After a series of murders is discovered along the trail of the Shifter Underground, wolf soldier Jensen Tate is assigned to find and protect a missing stray. But Lia Crawford doesn’t seem to want his protection. When she eludes his watch and returns with mysterious injuries, Tate knows she’s hiding something. To discover her secrets, Tate will have to win her trust…and get closer to the woman he thinks may be his mate.

Lia has reasons to keep her distance. The killer is haunting her steps, determined to claim her. He will come after them both if he sees how drawn she is to Tate, though it becomes increasingly difficult to deny her attraction to him. Protecting Tate is vital—but will her deception cost her his love?

Title: DECEIVING THE PROTECTOR
Author: Dee Tenorio
Series: Resurrection, book 2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2011, August 15
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC for review from author

First line:
The sound of her own breath—ragged, desperate gasps—echoed in the girl’s ears.

Memorable Scenes:
-the scene in the orchard where Tate and Lia meet for the first time > loved how Lia does not take crap from Tate
- the "mine" scene after Tate and Lia flee from an attacked safehouse in a car > this was a different Tate than I'd seen before, all masks are gone, and I loved it
- the shower scene > as hot as the one in TEMPTING THE ENEMY!



Aurelia 'Lia' Crawford is a Wolf shifter with a load of guilt on her shoulders. She has also been lied to, abused and manipulated by the shifters’ enemy. Lia is smart, cerebral, bold and used to taking care of herself. She’s a survivor and fighter, tough, stubborn, courageous and strong. And what I loved about this book is that Dee Tenorio showed me this all about Lia, in her actions, her interactions and her POV. This author has the mastered the show-don’t-tell craft.

Jensen Tate is Wolf shifter and lawyer. Tate is a hunter and tracker and has a protective streak a mile long (and wide). In a Twitter convo with the author she described Tate as Mr. Complicated and that was a quite accurate (well duh, she wrote him) way to describe him. He's not a hero you can just put into a box and complications follow him around as he'll never take the easy way. He is also persistent and unapologetic about who and how he is. He's a layered character and I enjoyed peeling away those different layers to get to the real Tate.

I most adored the verbal sparring between Tate and Lia but as they are both shifters the tension between them is different from Pale and Jade's in TEMPTING THE ENEMY. I would have liked more romance but the suspense was so good I didn't mind so much. Besides, all lovey-dovey wouldn't have fitted Tate and Lia's characters.

As the story concentrates purely on Lia, Tate and the intriguing and well set up suspense there are very little secondary characters. Some new one are introduced, one of them being Betha, a stray mountain lion shifter and Tate’s ward and I loved her. Loved her! Some secondary characters I met in the first book did not make an appearance, to my slight disappointment but I have been promised they will be getting prime time in their own books.

As I said before the suspense was more prominent than the romance in this book (at least it was for me). And let me tell you: The suspense, OMG the suspense! I thought the plot in TEMPTING THE ENEMY was scary as hell but the one in this was easily just as scary and mind blowing, if not more. The descriptions of the killer put images in my head I'd rather not have there, especially while reading before bed. And yet once stuff started to be revealed I couldn't be anything but fascinated and glued to the pages to find out what was going to happen and why. Very soon in the story you know who the killer is. The suspense turns out to be in finding out why and if Lia is able to keep Tate and herself alive and what the connection between her and the killer is.

With the first book in this series I got a first taste of Dee Tenorio’s paranormal voice and it tasted like more. DECEIVING THE PROTECTOR fulfilled my expectations in that aspect fully. The interactions/dialogues are awesome! They form the base for the humor that seeps through the nail-biting suspense and the intriguing world building. Speaking of world building, shifters aren’t a fresh trope in paranormal romance, it’s been done numerous times. Yet with this Resurrection series I dare to honestly say that Dee Tenorio does bring a fresh and unique world to the table. With these two first books we have only scratched the surface and I’m utterly convinced there’s so much more awesomeness to come.

As with the first book in this series the prologue was breathtaking, I was literally holding my breath, and suspenseful. Dee Tenorio knows how to write openings that reel you in and keep you hooked. One minor thing that took me out of the flow of the stories was the flashbacks. At first they threw me but once I figured out they were flashbacks the story flowed smoothly again for me.

I've mentioned the slower and more intense pace of her writing before in reviews and while reading this book I was once again struck by a realization. Even though I utterly enjoy the book it's hard for me to read them in one sitting because they are intense and I need time to absorb everything that goes on to the fullest. This is a good thing!

DECEIVING THE PROTECTOR is another awesome installment in a series that's speeding to the top of my favorite paranormal romance reads. Though lighter on the romance and more focused on suspense, it was another excellent combination of suspense and raw emotions that held me in its grip from start to finish! I can't wait for Resurrection, book 3!

Favorite Quotes:
Shit, this wasn’t going well at all. He raised his hands, letting her see that his claws were sheathed. “You don’t have to worry, okay? My name is Jensen Tate. I’m from the Underground and I’ve been looking for you. I’m here to help.”
“I don’t need help.” She might smell like spring, and all that golden skin and hair might look like summer, but the cold hiss of her voice was pure winter. Deep winter.

(Lia to Tate) “You deaf or you just like people yelling at you?”

Oh yeah, this one was a ray of f#cking light. “You could stand to work on your manners there, Sunshine.”
“That’s not my name.” She kept walking.
He glared at the back of her pack. “How about sweetheart then?”
“How about you kiss my ass?”

It had been so long since she’d viewed males as anything other than something to avoid. In some cases, to hate. Or pity. But this one…this one she had a feeling she could look at for hours on end. At least until he spoke.
“How long have you been on the road, then?”
Lia swallowed a sigh. If she sighed, it would only encourage him, and this was not a man who needed encouragement. So far, he’d asked about her family, her history, her health, her future plans, the age and durability of her shoes, and whether she had a particular affection for the letter X. She hadn’t said a word in response, but that hadn’t stopped him from filling in the answers for her, each one of them more ridiculous than the last. If it kept up much longer, she was going to find a rock large enough and stuff his pretty mouth with it.

“Don’t you ever shut up?”
“Of course not. I’m a lawyer, I’m trained to talk for days.”

A strange thing had happened while he’d coaxed her into letting him past her guard. She’d gotten past his. Under his skin. With every shy smile, she’d made him feel a hundred feet tall, and every time he’d managed to draw the woman behind the controlled surface out, she’d only burrowed deeper. She’d sacrificed herself for him, facing her greatest nightmare for him.

His mouth was on hers, swallowing her words and scrambling what few of her synapses were still connecting. His tongue found hers, taking advantage of her open mouth, stroking over it even as he pulled her flush against him. Hot. Skin like heated marble slid against hers, the water sluicing between them, over them. She melted. From the inside out, she simply softened into a puddle for him to hold.

His teeth snapped in response. “You don’t protect me. I protect you.”
“Says who?”
“Nature. I’m stronger. I’m faster.”
The utter bullshit of that response made her lip curl over a surprisingly descended fang. “If you say you’re smarter, I’m throwing the lamp at you.”

(Lia and Betha) “Ooookay. Well, the way it was explained to me, when a boy bee-shifter meets a girl bee-shifter—”
“If you say anything about stingers, I swear, I’ll kill you with your own gun.”
Betha’s eyes widened, then, slowly, a sly smile replaced her surprise. “Oh, you’re going to do nicely.”

Dr. Bastian Talbot and self-proclaimed sex goddess Charlie Pierce heat up the air waves with their flirty banter as radio hosts Dr. Hot and the Honeypot. Off the air, they’re best friends…but Bastian wants to be so much more. He wants Charlie—in bed, and forever.

Problem is, Charlie doesn’t do commitment. Sure, she’s had X-rated fantasies of Bastian, but he was always just a friend—until he impulsively proposes and unleashes the lust they’ve been denying for years. Charlie’s willing to explore where their wild chemistry leads, but she won’t marry him. And he won’t have sex with her until she accepts his proposal, despite her seductive schemes.

What are Dr. Hot and the Honeypot to do? Ask their listeners for advice on how to tame a sex kitten and turn a perfect gentleman into a shameless lover. The Race to Wed or Bed is on…who will turn up on top?

Title: TURN IT UP
Author: Inez Kelley
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2011, August 1
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from author for review

First line:
“Did you just have an orgasm?”

Memorable Scenes:
- Bastian's self-control at the campsite in the beginning of the book > takes an iron will to resist Charlie on a (sexual) mission
- Bastian's (first) talk with Charlie's mom > I loved this scene as it brought me even more insight in Charlie
- the tape measuring scene > LOL funny
- Bastian's surprise for Charlie's birthday > awwww, I melted...


Charlie Pierce/Honeypot is a radio host who paid her way through college as an exotic dancer. Charlie is flirty, vivacious, hard-headed and straightforward.
Charlie was a character I was on the fence about at first. I loved her vivaciousness and zest for life and her straightforward attitude, but also had a bit of trouble with her dismissal of Bastian's feelings for he, chucking them to the lust pile in a drama-queen type way. Luckily this only lasted for about one page because underneath the sexual bravado was a vulnerable woman, afraid to love and let herself be loved.

While in most of the romances I read I relate to, or click with, the hero the most, I must say that in TURN IT UP it was Charlie who I connected with the best and she was the one who made a lasting impression on me with her back-story and character development. I may be adding another awesome lady to my favorite heroines-list.

(Se)Bastian Talbot/Dr Hot is an ER doctor. He’s quiet, introvert, protective, and iron-willed. His self-control was commendable and yet he was a hero that I didn’t connect as much with as I did with the heroine in this book. Throughout the book he remained a character that was hard for me to get a grip on and he didn’t truly come to life for me until a certain scene with his brother and towards the end of the book.

Charlie and Bastian are co-hosts of a sex-oriented radio talkshow and the best of friends, though Bastian's feelings for Charlie go beyond mere friendship and into love territory. And they're both on the opposite ends of the sex scope. Charlie is into temporary, sexual flings while Bastian wants forever and relationship sex instead of casual one-nightstand sex. I loved reading how Charlie's plan to treat Bastian as a one-night stand, after he declares his love and wants more, backfires slowly but surely.

I love the friends-to-lovers trope and with TURN IT UP Inez Kelley gave me another book to add to my favorites in this trope pile! The flirty innuendos between the radio host personas Dr Hot and Honey and the easy comfortable camaraderie and treasured friendship between Bastian and Charlie were things that really hit the mark with me. And when the two rolled into one, the boundaries getting less distinct, it came together perfectly.

The banter in the radio show was awesome. I really enjoyed these scenes and it felt like really listening to a radio-show. I also loved how Bastian threw the gauntlet during the show, asking listeners to help convince Charlie to marry him and Charlie responding by asking them to help her get in his pants. There was a part about 1/3 to 1/2 in that fizzled out a little and to me it seemed like the pace slowed and nothing happened to move the story forward, however, it picked up with a vengeance short after that.

The secondary cast was diverse and colorful. They gave the story and the main characters that additional oomph that I like so much in Inez Kelley’s work. One of the secondary characters that definitely caught my attention and held it was Caz, Bastian’s brother. I have a suspicion we haven't seen the last of Caz and though some might not find him hero material I'm convinced many of us will disagree with that and I'll await his story with quite some anticipation. After reading more about Caz all I can say is I WANT his book! (Note from reviewer: Meanwhile I have heard from the author that Caz will not have his own full-length book (*crying my eyes out*) but there will be a free short story on Inez Kelley’s website on release day that is Caz’s story).

What I love in Inez Kelley’s writing and especially in TURN IT UP is the dry witty humor, with just enough intensity to keep the fluff away. Sexual heat and urgency make the sexy scenes jump off the pages, the urgency almost made feel like despair and definitely emotional and giving this book emotional depth that shone through the fun, humorous tone of it. The opening line set the tone and reeled me right into the awesomeness that is Inez Kelley's writing. It put a grin on my face that remained there throughout the entire book.

Inez Kelley's SWEET AS SIN was a tough act to follow and though TURN IT UP doesn't have that dark intensity it was another contemporary I enjoyed and it deserves its own praise without comparisons. And since it made me chuckle, sigh, laugh out loud and cry I'd say TURN IT UP is another notch on the my winners-list of Inez Kelley contemporaries.

Favorite Quotes:
What should have been illegal was the way her faded cutoffs hugged her ass. She looked like Betty Boop in mutilated Levis. There was no way a whisper of air could fit between her skin and the denim, but his fingers would love to try. He fisted them tight to maintain control. Down, boy.

Some women turned heads. Charlie Pierce turned entire bodies. More than one man had done a complete one-eighty as she walked down the street. She was a siren and a vixen without apology. Her sapphire eyes stared straight at a man, daring him: if you want to look, then look your fill.
No one knew him better and he couldn’t imagine his life without her. He loved her to distraction.
He wanted her with an obsession.
He treasured her like Fort Knox.
He was in hard-on hell.
She was his best friend, his platonic, nonsexual, do-or-die-for buddy.

The rampant longing in his voice shocked him. Lust-crazed was a sensation he associated with adolescents, not himself. He’d needed before, hungered, thought he’d explode, but never had he experienced this complete red haze of physical want. He ached for her. Good God, he ached. The dull pain would not dissipate. Crossing to the cooler, he fished out a frosty bottle.
Droplets splashed his stomach. The water seared his heated skin. In a frenzied flash, he held the icy glass to his gaping fly. Pain lurched through his groin and he gasped. It helped. Some.
“You’re going to get frostbite and I have plans for that body part.”

“A thing of beauty, huh? Mighty poetic tonight, aren’t you?”
“I’m with you, Honey. That’s enough to inspire poetry in the hardest of hearts. Besides, it’s true. An aroused woman is a beautiful thing.”
“Now, see, I’m not too sure about that. Orgasms cause some seriously painful-looking faces.”
His deep laugh filled the radio room. “That may be, but it’s just the intensity of release. Like jumping off a cliff. You’re not going to be smiling when you hit the ground but the flight down is fantastic.”
“Hit the ground? Dang, Doc, what kind of women are you hanging out with if you equate an orgasm with pulling a Wile E. Coyote off a cliff?”

(Honey/Charlie) "(...) Just remember, you catch more flies with honey, and I’m after one fly in particular.”

Forever wasn’t in her vocabulary when it came to men. Sex was sex and love was fleeting. Bastian was constant.
How could she survive being even closer to him and then letting him go when forever faded?

“I’m not twenty-four anymore. The rose-colored glasses have been off a long time. Can I promise Charlie forever? Not really, no one can. All I can promise is that I don’t want to face any type of forever without her. I’ll die trying to make her happy. That’s the best I can do, but I’ll do it the best I can.”

Twirling to the counter, she clutched the drawstring bag and Bastian’s gasp shivered up her spine.
“Where’s the rest of your dress?”
From her hairline to the top swell of her behind, the air kissed her skin, bared for his eyes. The front may have purred subdued sensuality, but the back screamed reckless temptation. The look she sent him was pure tease.

Forever wasn’t a place. It was who you were with. Who loved you. Eddy might not have been June Cleaver but she’d been there, always, a touchstone no matter where they lived. Now it was Bastian. He was her foundation, her support, her security, her future.
It wasn’t a house.
Bastian was her forever place. The future was whatever they made it, together.

Detective Pale Rysen, an Alpha, is determined to secretly rebuild the Wolf packs from the ashes of genocide. When a killer starts picking off young females looking for sanctuary, it’s his job to protect them. Forced to work with a hated enemy, he fears his cover will be blown.

Jade-Scarlet’s membership in the powerful Order of the Sibile has always been controversial. A half-wolf, Jade’s unstable psychic powers are a disappointment to her mercenary handlers. So when the Oracle commands her to work with Pale, Jade must prove herself…even if it means challenging the enigmatic shifter.

Yet Pale triggers more than her curiosity. He sends her into Heat, and the intense sexual attraction could mean losing control of her gifts—something she can’t allow. As the number of victims rises, so does the danger. A murderous darkness wants them both dead. But even if they stop the killer, how long can they fight each other?

Title: TEMPTING THE ENEMY
Author: Dee Tenorio
Series: Resurrection, book 1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2010, June 14
Format: eBook
Source: Received a copy for review from author

First line:
Shae trudged through the snowdrifts, her feet sinking nearly to the knee with each step.

Memorable Scenes:
- Jade trying to get Emmitt out of his shock > this scene had me swallowing back my tears, which I barely managed to do...
- the bonding scene > just wow... I have no words to describe what this scene did to me

Jade-Scarlet is an empathic Sibile with the gift of manipulating light and a half-breed Wolf shifter. She’s sarcastic, defiant, giving and loyal.

Pale Rysen is a homicide detective and Wolf shifter. He’s the Alpha of a pack he’s trying to build up after the humans tried to erase the shifters from the face of the Earth. He’s a dominant alpha in every sense of the word, broody and ruthless but also gentle and tender at times.

There are so many reasons Jade and Pale can't be together, yet with their instant and strong chemistry they give the trope of star-crossed lovers a new meaning. Their verbal battles and internal emotional struggles were awesome to read. Jade's defiance triggers Pale's need to dominate and Pale's alphaness grates on Jade's sense of independence, this made for wonderfully explosive interactions that also inadvertently built up the sexual tension between them. The love scenes were sexy and beautiful (I have no other way of describing them) and they matched with the characterization perfectly.

Wolf shifters, witches with special gifts, human law enforcement, a vile serial killer to be stopped and caught, I gobbled it all up! I loved that the world building was clear yet non-intrusive to the plot, characterization or romance. Subtly imbedded into the rest it's set up perfectly, not too much on the forefront and enticing enough to want to know more.

The prologue immediately set the tone. I was fascinated, wondering what was going on and my heart was pounding with excitement. Since I'm terrible at figuring out who the killer is (whether in books, movies or TV shows), this time again I was going back and forth between several characters not homing in on the right on till the very end. As with everything else in this book, I loved the suspense and how it was played out and wrapped up.

Dee Tenorio's writing is intense and packs a tremendous emotional punch. Whether it's character-driven contemporary romance, sizzling erotic romance or dark paranormal romantic suspense, it never fails to keep me enthralled in its emotional grip. I think the intensity also makes Dee Tenorio's books somewhat slow-paced and this is not a bad thing because even though I love reading fast-paced books, the intensity and slower pace give me room to savor her books to the fullest. And savor TEMPTING THE ENEMY I definitely did!

The fact that I added this book to my 2011 favorite reads list immediately after finishing it and the huge amount of favorite quotes I marked (but had to cut as to not make the quotes outnumber the review) should indicate how much I enjoyed this book. I'm so ready for the next installment of Resurrection! And luckily it's waiting for me on my TBR pile and I saw it's Tate's book. I adored the banter between the pack members, especially Tate and Ty caught my attention and I was beyond happy when I found out the next book in this series would Tate’s. He is so much more than met the eye in those short moments he was on the pages...can't wait!

If you're looking for an original and excellently written and refreshing take on paranormal suspense, look no further as TEMPTING THE ENEMY has it all: the heart pounding suspense, the complicated romance, the intriguing world building and the complex, three-dimensional characters. I highly recommend this book to readers who love a strong suspense element in paranormal romance and to readers who love a little (okay, a lot) of dominance in their hero.

Favorite Quotes:
A chair wheeled backward with a squeak, which meant Jorgensen was on the move. A little older than Pale, a lot friendlier and apparently everything women found attractive, Jorgensen rarely had to work to grab a woman’s grateful attention, so Pale knew it wouldn’t take long for this Sibile to become equally captivated. He waited to be relieved. All he felt was a decidedly strong desire to tear out the other detective’s throat and lay it at her feet for a gift.

“I always figured Pale’s mate a girl with as thick a beard as he has,” Tate said, because apparently silence was a fate worse than death. “Never thought he’d find someone as pretty as that.”
“She is pretty,” Ty agreed, “but I always figured his mate would have to be blind. Almost feel bad for her, looking at his ugly ass for the rest of her life. That’s just a damn shame.”

He traced her chin, running his fingers to her throat, watching them wander over the swells of her breasts to the line of the towel. His finger hooked the edge again.
“Pull and I’ll bake you alive.”
A crooked grin revealed one of his fangs. “Strength is a desired trait in a female. Makes a male want to dominate.”
And that grin made her want to be dominated. Her want tightened her throat, because she couldn’t have him knowing what she craved. “Good thing you’re above that kind of stupidity.”

But I have no idea what I am. There’s no magical voice in my head telling me the right thing to do. No idea how to give you what you want.”
“You are what I want.” Did he even know the way his eyes glowed when he watched her? That when his voice was so gruff, she could feel it and all the longing he had in it? That he was stealing parts of her heart with every word? “I want all of you. For always.”
(...)
“Then take me, Pale, because I’ll never want anyone else.”
(...)
He lowered himself onto all fours at the foot of the bed, slowly crawling toward her, gaze locked on hers.
His movements were sinuous, even with his hard angles and broad muscle. He settled on his belly next to her, then leaned onto his side. He set his head on one hand and lay there. Letting her look her fill as he picked up the ends of her hair and twined them through his fingers. His eyes smoldering, he said only two words. “Prove it.”

Sean Kowalski no sooner leaves the army than he’s recruited by Emma Shaw to be her fake fiancé. Emma needs to produce a husband-to-be for her grandmother’s upcoming visit, and, though Sean doesn’t like the deception, he could use the landscaping job Emma’s offering while he decides what to do with his civilian life. And, despite his attraction to Emma, there’s no chance he’ll fall for a woman with deep roots in a town he’s not planning to call home.

Emma’s not interested in a real relationship either; not with a man whose idea of home is wherever he drops his duffel bag. No matter how amazing his “pretend” kisses are…

Title: YOURS TO KEEP
Author: Shannon Stacey
Series: Kowalski Family, book 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2011, June 6
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from author for review

First line:
“Still as ugly as ever, I see.”
Memorable Scenes:
- the practice kiss > like Sean said: not bad for a practice kiss...
- Sean's sticky notes to Emma > so cute
- magic penis > *grins incessantly* and you'll have to read the book to know why
- the post scrabble sexy scene > wow, I think I need to dust off our scrabble game


Sean Kowalski is looking for a place to call home and another purpose in life then serving his country. He’s a straight-shooter, direct and blunt, reliable and levelheaded.

Emma Shaw is a landscaper. A friend of Lisa’s (Mike's wife), she belongs to the Kowalski’s circle of friends. She’s a tough chick with a soft heart and little bit of a control freak. She’s also smart, quick-witted and dependable. I found her endearing in her love and concern for her Gram's wellbeing/happiness.

Emma needs a fake fiancé to convince her visiting grandmother she's doing fine by herself. But Gram isn't dense and figures out fairly quickly Emma and Sean are trying to pull the wool over her eyes. And that's when the fun starts...

I really loved the romance in this Kowalski book (Ehm…not that I didn’t love it in the previous ones too…). Emma and Sean’s bickering and bantering was just awesome and I liked how Sean kept calling Emma 'Lady' in the beginning. Witnessing them getting to know each other and finding out things about each other and seeing the spark of attraction catch fire and turning into a full blaze, was a joy to read and made this book another keeper on my Contemporary Romance shelf.

There are erotic romance authors who can't hold a candle to the love scenes Shannon Stacey writes. Without any obvious explicitness or crude language she paints some of the best sexy and arousing scenes I've read.

What I also adored about this book is that entire bunch of Kowalski family members. They complete every story in this series and I loved reading about how the previous 2 couples were doing and the additions to the family. The family dynamics are so brilliantly written as they tease, scold and support each other through everything.

And once again Shannon Stacey treated me to a sweet and lovely secondary romance. I wasn’t expecting it but it fitted right into the main storyline and I’m glad she included it as it completes and underlines the family feel of this series. Secretly (okay, not so secretly…) I hope there will be more Kowalski books. There must be as they've become an addiction within my addiction.

I think I’ve said this before but I love Shannon Stacey's dialogues. They flow, they entertain, they inform and they show so much of her characters' personalities. The humor, wit, banter gets to me every single time. Every book in this series has put a big grin on my face and made me feel good. Some things did more than put a smile on my face and just cracked me up. For example the references (even by herself) to Mary's wooden spoon and the wedding box from Emma's early teen years. To incorporate humor in contemporary romance without giving it a slapstick feel is very hard and Shannon Stacey masters this perfectly.

I don't know how Shannon Stacey does it but she does it. I was breezing through the wit, the banter and the heat, even thinking to myself this Kowalski book wasn't as emotionally intense as the previous two were and then BAM! She hit me with the emotions that made me tear up and swallow the lumps in my throat. And yet again she made me laugh through my tears. Well played, Ms Stacey, well played!

Since I don't like being told what to do I don't like to order other people around either but seriously, if you love contemporary romance I strongly urge you to get cracking on Shannon Stacey's Kowalski Family series. They're too fabulous to be missing in your book collection. I don’t say this easily as there are always readers to prove me wrong and tastes vary but I dare you to read this series and not love it.

Favorite Quotes:
His expression implied he was afraid she was some crazy woman who’d gone off her meds and was going to start speaking in tongues or show him the handmade Sean doll she’d crafted to sleep with.

When he rested his hand at her waist for a few seconds before sliding it around to the small of her back, she felt her muscles tense and her cheeks burn.
“You can’t be doing that,” he said in the same low, husky kind of voice a man would use to tell a woman he wanted to take off her clothes.
Her mind was frozen, all of her attention on that warm pressure against her T-shirt, and it took a few seconds to form a coherent sentence. “Doing what?”
“You’re as jumpy as a virgin at a frat party.”

She started in on him the second he crossed the threshold from the living room. “I was wrong about you all these years. I always thought you were a smart boy, but you don’t have the brains God gave a jackass.”
“Aunt Mary, I—”
“Don’t you Aunt Mary me, Sean Michael Kowalski. I should go get my wooden spoon and thunk some sense into that thick head of yours.”

Going to work tomorrow would be a good thing, he thought. Even though he’d be alone with her, a little physical labor would do his body good. Maybe if he tired himself out, he could sleep through the night without his dick trying to lead the way to her like some kind of damn dowsing rod.

She snorted and looked out her window. “Oh yes, Sean Kowalski. Your amazing kisses have made all rational thought fly out of my besotted brain. If only you could fill me with your magic penis, I know we’ll fall madly in love and live happily ever after.”
The truck jerked and she glanced over to find him glaring at her. “Don’t ever say that again.”
“What? The madly in love or the happily ever after?”
“My penis isn’t magic.” His tone was grumpy, but then he smiled at the windshield. “It does tricks, though.”
“The only trick your penis needs to know for the next three and a half weeks is down boy.”

Instead of heading straight for the huddle, Sean walked to Emma and pulled her into his arms for a hard, almost punishing caveman kiss that made her skin sizzle and her knees go wobbly. Then he glared at his brother for a few long seconds and went back to his team, leaving Emma standing there breathless and discombobulated.

“Don’t give me that look.”
“What, the you’re being an ass look? Don’t be an ass and I won’t give you the look.”

“I fell in love with him.”
“Oh. Oh, shit.” Lisa shook her head. “Kowalski men do that. They show up in your life and drive you so insane you want to slap them upside the head and then—bam—all of a sudden you can’t live without them.”

She was made for sin. Sin was something he knew intimately.

Bestselling YA author John Murphy is the acclaimed Master of Monsters. But when the door creaks shut, the monsters master him. His haunted past has destined him to hell, but he won’t let that get in the way of enjoying his present or his delicious new neighbor. Enthralled by her, his secrets begin to unravel and the pages of his latest manuscript are written by his deepest fears…and in blood.

Pastry chef owner of The Sugar Shack, Livvy Andrews is as sinfully sweet as the confections she makes and just as irresistible. Her hidden passions erupt when a spicy new neighbor moves in next door and she is powerless against the lure of a man familiar with the erotic delicacies of life. She realizes there are more layers to him than she imagined, each one a delicious or frightening discovery. As lust turns to love, Livvy will master the monsters John keeps in the dark— but at what price?

Title: SWEET AS SIN
Author: Inez Kelley
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2011, January 31
Format: ebook
Source: Requested from publisher via NetGalley

First line:
A splash of bloody red in the bleu sky fluttered like a shapeless bird before landing on his forearm. John plunked the box down and picked up the silky red bra.

Memorable Scenes:
- Kitchen scene at 4th of July get-together > hot
- Frosting scene at the Sugar Shack > beyond hot
- The scene with Emily at the Salvatori picnic > Go Livvy!
- Livvy’s “one-woman show” performance for John > scorching doesn’t even come close to describing it.


First off I want to apologize to Inez Kelley for this totally sucky review of an awesome book. I read this book months ago and immediately rated it 10 out of 10, a perfect read because of the huge emotional impact it had on me. However the impact didn’t translate into review notes because as I sat down to finally write this review, I discovered I had only 3 little paragraphs of notes about this book. How am I going to go on and on and on about this incredibly amazing book in my review with just 3 paragraphs of notes about 3 to 4 months after finishing the book. This is not how I roll, people…So sorry Inez, I wasn’t more prolific in taking notes of why SWEET AS SIN is such a brilliant book and the following review is all I can do to convince other readers to buy and read this compelling and touching masterpiece you created.

John Murphy is a YA author. He’s intense, has sarcastic wit and he’s provoking, but beneath all that is a caring, gentle, broken man. When I read the blurb and the beginning of this book I was apprehensive about his character and didn’t know if I was going to click with him. But somehow he crawled inside my head and I can honestly say it was difficult and emotional but I slowly but surely fell in love with this man Inez Kelley created. And it was in a way I really didn’t expect. It was trough the snippets of his book that he touched me the deepest and I never thought I’d ever say it but if this YA book was ever a reality I would definitely read it. There! I said it…and I am NOT a YA reader, absolutely not!

Livvy Andrews is a pastry chef and owner of the Sugar Shack. I adored Livvy from the very start. She is cautious, nurturing, caring and vivacious. A character you root for and wish to see get her HEA. The way she handled John and everything that came along with him was admirable and earned her a spot on my favorite heroine’s list.

The secondary characters were equally awesome as the main couple. They were there, picking up the pieces, offering a willing ear and creating fun moments. I wouldn’t have missed them all for the world, as they were just as important to the overall feel of this book as John and Livvy were.

I shouldn't be surprised that once again I'm in awe of Inez Kelley's powerful writing. She creates magic with words and sentences. The magic she creates with words never ceases to amaze me and I’ve only read her (erotic) contemporary romances. Her words create the perfect mix of heat, humor and emotion. Smiles, tears and hot flashes alternated while reading SWEET AS SIN, each one trying to get to the forefront and trying to claim me.

I suspect now that whenever I hear the phrase “ How hungry are you?” in the near future I’ll think back to this book and that scene. The scene was pivotal, sizzling hot and mesmerizing. Thinking back, I get tingly all over again.

Thank you Ms Kelley! Thank you for this wonderful book that broke my heart and almost left me speechless. My heart broke for John and for Livvy. The amount of tissues I needed to get through this book was daunting. When I reached the last page I was emotionally drained, my eyes were red and swollen from the tears running down my face but most of all, my romantic heart was whole again, happy and satisfied.

Favorite Quotes:
Her treacherous body responded to his scrutiny with a whorish force. Pure animalistic lust flared, and she fought the primal urge to preen for him. Arrogant sexy bastard.

She was too mouthwatering to be ravished. He wanted to savor her spice until it burned him, let her sweetness flood his bitter soul until his teeth ached with it.

“You, I want your sugar, Livvy, melting on my tongue.”
Erotic, naughty and exactly the right ones to say, his words painted a picture that plunged her body into shivers of anticipation.

John was all the seven deadly sins personified. LUST blazed most forcefully, carving his features with demonic beauty. PRIDE bowed his mouth as he watched her tongue skate across her bottom lip. Only GLUTTONY could describe the hunger in the gaze raking over her body. SLOTH slowed his movements tormenting her with his absolute control, but WRATH battled in his expression, urging him to possess her. Rapturous GREED heated his skin and he took her mouth in primitive passion. His tongue darted into her mouth and ENVY coveted her very breath.

One-night stand + two percent condom failure rate = happily ever after?

Bar owner Kevin Kowalski is used to women throwing their phone numbers at him, but lately he’s more interested in finding a woman to settle down with. A woman like Beth Hansen. If only their first meeting hadn’t gone so badly…

Beth’s tending bar at a wedding when she comes face to face with a tuxedo-clad man she never thought she’d see again. She tries to keep her distance from Kevin but, by last call, she can’t say no to his too-blue eyes or the invitation back to his room. Then she slips out before breakfast without leaving a note and, despite their precautions, pregnant.

Kevin quickly warms to the idea of being a dad and to seeing where things go with Beth. After all, he’s not the player she thinks he is. But she’s not ready for a relationship and, given his reputation, it’s going to take a lot to convince her to go on a second date with the father of her child…

Title: UNDENIABLY YOURS
Author: Shannon Stacey
Series: Kowalski Family, book 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2010, November 1
Format: eBook
Source: Requested from the publisher via NetGalley

First line:
Every time the New England Patriots chalked one up in the win column, Kevin Kowalski got laid.

Memorable Scenes:
- The lipstick-kissed napkin notes to Kevin > hilarious
- Bobby 'talking' to his future cousin > funny
- Christmas gift exchange between Kevin and Beth > teary-eyed
- Hospital scene > so emotional I was sobbing, yet funny too so I was laughing through my tears

Kevin Kowalski is a sports bar owner and a genuinely good guy. He’s smart, sweet, funny and so endearing he made my heart hurt, in a very good way.

Beth Hansen was a bit of a more complicated character than Kevin was. She might be a hard sell for some readers, especially those hard on heroines but I loved Beth. Like a wandering nomad she goes from town to town, working, staying for a few months and then moving on again. She’s independent, self-sufficient, pragmatic, stubborn, proud and smart. Her parents are sweet but overprotective and smothering and IMO a big reason for her wandering nature.

Complementing the great main couple there was a collection of secondary characters that made a lasting impression on me. Of course some of them I already knew and loved from EXCLUSIVELY YOURS, such as Kevin’s (extended) family but there were a few new ones too. Two that stuck with me most were Paulie and Sam and that’s because they formed the secondary romance couple.

Paulie Reed is Kevin’s best friend and works at the sports bar as assistant manager and waitress. Her POV was surprising at first but I knew it served some purpose and soon I discovered there was a secondary romance in the making. Samuel Thomas 'Sam' Logan IV’s history with Paulie is that she left him at the altar 5 years earlier as she pulled a runaway bride act. I really loved this secondary romance storyline, it was just as funny and romantic as the main romance but never took away the attention.

UNDENIABLY YOURS is another winner for Shannon Stacey! I fell for the Kowalskis in EXCLUSIVELY YOURS and have come to deeply love them in UNDENIABLY YOURS. It's no secret I'm a fan of contemporary romance and I appreciate great family dynamics and kids in my romance novels and with this book Shannon Stacey gave me exactly what I wanted and needed.

When I started reading UDENIABLY YOURS I knew it was going to be good because I loved the first book and this one was going to take me back to that rambunctious and fun Kowalski family and I was not disappointed! Shannon Stacey has a way of writing contemporary romance with characters that just wiggle and shove their way into your heart, whether you want it or not. They have you laughing, crying and cursing at them. They are not picture-perfect and they have flaws and issues but they are so endearing and genuinely trying to get things right, you just have to love them.

Though the impact of UNDENIABLY YOURS wasn't as mind-blowing as the first book I loved this sequel to EXCLUSIVELY YOURS. Kevin was a great hero and the humor, though tidbit more subtle, I crave was definitely shining through Shannon Stacey’s clean, crisp writing that I love so much.

The punch of UNDENIABLY YOURS is definitely in the last part. Shannon Stacey saved the best for last with a last chapter and epilogue that made me cry at Kevin's sweetness and Beth's stubbornness, by the time I came to the end of the pre-epilogue chapter I was bawling. Yet at the same time she made me smile through the tears with the humor mixed into it all.

I don’t think I have adequate words to describe how much I love these Kowalski books by Shannon Stacey. All I can say is: if you love contemporary romance, what the heck are you waiting for? Go buy and read these books!

Favorite Quotes:
Muscles rippled under his T-shirt and, when he stretched for a stack of folded towels, a gap opened between its hem and the waistband of his low-slung jeans. The tantalizing glimpse of abs made her mouth go dry, which was okay because she’d forgotten what she was going to say, anyway.

Or it would be easy work if her body wasn’t tuned in like a quivering antenna to the vibe Kevin was broadcasting.

“Are you going to get all prickly on me if I try to kiss you?”
She tilted her head back so she could see his face. “I guess that depends on how well you kiss.”

We. Part of her was relieved to have a partner in panic and uncertainty, but we was also a level of togetherness she hadn’t expected to share with anybody for a while, especially with a guy whose Rolodex was filled out in Do-Me Fuchsia lipstick.

“If my mother finds out you’re spending Thanksgiving alone, she’ll whack me upside the head so hard with that wooden spoon of hers, when I wake up my clothes will be out of style.

“You know what would cheer you up?”
Licking frosting off his stomach before having hot and sweaty and sticky sex?
“Ice cream,” he said.
“Strawberry?” Not nearly as good, but better for her in the long run.
His grin was on the wrong side of naughty. “Not chocolate?”

Sam & Paulie
“Go out with me. Nobody knows who we are here. I’m just a businessman from Boston and you’re the saucy serving wench who struck my fancy.”
The surprised laughter bubbled up before she could stop it. “Serving wench? Buddy, if I strike you, it ain’t gonna be in your fancy.”

Inarrii agent Alinna Gaerrii was tasked with observing the Starforce base on Earth. Crash landing her observation pod onto the base was not part of her mission briefing. Neither was making m’ittar—mind contact—with Major David Brown, the human who discovered her amongst the wreckage.

David thinks she’s a psychologist sent to evaluate his Special Forces team, and Alinna goes along with his misconception, seizing the opportunity to observe humans up close. But their daily contact has unexpected side effects, and Alinna soon invades David’s dreams. Through their intimate mental connection she allows him to express his forbidden physical desires.

Alinna delights in the sensory exploration and grows excited by the prospect of a treaty with the humans and a potential life mate in David. But an attack from an unknown ship sends the base into chaos, and Alinna may be forced to reveal her lie, erasing all hope of a successful treaty, and driving David away forever

Title: ALIEN REVEALED
Author: Lilly Cain
Series: The Confederacy Treaty Series, book 1
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2010, June 14
Format: eBook
Source: Requested from publisher via NetGalley

First line:
“I repeat this is Agent Alinna Gaerrii, Unit Nine. Tel sho ahoi. I am in a crash situation.”

Alinna Gaerrii is an Inarrii agent tasked with observing Earth/human behavior to see if the can form a Treaty within the Confederacy against the Raveners. When she crash lands her spy pod on a human Starforce base she decides to continue her observation, especially when she’s mistaken for someone due to arrive on the base.

Major David Brown mistakenly presumes Alinna is Dr. Janet MacPherson, the psychtech assigned to evaluate his team for an upcoming security mission escorting new settlers to Mars.

Though when writing this review I can’t remember much about the story, because it’s been almost 4 months since I read it, I also didn’t make extensive review notes and that is never a good sign with me because it means there weren’t many things that made me grab my notepad to scribble down impressions or stuff to remember for my review. I have no notes on Alinna or David’s characters/personalities, I have no notes about the romance or on what I thought about the writing style. I’ll just have to go with the notes that I do have and those aren’t many.

About a third into the book in I started to suspect David might be more than just human, part Inarrii maybe? But this was not explored further, to my disappointment. The only thing I learned about David was that he had dark fantasies about sexual dominance.

There weren’t many secondary characters as the story focuses mainly on Alinna and David and their attraction to each other. However the ones that made an appearance intrigued and I hope to see some of them back further along in the series.

ALIEN REVEALED was a nice story but I couldn't escape the feeling that I wanted a little more world-building or background. And that's weird for me because normally I complain about too much world-building/background information. In this book it felt a bit brushed over in favor of the plot, romance and eroticism.

I felt a bit lost in the plot after the attack on the base...it felt like the plot lost momentum after that particular event with David easily accepting Alinna's confession and revelations. The last few chapters felt rushed in comparison to the even-paced first part of the book but I did find the erotic part of the book was hot and nicely done and I liked the romance between David and Alinna too.

In conclusion I can’t say that I read a bad book when I read ALIEN REVEALED, it just didn’t make a big lasting impression on me, which is okay because not every book can be mind-blowing material. Sometimes you need a nice, quick, uncomplicated read and that was exactly what ALIEN REVEALED was to me.

This being said, I do want to add that I found out that book 2 in the series is being released in June and I am definitely going to get it because even though this wasn’t a book to blow me off my socks, it did leave me wanting to read more by Lilly Cain

Favorite Quote:
His mental voice rubbed against her in the same way his deep-toned speech did in the physical world. It resonated with sexual promises, no matter what the words communicated.

Thanks to her cheating ex-husband and her thieving brother, all horse breeder Nikki Kimball has left is a bruised heart, an over-drawn bank account and an empty home. When sex-on-legs Dillon Barnett and his brooding foster-brother Brett Anderson start showing more than just neighborly attention, Nikki is intrigued…and a little gun-shy.

Dillon and Brett have a history; back in high school, the two friends fought a bitter battle over Nikki. Now, ten years later, Brett still longs to be the man in Nikki’s life, but he’s determined to stand back and let Dillon win Nikki’s heart.

Society says Nikki must choose between the two men she loves. Is Nikki strong enough to break all the rules in order to find happiness?

Title: TEXAS TANGLE
Author: Leah Braemel
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2010, June 28
Format: eBook
Source: Requested from publisher via NetGalley

First line:
“No, no, no!” With steam billowing from the hood of her truck, Nikki maneuvered blindly easing the vehicle to the side of the road, making sure the horse trailer she was towing wasn’t blocking traffic.

Memorable Scenes:
- table smexing scene, including whipped cream and caramel sauce > Need I say more?
- Brett telling Nikki how Dillon saved his life > yes, I cried.
- Scene at the pond > I cried again.

Nikki Kimball is divorced and struggling, still she strives to maintain her independence and she’s resilient. Nikki is a people pleaser and stubborn, a mix of strength and softness and bit insecure at times. Nikki's parents were a piece of work, with parents like that who needs an abusive ex? They did a number on her self-esteem in the past and actually are still trying to undermine her every attempt at confidence and happiness.

Dillon Barnett is Nikki’s neighbor. He’s impulsive and energetic with a look-on-the-bright-side-of-life attitude.

Brett Anderson is quite the opposite of Dillon. He’s brooding, quiet and stoic,. His past has left him damaged and the only good things in his life are Nikki and Dillon.

Again this is a review for which I have very little review notes to go on and it’s been more than 6 months since I read it. One thing I do remember vividly and that is that I thought it was an awesome book and I read it in a very short amount of time.

TEXAS TANGLE was emotional and hot, in other words: erotic romance as it's meant to be. Ms Braemel had me hot and bothered on one page and on the next I'd be sniffing into a tissue reading heartbreaking stuff. The few chapters leading towards the end were particularly heartbreaking when Nikki has to decide between following her feelings and caring about what society would think and the consequences of her choice for the men she loves. But the emotions also ran high for me throughout the book as the men have past issues to overcome and I was reading how they struggled through them.

I loved Dillon’s grandmother, Gramma Barnett, and when I finished the book I was very curious about her grandparents' threesome arrangement. In the meantime it seems Leah Braemel has written that story and it will release in 2011 under the title TANGLED PAST. I can’t wait to read that story!

TEXAS TANGLE is like a diesel steam train, it takes a bit for it to get going (on the hot and heavy ménage) but once it does, it's launches full steam ahead towards an ending that was sizzling hot and tear jerking emotional and completely blew me away!

Favorite Quotes:
“An idea? Involving Brett?” She must have been having a few fantasies of her own from the blush that crept up her neck and filled her cheeks. Damned, if she didn’t look even more innocent. And as sexy as all get out.
He pulled down the neck of her shirt and peered beneath the fabric.
“What are you doing?”
“Seeing if that blush you’ve got going extends all the way down. Hey, look at that, it does.”
She slapped at his hand until his finger popped from the fabric. “Do you ever think of anything but sex?”
“Sure. I think of food sometimes too.”

“From where I’m standing, I’ve got a couple of choices here. My favorite right now is to move back to my place and not date either of you. I’ll raise goats and morph into an eccentric old lady everyone laughs at.”
“I’m not liking that option,” Dillon muttered.

The mattress dipped when Dillon shifted his weight. She murmured something about morning breath, and Dillon chuckled. “My dick doesn’t give a damn about morning breath, darlin’. Open those pretty lips of yours, will you?”

“Hon, it’s time to put on your big girl panties. You have to stop living your life trying to please everyone else. I know it’s tough—as women we’re trained to put ourselves last. But there comes a time when you have to think of yourself. When you have to listen to your heart.”

Surrounded by beer-swilling, skirt-chasing cowboys her whole life, barmaid Daphne Norris has no intention of ever settling for any of the men in her Podunk hometown. So when bronc rider Will Hanson sends shock waves to her core with just one glance from his striking green eyes, no one is more surprised than her.
But Will is no ordinary cowboy, and he can see that Daphne is no ordinary small-town girl. He can sense in Daphne the quiet strength and devotion needed to satisfy a man like him, a man who needs to be on top, in every aspect of his life.
Daphne hasn't ever succumbed to her submissive desires before, and Will awakens her in ways she never imagined. While she's not prepared to give him her heart, she agrees to Will's offer of three days of intense pleasure, and then she's walking. But Daphne falls hard and fast, and now she has a decision: return to a normal life, or give up everything for Will...

Title: Consent to the Cowboy
Author: Abby Wood
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2010, June 28
Format: eBook
Source: Requested from publisher via NetGalley

First line:
Daphne hooked the heel of her red cowboy boot on the first rail of the fence and hung her arms over the top.

Memorable Scenes:
- The scene at the Chum's parking lot and at Chum's > emotional and important scene for Daphne's character development.
- The last 3 chapters where a conflict originates and propels into a very emotional ending > Daphne's letter to Will made me tear up

Quick & Dirty-review:

Ingredients:
rodeo cowboys, serving girls/barmaids, light bondage, shady parents, a huge misunderstanding, ranch life, hot D/s sexy times

Hero:
Will Hanson is a bronc rider who likes to be in control. He’s self-confident and oozes quiet power. He knows what he wants and goes for it without qualms. In Daphne he sees his ideal woman; strong and submissive

Heroine:
Daphne Norris is guarded and keeps to herself. With a deadbeat two-timing dad and her share of washed-up cowboy exes she's determined to keep all men at an arm's length, especially cowboys who think they can order her around. Until she meets the one cowboy who may be capable of drawing out her secret fantasy of submission

Plot:
Will knows what he wants from Daphne from the moment they meet: her submission to his Domination. He starts by slowly easing her into it, while retching up the sexual tension between them. But at one point he did rub me the wrong way in his demands (I'd never be a good submissive LOL) and I felt a bit of trepidation:

Quotes:
“You’ll move into my house, you’ll quit your job, and your life will center on our relationship, is that understood?”

“Will you or won’t you give up your life to come and share my life?”

But then when in the light of day Daphne has doubts and withdraws what she agreed to in the heat of the moment, he only asks for three days of her time so she can give it a chance...and he can take her doubts away. He actually tones down the Dom a bit. This made Will more likable to me but at the same time it also made it harder for me to get a firm grip on his character.

Writing:
CONSENT TO THE COWBOY is a lovely story that at some point gave me a Pretty Woman meets The Wild West feeling. It was engaging and attention grabbing, while focusing on the chemistry between the main characters. Simple and unembellished it put Abby Wood on my authors-to-keep-an-eye-on list.

Likes:
- the fireworks between Will and Daphne
- the light BDSM stuff: exhibitionism, spanking, and bondage
- the cherry thing
- Klep, the kleptomaniac dog

Dislikes:
- the beginning (first 5/6 chapters), though compelling and intense, felt a bit like going too fast.
- The heavier BDSM (slave/Master) stuff
- Some of Will's demands and how, at times, he shut himself off emotionally from Daphne

Verdict:
Excellently written and though Will was the kind if hero I had to warm up too, it was a hot erotic romance that kept me thoroughly entertained for a few evenings. This book once again proved that the Carina Press acquisitions team knows how to pick some great books.

Favorite Quotes:
“Look at me, sweetheart.” He issued a soft order but one that left her struggling for breath. Why did he order her to do things in such a way that she wanted to do anything he asked?

The strength he displayed rocked her world, but this side of Will wrapped itself around her heart and didn’t want to let go.

She forgot about the blindfold, the binds holding her in place, and gave herself over to the pleasure he elicited. The way he worked her body into arousal and held her at her peak, then drove her over into her personal utopia, washed away every doubt, every inhibition that invaded her thinking.

Ten years ago, Rori Simon left town shy, unattractive and with zero self-esteem. Now she’s back, older, stronger and finally loving herself—and it shows. Hot men are soon knocking at her door, including Jude Callahan, the bad boy who starred in her teenage daydreams…and her adult fantasies.

Jude can’t believe the sexy, confident woman before him is actually Rori! She’s gotten under his skin like no other woman has…and brings out secret desires he can’t resist. He wants to dominate Rori with every fiber of his being. Wants to own her and pleasure her. To cherish her as he makes her his.

Rori discovers she likes being controlled. She also knows Jude is not a one-woman man. Everything changes when she meets Zach Helm. Edgy, sensual Zach knows just what she needs, and before long, she’s in love. Jude watches them together and wonders if he’s lost his chance forever…

Title: Second Chances
Author: Lauren Dane
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2010, October 25 (this is a revised reprint of an earlier title)
Format: eBook
Source: Requested and received digital ARC from publisher through NetGalley

First line:
You can come home again.
Bittersweet memories overwhelmed Rori as she pulled her packed sedan up her sister’s the tree-lined driveway.

Memorable Scenes:
- Restaurant scene with Zach > OMG! Scorching!
- A scene I cannot reveal much about but it was the pivotal scene of this book and made me cry like a baby, sobbing and all.

As far as summaries go, you'll have to do with the blurb because I can't say anything more without spoiling and this is a book best read without spoilers that would ruin a lot of pivotal emotional moments in the story. SECOND CHANCES touches subjects as D/s and bondage but also emotional stuff as family bonds and a tense mother-daughter relationship, loss, grief and a bunch of other stuff I can't mention for fear of spoilers.

This story has three main characters and I'm not talking ménage here. It's a complicated love story filled with heat, emotions and struggles.

After a break-up with her cheating ex-boyfriend, Rori Simon leaves the life she's build in Paris and moves back to her hometown and her roots after ten years. She re-connects with Jude, the town’s bad boy, womanizer and her friend whom she had a crush on when she was a young. She also decides she's not going to chase after Jude him because no matter how much she wants Jude she's also realistic enough to realize exclusiveness is not in his vocabulary. Though she is falling for him, and has fallen for him she demands respect and will not taking his crap.

Throughout the story I couldn't fully connect with Rori. She was too fickle for me at times but I can't say I didn't like her. I liked her as a heroine because she was strong, self-confident and realistic. I just had trouble with some of her decisions and I never quite felt her emotionally except during a pivotal emotional scene where her hurt broke my heart.

Jude Callahan is a commanding charmer and a commitment-phobic, skirt-chasing womanizer. He’s not the one-woman type but rather juggles multiple women at the same time, enjoying them but never committing to one of them. A fact he openly admits to and doesn't pretend he's not. And it's been made easy for him with the women falling at his feet so he doesn't even have to make an effort.

Until Rori's return changes things and he finds himself doing the chasing instead of the other way around and he starts feeling things (jealousy, possessiveness) he's never felt before. Rori calls... no, screams, to his urge to dominate. Deep down he's not the carefree bachelor he seems to be. Opening up and making himself vulnerable because of how he's starting to feel about Rori scares him to death, which is why he inadvertently pushes her away as he doesn't open up to her other than sexually.

This drives Rori to Zach Helm, her best friend’s brother. Zach is the total opposite of Jude. He is ready to commit and so the focus of hero shifted to him, another Dominant but very openly so. He fills the emotional void that Jude left. Though both Zach and Jude are Doms Zach is more sure and comfortable with his mastery, which made him come out on top and made the sex scenes with him and Rori hotter to read.

Jude really started to get on my nerves with his petty jealousy over Rori once she's with Zach. He came across as a petulant child stomping his foot because he didn't get what he wanted but only wanted it after he threw it away and someone else grabbed it. Still, as much as he got on my nerves and as much as I wanted to smack him for being an ass to Rori, Jude was the character I clicked with the most.

Zach to me was kept on the surface as a character, understandably once you get to the heart of the story and I couldn’t completely click with Rori. Jude was the one who made a significant enough character development for me. Then something big, significant and heartbreaking happens and Rori and Jude grow close again and at the start of that development in the story my feelings about it were ambivalent.

I admired how Lauren Dane tackled the situation and the romance in this novel but I wasn’t sure if I was going to love it in the end. It's definitely not your run-of-the-mill romance novel that you just go through the motions with. It made me stop and wonder what I would do in Rori's place faced with the situations Lauren Dane put her in.

There were some things I liked less in the story.
One thing that bothered me a bit was the flashbacks during sex scenes. Rori and Jude and Zach had them and they took me out of the sexy times mood, even when they were flashbacks with a sexual tone. Also Rori attracts dominant men but I didn't find a foundation in her character to suggest she's a sub other than both Zach and Jude saying she was "the perfect sub". The "something clicked into place inside her" didn't completely work for me either, as it was sudden and left too unfounded for me to truly accept it.

However there were so much more things that I did like about this story and they made the above little issues pale in comparison. I loved the quick alternations between Rori and Jude's POVs, which gave the story a very fast-paced, feel and kept it moving forward.

The characters and their emotional development were also pluses for me. This goes for Jude especially because he could have been a character easy to dislike, even hate, but the way Lauren Dane portrayed him you just can't because he's very unapologetically upfront about who and what he is, he learns from his mistakes and his redemption is believable and heartfelt.

The story at a swift pace and a lot of things were happening yet it never felt rushed. SECOND CHANCES is emotional, witty and super hot. The emotions make it honest, genuine and realistic. The romance that is not of the flowery, all sunshine and roses kind touched me deeply. I cried through the last 4 or 5 chapters and had to put it down a few times just to get a grip.

Lauren Dane ripped my heart out with this book but she also put it back, whole and rich with a new emotional reading experience. This shouldn’t surprise me because it's Lauren Dane. Need I say more? I love her writing whether it's contemporary, futuristic, full-out erotic or just sexy. She writes, I love!

Favorite Quotes:

The men pulled up chairs and sat. It was simply not a chore at all to look at them there. Like a box of chocolates of male beauty. A little of every type and she liked them all.

Tonya Big Boobs came back with their drinks and gave Jude another facial massage with her mammary glands. So conscientious, that girl.

The part of him that wanted to gobble her up and binge warred with the part that wanted to draw it out, fully taste every single moment they had, including the build up to what he knew would be explosive and very hot sex.

And just to be clear, there is no me and Rori. I just took her for a drink, a dance and a ride on my bike.”
“And a tonsillectomy on the front porch.”

“You know, I can think of a lot better ways to spend this evening. There are just so many things I’d rather be licking than this spoon.”
“Oh yeah?” His eyes darkened. “Please, feel free to elaborate. In great detail. With your tongue in my ear if you wish.”
“Show me,” he said, a slight tremor in his voice.
“Can’t here, you’re a cop, you’d have to arrest me. Although the idea of you putting me in handcuffs does have its appeal.”

“This is like a symbol that I’m yours? Not as in, you own me, though, right? Because I am not down with that, mister.”
He smiled at her sauciness. “I don’t own you, you’re a human being. So beautiful and perfect. The collar is a symbol that you are mine emotionally and physically. But I’m yours, too. You won’t lose yourself to me, Rori. I don’t want your independence, your spirit. I just want your obedience in bed."

Coming clean never felt so good….

Grant and Vivi Michaelson share everything in their marriage: love, commitment—and their wildest sexual desires. But their relationship is tested when Vivi admits she wants a threesome with Grant’s old friend Cade, proposing their annual trip to the lake as the perfect opportunity to fulfill her fantasy.

All three of them are aroused by the idea. Vivi and Cade have long felt a smoldering attraction to each other…and Grant and Cade have hidden an illicit desire for decades. Going through with the ménage will test their boundaries, reveal old secrets…and maybe tear them apart. After all, there might be room for Cade in bed, but is there room for a third in their marriage?

Title: Coming Clean
Author: Inez Kelley
Series: Dirty Laundry Series, book 3
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2010, August 30
Format: eGalley
Source: Received a digital ARC from publisher via NetGalley
First line: How do you ask your best friend to f#ck your wife?
Memorable Scenes:
- Cade and Vivi dancing, Grant watching them > hotter, more seductive, more enthralling than the actual sex scenes, I'm a sucker for dancing.
- "Ground rules" scene > so sweet and hot

The story is short so I am leaving out a summary as the blurb covers that satisfactory so I’ll get right to business with my review

Even before I'd read one word of the book, Inez Kelley earned herself an extra point! In the contents I saw that the chapters were named. The naming of chapters is something I haven't seen in a very, very long time and I really liked it.


COMING CLEAN had an excellent start that pulled me right in, and of course a first line like that (see above), my attention is definitely drawn. Inez Kelley also has the uncanny ability to seduce and captivate me with her writing like few other authors can. Her writing is indescribable, it just pulls you in and I think it’s a wonderful style. A few examples to underline what I mean are:

The beat of his racing heart nearly drowned out the sexually tinged melody.

Fear mixed with dread and was fed by guilt.

Jealousy swelled like a tsunami before common decency tramped it back down.

Her writing is smooth and fast-paced with lots of showing and not much telling. It starts right at the heart of things and little by little the character backgrounds and the origins of their fantasies are weaved into the story. Easy banter, scorching desire and unadulterated lust alternate in an easy, fluent way while the lead-up to the ménage unfolds, but beneath the wit and the heat there's also doubt and fear.

Vivi wants the threesome not only for herself but also for Grant as she sees his feelings for Cade, which go beyond just sexual desire and she fears losing them both to each other. It's not a threesome the three of them embark on light-heartedly or without trepidation. All three have their doubts and insecurities about it and all three think about and consider the feelings of the others. I really appreciated hat they didn't do the mindlessly diving into a ménage routine.

I really loved how the "Dirty Laundry" theme of the series was subtly incorporated in this installment, in the refreshingly unique way I've grown used to by now in this series. Seriously, this is my favorite new (and newly discovered) erotic contemporary series of 2010.

One very minor point of criticism: the ending was kind of sudden, when I turned the page, ready for some more triangle action and I got the 'About the Author' page I just stared at it in disbelief and disappointment because surely this couldn't be the end. I flipped back and forth again but unfortunately there was no more and I really wanted more.

The m/m part of this ménage is...just wow...I have no words to do it justice. As known I only accept m/m action if there's a female somewhere in the equation and there is in COMING CLEAN but at the same time Inez Kelley gave me a taste of the most explicit m/m sexy times I have ever read in my limited experience of this subgenre and lo and behold: I loved it. True, I was anxiously waiting for Vivi to come out and into play too but still I thought the Cade and Grant raw chemistry and tentative exploring of each other was brilliantly written and I must thank Inez for giving me a first real taste of m/m, and not just the suggestion of it (which was fine with me and my comfort zone) and making me love it!

That being said, I still liked the parts where Vivi contributed to the sexual play the best and I don't believe I'd ever go for the straight m/m erotic romance but COMING CLEAN definitely proved to me that with the right kind of m/m/f ménage writing I can appreciate that part of it.

I was supposed to read this book slowly, little snippets spread out over a few days, in between other books I needed to read, but I couldn't because every time I closed the reader to go do or read something else, I'd keep thinking about it and opening the reader to go back to Grant, Vivi and Cade so eventually I read it in practically one sitting. Curse you, Ms. Kelley for keeping me entranced with this enticing piece of erotic romance! *shakes fist*

COMING CLEAN is a fun, poignant and dirty sexy erotic romance that will please both m/m and ménage lovers and it pleased even this non-m/m reader immensely!

Favorite Quotes:
Betrayal soured in his mouth. He’d crossed a line no friend should ever cross. Since fourth grade they’d been blood brothers, buddies, the guy you couldn’t call to bail you out of jail because he’d be sitting in the cell with you asking “Man, what the hell did we do?”

A soft command husked with gravelly texture. “Tell me what you’re thinking right now.” His sultry tone slithered across the air, shedding a skin of doubt and revealing scales of lust and promise.

Cade, Grant and Vivian were a triangle. Three sides of equal strength, joined together.

“Tell me what you want. Talk dirty to me.”

Biologist Nora MacGregor is frantic when she loses her dissertation research notes on Female Sexuality —and some very personal written fantasies. Then a sinful stranger calls with a wicked proposition: if she talks dirty to him, he’ll return her notes, page by page. “James” allows Nora to explore her deepest desires and challenges her clinical ideas about sex. But James can’t give her the loving touches she finds in her budding relationship with Dr. Jarod Reed.

Jarod seized an opportune moment to fulfill his desire for Nora by becoming the mysterious James. While the anonymous, erotic phone sessions are unforgettable, Jarod longs to tell Nora he wants more than just talk. But how can he confess his deception without it costing him the chance to make their fantasies a reality?

TALK DIRTY TO ME is the second book in the Dirty Laundry series. The title alone definitely pushed my buttons because anyone who reads my reviews and/or follows me on Twitter knows that I have a soft spot for heroes who talk the dirty…and let me tell you, my expectations of Jarod were satisfyingly met because he definitely talks the dirty and does it well. I am not going to give you a summary of the story as the above blurb efficiently takes care of that. In this review I want to talk about my opinion of this hot little collaboration writing and not rehash a story that you all should just read and experience for yourself! I can tell you that I didn’t read this book; I inhaled it…in one sitting!

Nora McGregor is a biologist working on her dissertation. She’s outspoken and takes life head-on. She’s also smart and tenacious. Her analytical mind hides a woman who craves romance and true love.

Now let’s talk Jarod Reed/James. Jarod is an English professor. He is straightforward, intelligent and has a great sense of humor. He’s a romantic with a wicked sense of naughty. He has shot straight to the top of my dirty talking heroes list. He set the pages and my e-reader on fire! And, despite her initial reluctance, Nora absolutely gave him a run for his money in an almost shy way that’s contradictory to her outspoken nature.

I loved the way Nora was trying to explain her (sexual) reaction to Jarod/James with science and logic, backed up with biology. It was a nice counterpoint for the extremely hot scenes and fun to read. As the story progressed I wondered how the Jarod/James angle was going to be played out, how Nora was going to discover that Jarod and James were the same person. They way the authors resolved this was both smart and very, very hot. I liked it a lot!

Inez Kelley and Ginny Glass write good stuff. Separate they are forces to keep an eye on as I’ve reviewed two books they wrote individually and loved them both but together they just take naughtiness, hotness and wicked dirty talk to another level. I wasn’t able to discern who wrote what without a little help on Twitter from the authors themselves while normally with co-written stories I am able to do so fairly easily, especially when I’ve read the solo work of the individual authors. However in this case the writing was so in tune throughout the entire book, it seamlessly and smoothly entwined together, leaving me guessing as to which scenes were written by whom.

TALK DIRTY TO ME was hot, engaging and fast-paced. The dialogues were sharp, fast and funny. The talk was wicked and dirty, the characters were smart and witty, and the sex was sizzling. This reader pretty satisfied after reading the last page of this novella, which was short but very well written. I have but one complaint about this story and it’s the same one I had about COIN OPERATED (book 1): It’s too damn short! When I reached the end I wanted more of Nora and Jarod, much more, like pages and pages more. I couldn’t get enough of them and their chemistry.

TALK DIRTY TO ME is an enticing piece of erotic fiction and a worthy sequel to COIN OPERATED. It raised the bar a notch for the next installment in this series. A series that’s well on its way to becoming one of my favorite erotic romance series of late. Despite missing some sort of epilogue (just being greedy for more here, see a the paragraph above) in the merely 88 pages this story counted, Ginny Glass and Inez Kelley delivered not only a smoking hot book filled with all kinds of the good dirty, they also gave me a well-rounded, romantic love story that fits perfectly into the Dirty Laundry series. All I can say is: “Ladies, hit me with some more of the dirty stuff.”

Quote from Nora’s notations about her research for her dissertation:
Is it possible to fall in love with two different men for two different reasons? One is smooth, controlled and kisses me until my toes tingle. The other whispers naughty words that vibrate my soul. Both are intelligent and sharp and quick to laugh. I want to tell one my most farfetched dreams and the other my wickedest fantasies.

8.7 out of 10