Mr Beautiful - R K Lilley

Oh I waited so long for this book to come out and it did not disappoint,

There were snip bits of everyone's lives: Frankie & Estella, Lana & Akira, Stephan & Javier

It filled on so many blanks. Like where Frankie met Estella, how Stephan and javier became closer, all the little tidbits that were missed because you were so engrossed by James & Bianc. But it also gave us more insight into James' Point of view and how he felt and explained his actions.

Amazing book by an amazing author.

The Will by Kristen Ashley

I'm a huge fan of everything Kristen Ashley writes.

This book I have to say didn't appeal to me as much as the others. the main character, Josephine, was a bit stuffy and pretentious. She wasn't a easy to relate to.

I could understand why she behaved the way she did but then she had lovers and all of the men she met were ga-ga over her which again didn't make sense since she was just a bit too stuck up. She also spoke in a style which didn't really appeal to me. She was a photographer's assistant but she spoke like she was the Queen. Not my thing.

All this considered, the book was actually a lovely story. Jake, like all Ashley's heroes was an Alpha male doing the best he could even if it wasn't all very respectable.

If you like JB Salsbury's Fighting series, you'll love this because Jake is a fighter and it's hot! ;)

The adoring males were a little too much but then that is a common theme in many of Kristen Ashley's books.

All in all, a great story, just didn't warm up to the heroine so much.

Unwound - Lorelei James - the Mastered Series

page contents So after being left at a cliffhanger a la 50 shades, I had to pick up Unwound to find out what happened.

It took me a long time to read this because it just didn't hold my interest. I wasn't motivated to keep reading. 

I love Lorelei James' cowboy books. There is a strong storyline and amazing intense characters. This book had no real storyline. No real transformation of characters. Yes. Amery becomes a bit more open minded and stands up for herself but seriously she needed to do that a long time ago.  Ronin also became a little Less hard-headed. 

This really lacked a storyline. Lots of surprises and rope bondage, which wasn't really my thing, 

I would have liked to have read more about Shiori and the family but that may come in future books. It felt unfinished and like the author suddenly realised in the last few chapters that she had spent so much time on the bondage scenes that she needed to suddenly tie up all the other loose ends. 

Driven, Fueled and Crash - K Bromberg

I started reading this series after seeing that te author had received a lot of bad press. Not sure what the controversy was but it had me curious.  

I have to say, I didn't really enjoy Driven so much. Colton came across as an asshole and Rylee was somewhat annoying in her lack of self confidence. 

This book also felt like a mix of Fifty Shades and Bared to You in Driven and then a strong feel of This Man in Crash, especially the ending and epilogue. I also was reminded a lot of Bad Things with Rylee's accident and Connected by the loss of a loved one. It felt like a real mix of lots of other books. 

Fueled was somewhat better but Driven stole the show. The depth of emotion and the surprises made me not want to put the book down. 

There are some deep issues in this story and I loved the themes that ran through all 3 books. 

The imagery of the super heroes is quite vivid and captivating, especially in the last book. I found I kept looking for the subtle signs: checkered flags and superheroes. 

The ending was just what this series needed - warmth and happiness. 

Interview with a Master - Jason Luke

I was intrigued when I saw this new BDSM novel, written by a man! Who knows what insight it would bring? 

So I picked it up and started reading. 

There was not much emotion and being written from a man/Master's point of view completely, made for an interesting read. 

I got about halfway through before I realised that there is no way that this could be a stand alone and I didn't remember seeing anything about there being a continuation, at which point I somewhat lost interest. There are some intriguing mysteries which I knew wouldn't be answered and if they were they wouldn't be done to my satisfaction. But I persevered and was pleasantly surprised. There are some interesting statements made about men and women and the BDSM world:

"Anticipation is more potent than a whip"

"Husbands across the country have to up their game"

Also some similarities to Fifty Shades... Leticia drives an old banger... She is young and inexperienced... She is curious...

Jonah... Well he doesn't believe he is capable of love, he is rich and has some discontent towards his father, he was taken in by an older woman who taught him about dominance and submission.. Sound familiar? A little Grey influence there. 

There definitely is an option for a second part and after googling a bit, I found that there will in fact be a "Part 2". 

All in all an interesting read. 

So true! Book boyfriends and real men

Lovely Trigger - RK Lilley - Tristan and Danika Part 3

Its live!!! I am so addicted, I woke up at 4am UK time to check and when it was live, downloaded to read the first 4 chapters!! Still reading now!!  

The final part to the Tristan and Danika trilogy. I waited for this so long and it wasn't a disappointment at all. 

The ups and downs of triatan and Danika's relationship were like a scary roller coaster. They showed that true love never dies and can overcome everything - even your dreams being shattered. 

Their chemistry was tangible. Sparks flew when they were in the same room, even though they tried to keep apart. 

Tristan showed so much patience and determination. It was incredible. He found a way back into Danika's life and they overcame so many horrible things from their past. 

I hated Danika's sister's attempts on Tristan and couldn't understand how she could be so cruel to Danika who had tried to help her so much.  Her bitchiness was unreal. Why torture Danika like that? She had a vicious streak. 

The ending made my heart swell.  I'm all for option A but I don't know why more people don't go for option B as well. Yes very cryptic but I didn't want to ruin it for anyone reading this who hasn't read the book yet. :) 

One Dom to Love - Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob, Isabella Lapearl - the Doms of her Life

Raine is a young girl working in a BDSM sex club after being taken in by Macen "Hammer".  She's secretly been in love with him for 6 years since he found we in a dumpster behind his club. He treats her like a child and she is torn. One day his close friend Liam comes to stay and offers her a chance to test her submissiveness. She doesn't know what to do so she sneaks into Hammer's bed in the middle of the night to see if he is attracted to her. The chaos begins when Hammer is furious with her sneaking into his bed and has her punished. To avoid a brutal beating, Liam offers her his training collar and Macen falls into a drunken stupor. Raine walks in on him, bent on his own destruction, and takes her to bed, before rejecting her.  Raine is devastated and Liam takes her away from Shadows (the sex club).  She begins to open up to Liam but then is forced to go back to Hammer after she discovers he has fallen off the deep end. She feels she owes him her life and tries to help, with Liam close behind. 

Things don't work out as planned and Macen is heartbroken when Raine is collared by Liam, permanently. 

Rock Bottom - RK Lilley - Danika and Tristan part 2

I've already mentioned I love RK Lilley's work. When I started reading Bad Things, I thought it would be a standalone and then when Rock Bottom came out I thought it was a 2-part but when I realised it was actually a trilogy, I didn't bother reading Rock Bottom. Not because I was upset or annoyed with the author, I just couldn't bear waiting for the 3rd part to be released and I knew that I would be stewing over however the book would end.

So with the imminent release of Lovely Trigger (only 2 days to go!!!), I decided it was time to reread the books. 

Rock Bottom: 2 (Tristan & Danika) is a a story about just that - hitting rock bottom. Tragedy after tragedy along with the strain of distance breaks apart a strong relationship but by bit. Danika gives her everything to Tristan.

Both are jealous personalities and there is so much pain behind each of them.

Danika and Tristan secretly elope but the distance growing between them just worsens. Tristan turns more and more to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain of the loss of his brother. Danika tries to help but in the end she is pulled down with him. She finds out she is pregnant and they are over the moon. But tragedy strikes again and Danika loses the baby - a boy. Quickly followed by another loss, Leticia, Tristan's estranged mother who blames him for Jared's death, commits suicide. 

Danika reconnects with her long-lost sister, 19-year-old Dahlia, who it turns out has been hanging around Tristan's band. She shocks Danika by telling her she knows who their father is and that she is also pregnant. She clearly has a huge crush on Tristan and makes some intriguing comments to Danika. 

We did out a little bit more about Danika and her Domme lifestyle as well as the beginning of a relationship with Estella (not sure if this is a long- term relationship for them). We also get a glimpse of the infamous James Cavendish. 

Just when you think things can't get worse, Danika gives Tristan an ultimatum and Tristan returns signed divorce papers. Danika finds out she's pregnant again ad goes to see Tristan but he is too angry and sends her home with his bastard friend Dean. Tragedy strikes again and there is a crash that leaves Danika irreparably damaged. This part broke my heart. How many blows can one person take - repeatedly.  There is light, Dahlia has her baby, a boy, and she tells Danika the father was Dean, who had died trying to kidnap and rape Danika. The sisters reconnect.  Tristan hits rock bottom and the only way is up now, he goes to rehab. 

This is a darker story than Bad Things and I found myself not wanting to read the train wreck that was coming but also not being able to stop. I had planned to read the books over 5 days so I would be ready just in time for Lovely Trigger with no waiting, but I failed and now have to wait 2 whole days without a book!! However will I survive? ;)

Rock Bottom: 2 (Tristan & Danika)

Bad Things - RK Lilley - Tristan and Danika's story part 1

I love RK Lilley's stories. They are filled with heartache and a soul deep all-encompassing love. Up in the Air is one of my favorite books and touches lightly on the story of Danika and Tristan. It's all very mysterious and I've wanted to know the background since reading snippets about them.

Danika is a 21yr old living as a 'nanny'/ mother's helper with her boss and friend in Vegas. Her boss's husband brings home stray musicians all the time and that is how she meets Trystan.  They are both damages and know they want opposite things but the lure is too strong and they give in. Even with their intense jealousies of each other's exes, they manage to always end up together. They are polar opposites: one eager to love and the other afraid of the word. Danika has an abusive past and an estranged sister who she hasn't seen in 4 years. She grows close to Trystan and his brother Jared and she finds the family she was missing in them. Trystan and Danika explore their dominant and submissive sides but each has an addictive nature - with different addictions. 

In the end, tragedy strikes and Trystan loses his baby brother to their wild lifestyle. How will Trystan and Danika move on? 

Read Rock Bottom: 2 (Tristan & Danika) to find out

Tart - Lauren Dane - delicious/Brown family

This is the 2nd part of the Briwn family spinoff series.  The story if Juliet - better known as Jules, Gillian's close friend. 

The full length story is about Jules and how she decides to stop waiting for Calvin Whaley - her high school crush and best friend to make a move. She's 33 and moving on - with Gideon.  The hot cowboy who has come home tohelp his grandfather run his farm.  What happens next is unexpected. Given and Cal are both bisexual and when Cal decides he's going to go after Jules and steal her from Gideon, Gideon asks him to join their relationship instead. 

They struggle with insecurities and family problems. Mainly Jules' family are pricks and she has to else to stand upto them. 

We also get to enjoy Gillian and Adrian's wedding, a true rock n roll affair and get a hint of what's to come inte next story - Mary and Damien. 

Sway - Lauren Dane - Delicious / Brown family

So Lauren's done with the Brown family and so we move onto Gillian's circle of friends who form Delicious. A group of 4 close friends. 

The first one on the chopping board is Daisy. A young artist/dancer with a submissive side she hasn't yet discovered. Along comes Alpha male Levi - 40 year old widow and lawyer with a strong dominant streak. 

The age gap is a bit of an issue for Levi here, and also there is some drama over social status as well as a little rascism.  An interesting enough story and a much stronger D/S line than Lauren's previous stories.

Drawn Together - Lauren Dane - Brown family

So I think I should have read the spin-off series before reading Drawn Together. It's moved on a bit from Never Enough and there were lots of characters that had been skimmed over in Never Enough. 

You can also see a growth in the writer that is fantastic. 

This is the mysterious Raven's story. She is a beautiful wild child who has no roots and doesn't want to settle. She comes across as a straight talking notch but deep down she has a horrible scarred past.  Erin and Brody see the fragile person she is and protect her as much as they can. 

Raven meets Jonah, a successful lawyer from a wealthy family and agrees to give him a large tattoo of a wolf on his back. 

Jonah is a divorced single father who has a dominant side which brings out Raven's submissiveness. He fights to get her to open up and she grows with him. There is high society name calling with the ex and a messed up wife of one of Jonah's brothers. There is also some family drama that Raven deals with amazingly since she considers herself feral. We see a lot of growth and maturity in Raven and we find out about her messed up past and what makes her the way she is. We see her soft side and Jonah's good heart that protects her when she needs it. 

Definitely a good read. 

Never Enough - Lauren Dane - Brown Siblings

This is the final Brown Sibling's story but not the last in the series. Have to day, this is my favorite of the series. This couple fought and overcame and weren't perfect but made it work. 

Adrian Brown - world famous rock star lives life in his own little private circle. He sticks to his favorite haunts and his favorite people and doesn't let anyone else in. His the go-to favourite uncle of all the Brown children and he feels like he is missing out.  Until Gillian shows up with a surprise - his 13-year-old son, Miles.

Gillian and Adrian clash at first but then sparks fly and they end up in bed. Their relationship grows and they find out each other's flaws and tainted pasts. But as always, love overcomes. 

We also meet a whole slew of new characters who seem fiesty and intriguing. 

This book had what the others missed, a little angst and disruption. Not everything was smooth and hunky dory which made it my favorite of the series so far. 

Paper book or e-book?

Love this!! 

Which do you prefer? 

For me, it depends on what I'm reading and where. The beach? Paper! On the bus or in transit? E-book, normally in my iPhone. Just easier to carry and no one knows what I'm reading ;) 

Inside Out - Lauren Dane - the Brown Siblings

Inside Out isn't exactly a 'Brown' story but it's close enough. 

Ella and Cope have been circling each other for years. Cope - Ben's younger brother - has had a crush on Ella fsince she first started working at Erin's cafe. We learn of Ella in Laid Bare (read about it here).  Ella is attacked by her ex who controlled her in every way an then violently stalked her after she ended her relationship with him. After years of physical therapy and rebuilding her life and her independence, Ella is finally ready to move on. She's about to graduate and hoping to start a new job in her field but she still struggled with scars - mental and physical.

Cope's finally done waiting and makes his move. He takes it slow and coaxes Ella out of her shell. 

She discovers some secrets about him and is wooed by the former ladies man.

Cope has to deal with the family drama and the estrangement between his father and brother.  He also has a hard time fighting his former playboy reputation. Erin's pregnancy is progressing well and there are lots of little announcements at the end of the book! 

Coming Undone - Lauren Dane - The Brown Siblings

This is Brody's story. Erin and Aidan's older brother and guardian. Brody gave up art school to take care of his siblings when their parents died. 

He is a sought-after tattoo artist and a homing beacon for his siblings. Responsible, bad-ass, protective and caring. He's been in love with Raven, a free spirit, for so long but her lack of commitment has made for a strained relationship. He's had so much responsibility in his young life that he shies from it now. 

One day he's calling collecting his mail when he's hit by a car that runs off. He sees an 'angel' telling him he will be ok - his new single mom neighbour.  Elise is a former ballerina who has had a violent past.  She moves to Seattle to escape her  in-laws who have been trying to interfere in her custody of their only grandchild. 

Erin's parents also move to be closer to her and Rennie, her daughter. Erin and Brody start off as friends with benefits which turns into a beautiful relationship. 

There's a custody battle, a jealous ex and even a very brief misunderstanding. In the end, it all works out and everyone is happy. 

We get a brief update on Erin, Todd and Ben who are trying for a baby and trying to smooth things over with their families. 

All in all a more realistic relationship and I definitely see the author's growth from the first book 

Laid Bare - Lauren Dane - Brown Siblings

Erin and Todd are from different worlds but they connect deep down. Not to mention on a dom/sub level. Todd's misconceptions about what is expected from him cause him to make a big mistake and walk away from Erin because it isn't what he thinks is 'right'.  10 years later they reconnect and pick up where they left off but with some soul deep damage they have to overcome.  Add into that Ben, Todd's childhood friend and business partner, who is invited into a threesome with them that becomes permanent.  It's a nice story but annoyingly perfect. The men are always putting Erin first and make no mistakes.  It was a fantasy but not te kind you would expect.  There are several exes always wanting to check out the competition and wanting them back. The ex wanting what's best for the old flame and just being in town on short notice and wanting to meet up and then backing off.  It was all a bit repetitive. No confusion about feelings. No misconceptions or mistakes. Anything that goes wrong they quickly fix. It was a little unrealistic. Do real people in real relationships behave so perfectly? There's some angst with the family but it's brushed over. Wonder if the next book will be deeper. 

This should be on all dating sites

A True Gentleman...

The Arrangement 14 - HM Ward - Sean Ferro series

I have to say HM Ward has some interesting stories and concepts.

Sometimes I read the latest Arrangement and think "this is crap, why am I reading this? I need to get a life" but then I can't put it down. She is the queen of suspense-filled cliff hangers. 

There's a little extra information in each instalment. 

Now if you haven't read the last 13 books, STOP HERE!! Serious SPOILERS!!!!

Part 14 shows that Sean putting Avery in the box was an "arrangement" with Miss Black to try to save Avery. Miss Black (not me!!!) then throws us by offering Avery a job as a 'madam' with her own girls (think pimp ;) ) 

Sean makes things right by calling his alleged fiancé and proving that it's a set up to improve his public image. 

Sean was also engaged to Miss Black before he married Amanda and is the "only regret" that Miss Black mentioned previously.  We also find that the last girl Sean 'did' in a box ended up in a mental facility.  It's all so screwed up and unbelievable but I still can't stop reading! 

Avery turns to Marty for advice and Amber, Avery's room mate, has found out about Avery's extra-curricular activities and shares them with the dorm.

Marty and Avery make a pact that if no one wants Avery, Marty will be her 'plan B', marry her and live in a house with a white picket fence and a dog named Bob. 

Avery meets Sean to try to trick the murderer again but finds Amber in her room - shot in the head. Naked guy is in Avery's bed - also shot. 

Their Virgin Captive - Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

This is part of a series of books written by Lexi Blake and Shayla Black. Two great writers. 

Kinley is from old money but her mother passed away and her father is sick and has no insurance. Her sister is a bitter socialite and Kinley's charity to clothe the homeless isn't doing so great. So she agrees to marry Greg - a rich exporter who offers to take over all her debts and donate $50million to her charity.  But there's a catch - she doesn't love him - and he's sure he doesn't love her. 

Just hours before her wedding, she finds herself kidnapped by 3 brothers, thanks to her best friend Annabelle, who has been trying to warn her about Greg. 

She ends up falling for all 3 of her captors and learns some harsh truths about her family who she was prepared to sacrifice her life for. 

Have to say my favorite was the doggy romance between Kinley's dog, Gigi, and Butch! 

Dungeon Royale - Lexi Blake - masters and mercenaries

Damon Knight has recovered from being shot in the chest by his closest friend. As he lay in a pool of his blood, his thoughts are of sweet Penelope who he never asked to lunch or a date. Now that he is recovered, he's going after Baz and the Collective who tried to kill him. He brings in the McKay-Taggart team to conduct a mission on an adult-themed cruise where he needs someone to pose as his submissive. Penelope is offered the job but she's hesitant. She's not submissive, or so she thinks. Damon decided to train the quiet beautiful girl who thinks she is fat and let's people walk all over her.

Baz threatens Penelope and Damon vows to protect her at all costs.  Lots of shooting, visiting some interesting European destinations and in the end, a HEA. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1937608220/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1937608220&linkCode=as2&tag=boorew-21 

The next book will be Simon and Chelsea's story and a novella of Derek and Karina before that. 

Unconditional - Lexi Blake - Masters and Mercenaries

Im a big fan of the Masters and Mercenaries series by Lexi Blake. I also have a goldfish memory! So I can't remember what happened in the last books hence the reason behind this blog.

Unconditional is about Ashley - Jillian's younger sister. She is a teen mom who finds herself pregnant thanks to her first boyfriend. Ashley and Jill are from the poor side of town and are brought up by their single mom after their dad walks out on them.  Ashley works at Sanctum, the BDSM club run by Ian Taggart. The Taggarts become Ashley's BDSM parents and push her into a contract to learn about submission with Jillian's husband's investor friend, Keith. Keith is an emotionally closed off Dom who has a secret and devastating past. 

A couple of hot scenes and a scary stalker Private Investigator result in a happily very after where the Dom finally opens up his heart to love again. 

Bound - Lorelei James - new Mastered series

I love Lorelei James. Her Rough Riders series is one of my favourites. All those brothers and their cowboy ways. Tough but soft and the way they treat their women... Swoon...

So I was looking forward to rich characters and lots of emotion like those cowboys.  A little tying up thrown in and a little control. All good. But I'm sad thatBound  just didn't leave me happy. I was thrown at the end that this was a 2-part with no HEA and that I was left in suspense at the end. It's not Lorelei James' usual style.  I didn't fall in love with either main characters. They just felt a little emotionally-lacking. The tough rich Dojo master felt cold. It felt like Amery needed to get over herself a bit. I almost wanted to shake her and say "come on".  The twist in the end came at an odd point - almost like it was meant to drag the story out. The dark side of Ronin and his past/family drama just seemed off. Is he a murderer? Does he deal drugs? It's intriguing but not in an "OMG I need to know kind of way".  The sex is almost off the charts and I liked the BDSM side but it also felt like Amery trusted Ronin a bit too fast and there are too many doubts in her head. Also, what shitty friends she has. It's a unique storyline, Sensei meets average girl. But she seems a little too naive and he felt like a bad guy.  He seems to overpower her and she knows nothing about him.  He seems manipulative and it feels like she shouldn't trust him but she does.  The Dojo posse also feel awkward. Like a secret cult.  Amery seems to grow in the duration of the story but not enough. 

I will read the next part in the series and hope the characters grow more. I hope Lorelei can pull the story together too.

To preorder Unbound, part 2 of the mastered Series, see link below.

 

Once in a lifetime - Jill Shalvis - Lucky Harbor 9

I love Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbour series. It's warming and romantic and yes it's full of alpha men.

This story didn't have her usual heat factor but Ben is (like all Jill's alphas) HOT! 

Aubrey is the town bitch but this story shows her trying to make amends and right the wrongs she has done. Of course her hardest wrong to make right involves Ben. The story winds around the usual male fear of commitment and also Aubrey's self doubts. Shows some insight into the reasons why she did so many things and also shows her softer side. Ben also has a soft side and it compliments his alpha-ness making him the perfect man. He overcomes his fear of losing someone else he loves and also gives some insight into the life he has led since becoming a young widower. A sweet story with lots of funny moments involving Lucky Harbor's favorite resident and match maker: Lucille. 

Seems like some thing a Shadowlands Master might own ;)