hair swaying like liquid silk around her chiselled face. She floated to the bed and smiled, then deposited a tender kiss on my glowing cheek. ‘Tomorrow, then,’ she said.
  And then we had sex. Now I recognise that any neutral observer would identify this as the most blatant pity-fuck in history. But it wasn’t. Honestly. Lisa occasionally came home from work bristling, hackles proud and prickly, raw edges sticking out at awkward angles, and the only way to file them down into soft little bumps was a bout of fierce intercourse. Great marital sex is usually the first thing sacrificed at the altar of children, mortgages, pensions, work…life. Or so I’m told. Well not in our house. Everything else might have been up in the air, my career down the pan, our relationship on the brink of flat-lining, but sex, when it happened, was always electric. 
  We lay there afterwards, Lisa caressing my chest with her efficient, warm hand while I stroked her damp neck with the back of a finger. It was perfect but transient, the nagging ulcer of our new predicament hanging over us like a pall. Downstairs, shirty little voices were beginning to rise, the familiar genesis of a major row over nothing. Time to get up and referee. I disentangled myself from Lisa’s luxury limbs and swivelled, ready to stand. Lisa placed her hand on my back and whispered, ‘I still love you Mike. Don’t worry, you’ll muddle through.’
  Still? It wasn’t the most ringing endorsement. I stood up with a grunt and started to put on my towelling robe, but a fierce bang foreshadowed the arrival of the puce-faced Katia who barrelled through the bedroom door yelling, ‘Mum, she just took all my yellow paint and chucked it in the sink…’
  Millie clattered in behind her. ‘No I didn’t. I was painting and she just…’
  Both of them stopped in their febrile tracks, eyes wide, horror-stricken, as I hurriedly covered my crotch with the robe. But the damage had been done, prompting a sudden volte-face. They fled, a fiery ball of revulsion, their exaggerated screams turning, eventually, to mirthful mockery and cries of, ‘Yeugh, gross! Oh. My. God!’  
  Sadly, it wasn’t the first time my genitals had engendered ridicule.


Bio

Simon Lipson was born in London and took a law degree at the LSE. After a spell as a lawyer, he co-founded legal recruitment company Lipson Lloyd-Jones in 1987. In 1993, Simon took his first tentative steps onto the comedy circuit and has since become an in-demand stand-up and impressionist across the UK, as well as a regular TV and radio performer/writer. His broadcasting credits include Week Ending, Dead Ringers, Loose Ends and Fordham & Lipson (co-wrote and performed own 4 part sketch series) on Radio 4; Interesting...Very Interesting and Simon Lipson's Xmas Box on Radio 5 and And This Is Them on Radio 2. He is also an experienced voice artiste who has voiced hundreds of advertisements as well as cartoons and documentaries. His first novel, Losing It, a thriller, was published by Matador in 2008. Simon is a columnist for Gridlock Magazine (www.gridlockmagazine.com).His next novel, Standing Up, will be published by Lane & Hart in Autumn 2012.


www.songinthewrongkey.com
www.simonlipson.com
http://www.facebook.com/simon.lipson.3
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Song-In-The-Wrong-Key-Simon-Lipson/140280092721031;
Twitter: @SimonLipson
www.simonlipson.blogspot.co.uk
Buy links – paperback and Kindle:
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/xaosKp
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/yo7bpY
My show, The Accidental Impressionist, is on at the Camden Fringe 20 – 23 August @ 8pm. Everyone welcome! Details and tickets here: http://j.mp/JDPBnu


Friday, July 20, 2012

Review: Fury of Fire by Coreene Callahan

OMG! OMG! OMG! Ok, now that I’ve got that out of my system. OMG!  I LOVED this book.  In the first 70 pages we had hot alpha males looking to hook up, a full scale dragon battle, a newborn baby, love at first sight and the McDonalds Big Mac jingle. This book was 400 pages of pure adrenaline mixed in with hot sex and even sexier dragonshifters!

As I was reading this book I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between this series of characters and those in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series (BDB). I love BDB. While the characters and parts of the storyline (2 factions fighting-one evil, one good, and the good guys are smoking hot!), the Dragonfury series is independent and unique. Her writing style is also very different from Ward’s. So, while I definitely draw comparisons between the two, they are in no way exactly alike.

I like the way Coreene dove right into the story, no backbuilding or history. She just throws the reader right in, sink or swim. She also starts out with a bang. There’s a dragon fight before you even get out of the starting gate! All of this adds to the adrenaline pumping for the reader. The battles are well described and full of action, I could see the battles in my mind. It was almost like watching my own personal movie. Coreene managed to do this without boring me with so many details I wanted to scream. The imagery flowed with the battle and was a natural element to the descriptions. The one place the imagery failed me was the description of the house where Bastian and his men live. I’m hoping as we get more descriptions in later books, it will become more clear in my mind.

The love story between Bastian and Myst is out of this world. I like how Myst keeps fighting what’s going on with Bastian, because, really? Dragons? But once they touch, all bets are off. This is all due to the energy Myst wields. We learn a little about the Meridian and the energy that flows from the Meridian through Myst in this story. We also learn of the importance of that energy to the dragons. I still feel a little lost when it comes to that aspect of the story and I’m hoping we learn more about it in the coming books.

The tension and the subsequent releasing of the tension between Myst and Bastian was hawt, hawt, hawt. Did I mention it was HAWT!!! The mental imagery of Myst flying over the table, sending china flying to get to Bastian is not one that will leave me anytime soon!

In addition to all of the hot sex, smoking hot alpha men and the adrenaline rush, I love the way Coreene has introduced us to the next female to get sucked into their world. In fact, she left us with a cliffhanger at the end. And I do love a good cliffhanger!

Overall this is a very good book and I can’t wait to read more. The second one has already been released and I’ll be picking it up shortly so I can continue with the series. I will have to pace myself though, as the third one doesn’t come out until November and the fourth isn’t even listed yet. So, while I love cliffhangers and really good series, I HATE waiting for the next books to come out. I am not a patient woman!

One last note, how can you not love a book that has the McDonald’s  Big Mac theme song, Maxwell House commercial theme and a libido screaming Pick Me! Pick Me! Pick Me!? I mean come on! How often to do you find that in a book?


Review: Amber Moon by Ann Mayburn

I'm not going into a full review since this is a novella. So here are my thoughts instead-

This is a very short and spicy little number. With only 30 pages or so, Ann Mayburn was able to capture the characters and the story in just the right about of time to sink line and hook me. The characters felt very real, excerpt for the part where they're werepumas of course. The romance between all three was very hot! The story was short, but enough was given to make you forget it was a novella...until the very end when I wanted more!

This was my first read by Ann and I enjoyed her writing style very much. It was smooth and easy to read and best of all hot! I definitely plan on reading the rest of the books in this series down the line.

Warning: This book contains f/f and f/f/m scenes or is it f/m/f? Which ever it is, just know there is a menage with two woman and a man.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Moonlight Masquerade Giveaway Hop!



Sign up for the Moonlight Masquerade Giveaway hop!
Hosted by My Secret Romance and Day Dreaming

Do you have a secret crush you're afraid to reveal yourself to? Worried they'll be either too sweet or too sour? Does the thought of hiding behind a mask excite you? Would you like to fall under the spell of a brooding dark vampire and let him sink his fangs into? Or how about a sexy shifter built thick and hard that you're just dying to pounce on? Well then, come join us as we celebrate all those things that are wicked on Halloween!



Here are the details:

* Any blogger or author can sign up
* Add your information to the linky below
* Grab the code of the picture below and add it to the side bar of your blog
* Choose a book that is related to Halloween-books, candy, Halloween attire
* You are responsible for your own giveaway.
* Please list if this is a US/CAN/INT giveaway 
* Post should be up on October 25th at 12am
* I will send an email closer to hop date with all the info and codes needed for the hop










If you have any questions, please email me at Taryn@mysecretromancebookreviews.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Review: Guarding Jess by Shannon Curtis

WOW!  That was an amazing emotional roller coaster and I loved every minute of it! Jessica is an etiquette coach, so appearances are everything for her. Noah is ex-military (Green Beret) and now handles personal security. Noah’s new assignment, protect Miss Manners from a stalker. First impressions are everything and they both got it wrong when they first met. Over the next few weeks, they slowly fell in love with each other. But will Jess survive the stalker?

I really enjoyed this story and was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. The story flowed and I loved the characters. I would have liked to have more of Noah’s story. His story seems a little stilted. However, this is the second in what appears to be a series of McCormack Security Agency series, so I still may get to know more about Noah in the future.

My heart bled for Jessica as we heard her story. She had such a difficult time growing up and she’s tried so hard to make things easier for herself and other around her. It’s apparent that she’s become a wonderful person and tries so hard to give back to those around her.

They mystery was well written. Even though I did figure out who the stalker was early on in the story, I was quite impressed in how the stalker accomplished the things they did. There was one aspect I never did get answered when it came to the stalker. How did they get the intimate details about Jessica’s clients? That was one question I would have liked to have received an answer for.

The budding romance between Noah and Jessica was pretty typical for these types of stories. Even though it followed the typical pattern, I still enjoyed it and found it to be very enjoyable. The tension between them kept building and building until they exploded! The sex scenes between them were very tastefully done and not extremely graphic. Even without the graphic nature of the scenes, it was easy to feel the passion they were feeling and get sucked into it right along with them.

The ending was in no way disappointing. Shannon Curtis didn’t pull any punches when it came to the ending. Things happened that I didn’t want to happen, and people died that I didn’t want to die. This upped the ante on the suspense in the final show down.

Overall a very good book and I can’t wait to read more in this series.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Hot Summer Nights Giveaway Hop!




Welcome to the Hot Summer Nights Giveaway Hop!! 
Thank you The Book Nympho and Bona Fide Reflections for hosting this event!


The book I am giving away is one I came across by accident looking at quotes on goodreads. I saw this quote and it was all I needed for me to make up my mind- 

 “I bet Josh doesn’t kiss you like that, Lauren,” he said, his voice as strained as her own. He pulled a ragged breath, his eyes half-lidded, his pupils dilated. “Tell me he does and I’ll walk away right now, but I’ll know if you’re lying. I always did. I don’t want to compete for you, babe, but I will. I will show you what this Josh can’t give you, I will reawaken the pleasure I gave you all those years ago until you can’t think of anyone else but me. Until you forget all about Josh and let me make you mine again.” 

Seriously, couldn't you just melt over that?! Plus, Nick is a rock star! I'm bet he has all the right moves. So that is my giveaway for this hop! I will be giving away one ebook copy of Love's Rhythm by Lexxie Couper. I will do it at any book store of the winners choice.
 

His music moves the world. Can his love move her heart?

Nick Blackthorne knows all about words of love. They’re the reason he’s the world’s biggest rock star. The irony? He turned his back on love a long time ago, lured away by the trappings of fame.

An invitation to a friend’s wedding is a stark reminder of how meaningless his life has become. When he enters that church, there’s only one woman he wants on his arm—the one he walked out on a lifetime ago. But first he has to find her, even if all she accepts from him is an apology.

Kindergarten teacher Lauren Robbins once had what every woman on the planet desires. Nick. Their passion was explosive, their romance the stuff of songs…and it took fifteen years to get over him. Then out of the blue Nick turns up at her door, and all those years denying her ache for him are shattered with a single, smoldering kiss.

But molten passion can’t hide the secret she’s kept for all these years. Because it’s not just her heart on the line anymore…and not just her life that’ll be rocked by the revelation.

Product Warnings
Remember your first crush on a rock star? Now add smoldering sex, a raw and undeniable passion, soul-shattering orgasms. And secrets…


To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment telling your favorite rock star book. Remember to LIKE MY FACEBOOK PAGE and leave your email address so I can contact the winner. Thanks and good luck!



1.The Book Nympho (US & CA)39.Reading On The Wild Side
2.Grace@ Books of Love40.My Secret Romance
3.S, E, R's Awesomness!41.Obscured Vixen
4.Addicted 2 Heroines42.Lori @ Romancing the Darkside (INT)
5.The Jeep Diva {US & Int}43.Dani Harper, PNR author (INT)
6.Mystifying Paranormal Reviews (US)44.Ana Hart (INT)
7.Paranormal Itch Reviews45.Another Look Book Reviews (INT)
8.Christen @ Goldilox and the Three Weres46.KH LeMoyne, UFR author (US)
9.Hot Listens (Us & Int)47.Michelle Clay
10.Jen at Red Hot Books (US & CA)48.Felicity Heaton, PNR author (INT)
11.Savannah Chase49.Salacious Reads
12.Book Whore (US & INT)50.Day Dreaming
13.Diane Thorne - Paranormal Erotic Romance (US& Int)51.Other Worlds & Realities (INT)
14.Danielle @ Romance Book Junkies - The Vampire Queen's Servant52.Romance Book Club
15.Inside BJ's Head (INT)53.Best Erotic Books
16.Book Savvy Babe54.Bonnie Bliss
17.Regan Walsh55.Carly Fall - Where Fantasy Meets Romance (INT)
18.Jackie@ HWB&CS (US& INT)56.The Revolving Bookcase (US)
19.Riverina Romantics57.Happily Ever After - Reads (US/ CAN)
20.Laura @ Little Read Riding Hood58.Mary @SweepingMe (INT)
21.Hesperia Loves Books (INT)59.Read Our Lips! Book Review Blog
22.J.R. @ J.R. After Dark (International)60.Blackraven's Erotic Cafe (INT)
23.LITERAL ADDICTION (INT)61.AJ's Reading Nook (INT)
24.Reading Diva's Blog (INT)62.Donya Lynne
25.Stacey O' Neale63.LJ DeLeon
26.Tabby @Insightful Minds64.Natasha Blackthorne ~ Erotic Historical Romance
27.DC Juris65.Jessica E. Subject (Int.)
28.Anna's Book Blog (US)66.Brandie Buckwine
29.Guilty Pleasures67.Urban Girl Reader (Int)
30.Malia Mallory (INT)68.Amanda the Book Slayer (INT)
31.Cocktails and Books (Int)69.The Book Tart (INT)
32.Jess @ Wickedly Bookish70.Book Monster Reviews
33.Jennifer Lynne71.Diane Thorne
34.Awesome Sauce Book Club (INT)72.Dominique Eastwick (INT)
35.Talk Supe (INT)73.Candace Blevins
36.Lisa Beth Darling (INT)74.Melissa @ Spews of My Views
37.Kerry- Ann @ A Redheads Guilty Reads75.Jennifer James (INT)
38.Lauren's Book Bag (INT)76.You're next!

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