Sometimes what you think you want and what you need are two very different things.

As a technical editor, Jeffrey Maddox deals with plenty of words, leaving him few to spare on people, except his baby sister. To keep Daisy from wrecking her newly rehabbed life by shacking up with her older, married lover Lonny, he impulsively texts Lonny’s wife, Karyn. And then meets her at a coffee shop on a snowy night, ostensibly to convince her to stay with her philandering husband.

But soon texting turns to sexting. After spending the night getting to know Karyn, Jeff wants something much more personal—Lonny’s wife. For himself.

Despite her misgivings about Jeff’s intentions, Karyn can’t fight their attraction. She’s still not divorced, though she knows there’s no way she’ll return to her husband. But maybe an amazing night of conversation—and even more amazing lovemaking—can lead to more than just one night of hot text

Title: HOT TEXT
Author: Cari Quinn
Series: stand alone (to my knowledge)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2011, November 2
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Jasmine Jade eBook Store

First line:
Jeff Maddox stared at the cell phone vibrating on his sister’s coffee table.

Memorable Scenes:
- Jeff and Karyn's booty call > hot with some unexpected character revelations
- the body painting scene > loved it


QuickScore-Verdict:
Jeff Maddox, the hero is this story, was a very interesting character. He is a technical editor with 2 ex-wives who is very protective of his baby sister and when I read all this I thought: whatever direction is Cari Quinn going to take with him… Suffice to say Cari immediately took him down the right path and I truly liked Jeff, even if he is a little rude grouchy and ornery.

Karyn James is a preschool teacher. She’s a quirky homebody who talks to herself a lot and paints to express her creativity. She is open and direct despite not being overly assertive.

Cari Quinn could write the technical manuals Jeff edits and I'd still gobble it up. In HOT TEXT it wasn't just the hot sex scenes. It was the instant connection I felt with the characters, their imperfections and their personalities. I loved this story about two average, normal people. It was very character-driven, fresh and original with a unique premise. The characters were awesome and despite of them having total different personality traits they matched perfectly.

I loved reading Jeff and Karyn's story and could've read more if there had been more. Yet despite the shortness of the story it felt well rounded and complete. Though the characters may be average, normal people...the sex scenes are as fabulously hot as I've gotten used to from Cari Quinn. I expected scorching heat, Cari went above and beyond and definitely delivered!

Favorite Quotes:
She’d clearly gone too long without male companionship if any brute who walked her way made her sit up and take notice. Even one with pretty eyes and scowling lips.

She laughed and the sound loosened something inside his gut, unwinding snakes of need that wrapped around his c#ck in a viselike grip.

She expected an easy kiss. Good, perhaps, but not intense. He seemed like a low-key, moderately passionate person. As she’d been, without the right stimulation.
Without this .
What she got was a glancing blow of lips that soon turned to a furious meshing of mouths and teeth. It wasn’t elegant. It was messy and rough and God help her, bordered on dirty.

There was something so alluring about a woman’s— this woman’s—creamy back, especially offset by her wavy dark hair. She was sensual in the extreme and so beautifully fragile. But not weak. She had an inner strength he doubted she even gave herself credit for. She might bend, but break? Not Karyn.

She kissed him so deeply his mind shuddered to a halt. Wasn’t he supposed to take control? He couldn’t. How could he control this? She’d become a one-woman wrecking ball against his determination to shut her out. He didn’t want complications but here she was, her lips on fire, melting his last resolve.
Stripping him bare before she left him alone.

“Bring it,” she challenged.
He brought it. Hard, fast, with all of his frustration and every wet dream from the last year wrapped up in the hope and desire she’d evoked tonight.

Patrick didn’t think it would be a big deal to kiss his best friend Brandon. Hell, they’d done crazier things to avoid a bar fight. He was totally unprepared to be wildly turned on, the kiss opening up new avenues of pleasure he’d never dreamt of—Patrick, after all, was straight, even if Brandon wasn’t.

Destiny’s never been afraid to ask for what she wants. When she sees Patrick and Brandon together, she knows exactly what she wants—the three of them in bed together, preferably with her in the middle of a hot, naked-man sandwich with her two best friends.

When Brandon finds himself hunted by an unknown enemy, the three friends find themselves fighting for their lives—and their hearts.

Title: DESTINY CALLS
Author: Samantha Wayland
Series: standalone (as far as I know)
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2011, July 6
Format: eBook
Source: Received the ebook for review from author

First line:
He should have just stayed home.

Memorable Scenes:
- Destiny's little experiment with Brandon > my heart broke for Brandon at his realization that he was alone, had no one who was "his"
- the scene at Patrick's house after Brandon's attack > I teared up
- Captain Sullivan's reaction to Patrick's confession about loving both Destiny and Brandon > gotta love that man!

Destiny Matthews is a marketing executive with commitment issues. She’s take-charge, outspoken and tough but she has a soft core and her heart is in the right place.

This ménage has two heroes. First we have Brandon, who is bi-sexual. He’s also restraint, and stubborn but can be volatile when pushed to far.

Second we have Patrick who is straight, or at least he’s always thought he was straight until one kiss turns his world upside down. He’s kind, explosive, and outgoing. He’s also quick-mouthed and only shows his sweet side in private

Brandon and Patrick are both police officers and longtime best friends. Patrick seemed to be the binding factor in this ménage. Both Brandon and Destiny have (secret) crushes on him. Brandon tries to contain his attraction to Patrick and hides his unrequited love in favor of their lifelong friendship. Destiny and Patrick have been lovers off and on but it has always stayed on a sexual level.

While Patrick is the binding factor that brings them together, Destiny is the glue that keeps them together. She's the calming element when the guys' explosive tempers rear their heads. I clicked most with Destiny and Patrick.

This is an emotionally complex and intense story. Three lives with their different individual connections to each other are intricately woven together through some major attraction, explosive chemistry and deeply rooted love. Samantha Wayland has made a very good first impression on me. However there were some things that didn’t completely work for me.

I had a bit of trouble getting into the story but that lasted about a few chapters and had to do with the fact that the story opened with and at first focused on the m/m part of the m/m/f ménage. As known I'm not a m/m romance reader but do enjoy m/m/f romances when the woman is the focal point of the ménage. DESTINY CALLS started with just Brandon and Patrick though and that threw me back for a bit. However once Destiny entered the scene I was completely engaged...And more importantly, the story needed the opening it had as the whole dynamic between the friends and the development of the ménage hinged on it.

I believed in the Destiny/Patrick and Brandon/Patrick sexual and emotional connections, but in the beginning I had trouble believing in the Destiny/Brandon connection since there was no obvious foundation in something past fond friendship, contrary to the foundations that were present between respectively Brandon and Destiny with Patrick.

However sex scene wise I believed it all and gobbled it all up once I accepted that Samantha Wayland was going to tell this story as she saw fit and it wouldn't be conforming to my notions of how a m/m/f ménage should be. And the way she saw fit, was the way to go because that was the only way to let the story run its course towards the HEA that I ultimately what want to see in the end. And whatever I might have found not to my liking in this book, it was never the hot, rife with raw emotions, love scenes.

Next to the intricate and emotionally complex romance there's suspense as well (well duh, Brandon and Patrick are police officers). I started believing it was going to involve the arrest a mob kingpin. But there's also a violent attack on Brandon and this turned out to be the major element in the plot. Though there is a lot happening in this book, the pace was slow and not slow in a bad way, but just not fast-paced compared to everything happening.

Even though I'm still not a fan of too much m/m action and focus in m/m/f ménages and for me there wasn't enough focus on the female in the triad somehow this book still worked for me because of the raw emotions and emotional struggles that the characters went through to accept each other and all the consequences that went with that.

After finishing this book it stayed with me for quite some time as I couldn’t exactly form my final thoughts on it. Even though it had that m/m focus I am not fond of, it still made a big emotional impression on me. She definitely pushed some buttons with me and made me think about what I like and don’t like in ménages and I will definitely be looking for more books by Samantha Wayland.

Favorite Quotes:
God, Brandon tasted good. Familiar and different. The strength of Brandon’s arms, his sheer size, his flavor and texture. It was like Patrick’s first kiss all over again. A world of discovery in one lip-locked moment. Heat poured through him, thrumming with rough need.

She sat watching him [Patrick], her heart filled with compassion, her body humming with desire. His face was a mask of confusion and shock.

Patrick’s tongue stole over his, his lips yielding, responding, working at Brandon’s mouth. Each touch, each parry of Patrick’s tongue sent electric shocks zinging through Brandon’s body. He acquiesced, giving the kiss over while sinking deeper into it. It was so sweet. So good. Patrick ran a thumb over Brandon’s jaw and he let his eyes close, simply losing himself in kissing Patrick.
[...] Three days of jerking off hadn’t even come close to easing the ache. But this. His blood sang on its way south, his head spun from its rapid retreat. Every nerve ending was on full alert, gathering in sensations, swamping him with data.

He stared at her, achingly aware of his need for her, his desire that couldn’t be spent with one orgasm. Especially since he’d come in his pants like a freaking teenager. Jesus. (Brandon)

Brandon wanted to reach out, to shout his denial at the loss of contact, but stopped himself. He couldn’t pressure Patrick, no matter how the need beat at him. He had to let Patrick set the pace, even if Brandon wanted to fall to his knees and beg.
Come to that, if he were to fall to his knees in front of Patrick, there were a few things he’d like to do while he was down there.

She backed toward the door, her hand up. “No. I have to go. Don’t look at me like that! I can’t miss this meeting.” Dropping her hand, she clutched the handle of her briefcase. “I swear to god, Patrick, stop looking at me like that. It’s not fair.”
Brandon covered his mouth with one hand, doing a fairly poor job of hiding his laughter. They both knew what they’d done to her. Jerks. Mouth-watering, hunky, sex-god jerks.

He knew he should say something to make Brandon believe it would all be worth it, but he didn’t have the words. He had never been more acutely aware that being the one with the big mouth wasn’t the same as being the one who knew the right thing to say.

Dr. Clara Evans’ life has taken a turn for the worse. With a failed marriage behind her, Clara has only a bottle of wine and a romance novel for company on New Year’s Eve while waiting for the dreadful year to end.

Her lonely celebration is disrupted when her best friend Jackson Philips shows up and she couldn’t be more delighted. Tall, muscular and handsome, what’s not to love about the bighearted firefighter?

It’s not until she steals a desperately needed kiss for luck at midnight that secret desires and hidden heartaches rise to the surface, igniting an inferno of passion that burns hot enough to overwhelm even the most seasoned firefighter.

Title: A KISS FOR LUCK
Author: Kele Moon
Series: standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2011, January 5
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Jasmine Jade eBookstore

First line:
“Firefighters are the hottest.”

Memorable Scenes:
-hallway table scene > can I say hot?! Red-hot!
- epilogue > loved this perfect ending!



QuickScore-Verdict:
A KISS FOR LUCK is a friends-to-lovers novella that gave me a great first taste of Kele Moon's writing and it definitely makes me crave more. Granted, there were a few eyebrow-raising moments (to do with Clara's marriage) but they were all obliterated by the excellent writing and the scorching sex scene(s) that were wrought with emotions.

And with a vocal hero named Jackson, Kele Moon had this one in the bag from the moment I started reading the first page and I was sad to come to the end as I could've kept on reading about Jackson and Clara forever!

Favorite Quotes:
She was breathless, stunned and overwhelmed with the rush of longing invading her senses, making her blind to everything but the need for more of him. If he could do this to her with one kiss she would never have to fake anything. With Jackson she would want it to last forever.

For the first time in years she felt vibrant and alive. Everywhere he touched she burned. Shivers and gooseflesh followed his caresses. Her senses where overwhelmed with him and she would have done anything to keep him there with her.

She shattered instantly, bucking against his mouth and fisting his hair tightly as her whole body shuddered in climax. She screamed from the ferocity of so much passion uncoiling at once. Pleasure ricocheted through her, filling her with tingling warmth when it finally passed. Dazed and sated, her eyes blinked open to see Jackson staring up at her in awe and surprise

He tilted his head back, closing his eyes as the hot water ran over his face and his libido raged, careless of the complexities of his now drastically altered friendship with Clara. Remembering her standing in his bedroom, wanting her again with a hunger that was all consuming, he wished he had the balls to jerk off and ease some of the tension that wasn’t subsiding despite their activities earlier.

It was Clara. She made him burn in a way that was wild and rare and he wanted to capture this feeling and keep it forever.

“Tell me. Say it. Beg for it and I’ll give it to you.”

Emma Lee Bridges is back in her tiny hometown for the first time in years. Not even twenty-four hours after hitting the landing strip, she’s already forced to face the boy she loved and left behind.

But Jackson isn’t exactly the boy she remembers. Now the sexy owner of a successful mechanic shop, he takes one look at Emma and wants her back—permanently.

The sex between them is downright flammable, the chemistry they share as wild as ever. And this time around, Emma has to decide if she wants to run or stay for good.

Title: SHE LIKES HIM BAD
Author: Scarlett Scott
Series: standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2011, August 5
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Jasmine Jade eBookstore

First line:
Paradise, Georgia. Emma couldn’t believe she was back after twelve years.

Memorable Scenes:
- the scene in Jackson's kitchen > wait a minute! Did my iPhone just spontaneously burst into flames?


QuickScore-Verdict:
My first encounter with Scarlett Scott's work wasn't a pretty one but that has definitely been set straight with this book. The promise I saw in her writing has definitely been fulfilled. For a novella to completely work for me it needs certain tropes: friends-to-lovers, troubled marriage, reunited love etc. This one had reunited love and therefore worked in the limits of the small page-count

The banter between hero and heroine again shone through. And Scarlett Scott knows how to crank up the heat in the sex scenes! One thing I missed was some sort of epilogue. It's not that it was needed to complete the HEA but I'm an epilogue-addict and love to see the ‘how are they doing further down the road’-scenes.

SHE LIKES HIM BAD is a short and very enjoyable novella that was written with likeable characters that were fleshed out pretty well for such a short story. Moreover the mix between humor, characterization and heat was well balanced and that's just the way I like 'em.

Favorite Quotes:
Do not, she urged her inner vixen, look at the way those blue jeans fit his lean legs. Do not notice how he’s filled out in all the right places. Or how freakin’ handsome he is as a man rather than the boy you once kissed. And above all do not look at his mouth or you’ll think about…
Too late. Her gaze dropped to those sensual lips that were quirked into a crooked grin. She remembered that grin. She remembered those kisses.

The sexual tension was back. She was incredibly aware of him. She could smell his cologne and it made her want to press her nose to his neck and inhale deeply. Maybe lick his skin.

She had only a matter of seconds to try to talk some sense into her wicked, sex-with-Jackson craving brain.

Damn. What was the protocol for morning kitchen sex? (Jackson)

When he stood, he wanted to say something intelligent. Something to make her melt. “What are you doing here?”
Shit. He raked a hand through his hair. Not exactly setting the world on fire with your charm, are you, Jackson?

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Enjoying Emma Lee Bridges standing half-naked on my doorstep, apologizing to me? Hell yes, I am. I thought the day would never come.”
“I’m not half-naked,” she protested.
He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. “I’m pretty damn sure I can see your nipples right through that shirt. Lord knows I’ve been thinking about sucking them ever since I opened the door.”

“The man I am today is far more ready to be your man than the boy I was twelve years ago, Emma. Time is a beautiful thing. It makes you stronger, makes you learn.”

William’s boring lovemaking leaves Catherine unsatisfied. Harboring fantasies she can’t put into words, she longs for a sexual voice but finds herself too stifled by her proper social upbringing.

When a blackout hits their resort hotel and William proposes a sexy version of hide-and-seek, playtime takes on a whole new salacious meaning. Charlotte’s mind races with sexual scenarios. But even her fantasies fail to compare to the titillating adventure her husband has planned for her—with the help of another man.

Soon everything she knows about lust will be irreversibly changed—and she’ll moan for more.

Title: PARTY GAMES
Author: Elise Hepner
Series: standalone
Genre: Erotica
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2011, May 10
Format: eBook
Source: received an e-copy from author for review

First line:
< Charlotte could point the finger at William for this childish party game. b>Memorable Scenes:
-

Note from reviewer:
I've called this a DNF-review in the title but actually it's not a review but more an explanation of why I couldn't finish the book. As a matter of fact I don't think it can be called a review if you don't make it past the first chapter. Still I didn't want to let this book go by unaddressed as 1. I received it for review and 2. what doesn't work for me, might for work perfectly for someone else as we all bring different backgrounds, history, experiences, hot buttons and pet peeves to our reading.

Elise Hepner is one of two authors whose work I recently first encountered with and those first encounters weren’t stellar. However, I did really like the writing styles and voice of both authors so this week I read a second book of both authors and while the other author was redeemed, unfortunately this wasn't the case for Elise Hepner.

I started reading PARTY GAMES and being intrigued by the blurb and the premise I was positive I would like it.

I read the first paragraph and once again was impressed by Elise Hepner's powerful, edgy writing. And then I read the next passage:

“Then take me.” She sought out his lips. The thrill of possible sin with another man made her flesh burn from his touch.
William must have his fair share of dalliances outside their marriage bed. What would be the harm in her having just this one? Her husband worked nights often. She knew what the sewing circles whispered. William had never made any motion to make her doubt the gossip. If anything, his actions only enforced the rumors because he would come home at night with different women’s perfumes on his skin and wrinkles in his untucked shirts.
Briefly, the thought of her husband in an affair stung until she buried it away. They didn’t know each other well enough, like other married couples, for her to waste so much time on her emotions. Their courtship had never been a match of love, but their marriage was one of business between families.
So it didn’t make sense to waste pain on the hypothetical. It wasn’t as if she could change things. Where would hurt get her in the end? She wouldn’t be any better for it, so it was best for her to lock it away.
But surely William didn’t care enough for her for this to hurt him? He’d never done much but scold, reprimand or mount her―that is, when they saw each other at all. William couldn’t deny her curiosity. Not when David might bring her to life again. She couldn’t resist when the timing was so right.
If anything, William should be pleased that she might finally have fun in the bedroom—or a closet. Maybe this would teach her to bring her own desires to her husband. Wouldn’t that be ironic?

This is a total deal-breaker for me. And yes, I know this is erotica and not erotic romance so a HEA into the sunset was not to be expected but the purposeful cheating, intent to cheat and emotional distance between the main characters are things that just don't work for me. So I had to stop reading there and declare this a DNF. I read a book once where there was cheating in the book and decided then and there I would not do that again, as much as I hate not to finish a book, especially sent to me for review, I read for pleasure and enjoyment and I don’t want to read about things I cannot reconcile with enough to enjoy the book.

When I read the above page in the book I knew this book was not going to work for me and that's because in my reading I look for that emotional connection with and between the main characters and I didn't think this book was going to give that to me.

Despite this being a DNF I must say that if you read and enjoy non-romance erotica, Elise Hepner is an author to keep an eye on because her writing is excellent and her voice absolutely fits darker edged erotica. For me it didn’t work but that doesn’t mean it won’t for someone else.

Rating:
No rating as this was a DNF within the first chapter

Ivy may be the odd woman out in the field of construction, but that doesn’t mean she can’t do a man’s job. And in heels, no less. When a subcontractor runs behind on the project she’s heading, Ivy’s prepared to give him a proper dressing down. But when she sees the man in question, undressing him becomes far more interesting a prospect.

Jake Shaw is proud of the business he’s built and isn’t about to be bossed around by a sassy vixen who clips into his life in cherry red pumps. Their clash is instant, their attraction undeniable, their use of his big desk…delicious.

Before Ivy can catch her breath she’s breaking all the rules with Jake. The more time she spends with him, the harder she finds it to convince herself he’s all wrong for her.

Title: WICKED DIRTY
Author: Scarlett Scott
Series: standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Jasmine Jade/Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2010, October 7
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Jasmine Jade eBook-store

First line:
On Monday morning, a merciless headache began to thump in Ivy Denton’s right temple, partially because she hadn’t yet had her first cup of coffee and partially from impending stress.

Memorable Scene:
- the start of the book (first few pages), which was very promising and hot



QuickScore-Verdict:
The pace of this book was lightning quick and I realize it's an EC Quickie but things went really fast from not knowing each other to hot and heavy in the trailer on the construction site. It felt rushed...even if there was the desk smexing I love so much in my erotic romance reads. I missed Jake's POV...it all just felt too rushed, I never really got to know the characters and I was left with an unsatisfied feeling of the story not being finished.

However, I really liked the flow and ease of Scarlett Scott's writing and the innuendo-filled banter between Jake and Ivy. This means I will definitely give Scarlett Scott another go and as a matter of fact I’m already eyeing her latest contemporary Ellora’s Cave release (She Likes Him Bad, released August 5th).

Favorite Quote:
If she wanted to be considered a professional, a part of this mostly man’s world, she had to stop gawking. And since there was no way she could keep herself from ogling that mouthwatering slab of potent masculinity sauntering by, she busied herself with the pretense of scrolling through her BlackBerry before depositing it safely in her purse.

Sometimes extreme provocation can lead to exactly what you need…
Attracted.
Kelly is focused on the bookstore she manages. Sex is relegated to a list of candidates on her PDA. Only one man pushes all her buttons―her boss.

Fascinated. Spencer is determined to fight his desire for Kelly. For years they’ve bumped heads over the store they both love. But there’s more than one reason a potential relationship is too complicated.

Provoked. When Kelly and Spencer unexpectedly meet up at a sex club, all the rules go out the window. Suddenly there’s only one way this match of wills can end―naked, preferably all night long. In this battle for sexual supremacy, there are two winners—and two losers, when their stubbornness leads to the very thing each dreads most.


Reader Advisory
In a couple of scenes, Kelly and Spencer test “the more the merrier” theory.

Title: PROVOKE ME
Author: Cari Quinn
Series: Unveiled, book 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2011, June 22
Format: eBook
Source: Received a digital copy for review from author

First line:
Being called to the boss’s office was never a good thing.

Memorable Scenes:
- Kelly and Spence's first meet in the club > I just overdosed on raw sexual heat and tension. Am I still breathing? I think Cari just killed me...
- the scene working late at the Book Nook > sweet and hot at the same time
- the scene at the club with Paul > *fans self* but it's not helping at all!!


Kelly Crossman is a day manager at one of the Book Nook bookstores.
She’s sweet and giving, yet she knows what she wants and goes for it. Kelly is also smart-mouthed, impulsive and has rebellious streak.

Spencer Galvin is a regional manager for The Book Nook bookstores. He’s controlled and in command, tight-lipped and driven. But he’s also ruthless, honest and has voyeuristic tendencies.

This book is hot beyond words! I'm not ashamed to admit I was in a constant state of arousal throughout the whole thing. But next to the amazing, scorching heat there was also the emotional struggle both Spencer and Kelly go through. Both Spencer and Kelly are far from picture-perfect characters and I really liked that. Their flaws and not so perfect decisions made me like them even more.

Kelly has no trouble acknowledging her feelings for Spencer but she keeps them to herself, afraid to hear Spencer doesn't care to hear them.
Spencer is more complicated. He has feelings for Kelly but his past and need for control prevent him from letting go and going for it. His struggle was torturous to read and there were many moments I just wanted to yell at him to just go for it and stop wasting precious time.

I’m really happy to know that there are quite a few books still coming in this series (4 more if I recall correctly) because the cast of secondary characters was great and offers a lot of possibilities in the future. There was one secondary character I would have loved to punch in the face in this book. Hard! But Cari has assured me she isn’t all evil and she is going to make an effort to redeem her in her own book. I have faith that Cari will make it work, so I’m even looking forward to Diana’s book.

I must admit Cari Quinn pushed me to the edges of my boundaries with the Diana situation. I understood Spencer’s reasoning but still didn't like the direction it was headed in. However, I did like how that particular part of the story was played out in the end and how it contributed to the emotional turmoil in the story.

I think I should just review Cari Quinn's books with an “I love her writing, buy the book!” because I just do. The perfect combination of heat, humor and emotion draw me in every single time and just keep me reading, not wanting to stop for a single minute. Fluent, witty, clean, hot and crisp Cari's voice is one of my top favorites in the erotic romance scene.

I suspected it before but after reading PROVOKE ME, I’m sure. Cari Quinn is trying to kill me with her scorching hot books that are not only sexy but emotional too. Oh well, it’s a great way to go…

Favorite Quotes:
He was brilliant, ruthlessly so. An amazing boss. And his ass was a thing of beauty.

(Alana) “Kel, we’ve been here ten minutes. The line’s getting longer and I’m nowhere near getting any c#ck.” (I just LOVE Alana, if only for this remark of hers)

He wasn’t much better. He was about to suffer c#ck-strangulation from his belt and his sides ached from his rigid stance in the seat. She’d fucking annihilated him with her lips and her hand. Even without sampling that honey-sweet mouth or feeling her bare palm around his erection, he was one tepid fantasy away from coming in his pants.

Every breath he took ravaged his chest. He was on fire, inside and out, his body one massive throbbing nerve. She cried out again, a shrill piercing noise he should’ve worried would wake the neighbors. But there was no room for worry now.

He sounded like a mixture of heaven and hell, wrapped in a thin chocolaty layer of sex-drenched sin.

Two guys. A girl. One incredible game of pool…

Scarlett wants to escape, even if it’s just for a little while. So she heads to Southern Comfort, where she’ll find a certain marine she can’t get out of her head. And she knows he won’t be alone.

Michael spies the uptight woman of his dreams the minute she fights through the crowd. She’s sexy as sin and he can’t take his eyes off her while she flirts over some liquid courage. When she finally heads his way, it’s time to find out if she can live up to her end of the fantasy.

Red-hot chemistry may call the shots, but once you take the double hit… The game is on.

Title: SOUTHERN COMFORT
Author: Eve Cassidy
Series: Standalone, part of Ellora’s Cave EXOTIKA line
Genre: Erotica, Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Year of release: 2010, September 2
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Jasmine Jade eBook store

First line:
Scarlett Bailey approached the entrance to the bar with equal parts trepidation and excitement.

Memorable Scenes:
The scene just before the pool game starts > hot!


Quick & Dirty-review:

Ingredients/Summary:
Interesting stuff on a pool table, a little bit of dirty talk and the fulfillment of a fantasy.

Characters:
Normally I break this part down into hero and heroine but because the story was so short I didn’t get an extensive enough picture of the characters to send them through my usual character analysis so I’m sweeping them all up together in one short paragraph

The main characters of this story are the commanding and forceful Sergeant Michael Conner and Scarlett Bailey. Scarlett is a passionate wicked woman underneath the veneer of a straight-laced marine, looking for a good time with the man she's longed for, ever since she was placed in his unit.

Writing:
I need to read more of Eve Cassidy's work to be able to form a founded opinion but this short story definitely made me want to taste more

Likes:
- set up of the story and build-up of the sexual tension
- the unexpected twist at the end of the story

Dislikes:
- the shortness of the story that didn’t leave room for exploration of the characters

Verdict:
Extremely short (only 32 pages) but very hot ménage story with an unexpected little twist at the end. Liked it but would love to read 'the whole story' on Michael and Scarlett.

Favorite Quotes:
Then she spotted him in the form of snug jeans riding low on his waist and a black . . . between her thighs and her skin tingled clear to her scalp.

He looked up just in time to see her lick it, slam it and suck it on a tequila shot and his mouth watered at the sight.

Waking up naked in bed with a man’s arms holding you close wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing…except when that man is your husband.

Leslie has tried so hard to put Leo’s betrayal behind her—the ink was almost dry on the divorce papers. But when circumstances throw her in bed with her estranged husband one last explosive time, Leslie learns how quickly anger can turn to passion and hurt can turn to need, even while she knows there’s no way she can ever trust him again.

What Leslie considers goodbye, Leo insists is only the beginning. But the damage between them runs too deep, and sometimes, the only thing more devastating than the night before, is the morning after...

Title: The Morning After
Author: J.K. Coi
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2010, January 12
Format: eBook, 55 pages
Source: Won in a Twitter contest held by author

First line: Consciousness came slowly.
Memorable Scenes:
- Against the bedroom door scene > don't think I need to elaborate on that
- On the stairs scene > I reserve the right to refer you to my above comment
- In the club chair scene > again I refer to my above comment (seeing a pattern yet? LOL)

Quick & Dirty-review:

Ingredients:
a separated, soon-to-be-ex-couple, drugged drinks, hazy memories, two very different views on a marriage, misunderstanding and ready assumptions, steamy hot passion,

Hero:
Leo Stevenson is a successful agent to the stars. He seemed to genuinely love his wife so I was wondering what he'd done to cause Leslie to kick him out and start separation/divorce. He is lightly sexually dominant and that’s just the way I like my romance novel heroes.

Heroine:
Leslie Stevenson. The only thing I noted about Leslie other than her stubbornness and tenaciousness was her irrational fear of crowds as she was agoraphobic.

Plot/Theme:
An estranged couple who, because of miscommunication, are struggling their way back to each other

Writing:
J.K. Coi’s writing is clean, crisp and fluent. The story is fast paced because due to the short length there are no unnecessary amounts of background information. And yet you get all the information you need to fill in the gaps along the way.

Likes:
- smoking hot sex scenes
- fast pace and great writing
- resolution to the conflict

Dislikes:
- non-communication and assumptions instead of talking stuff out
- Leslie's initial refusal to explain to Leo why she kicked him out
- Leo's initial acceptance of this refusal, no questions asked whereas in other areas his dominance shone through
- Leslie's acceptance of how her father dictates her life

Verdict:
THE MORNING AFTER is a smoking hot and well rounded for a very short novella. It was an unputdownable lightning-quick read that I enjoyed immensely and makes me hunt down all J.K. Coi's erotic contemporary work asap!

Favorite Quotes:
Need, desire, anger and pain all swirled together in his gut until he was afraid it would overflow and cause him to do something stupid--like kiss her. Fuck. How many times was she going to be able to rip out his soul before there was nothing left of him? Why was he letting her?

(...) and she knew that he was gauging her reaction to every one of his long, controlled thrusts. Slow thrusts to drive her crazy. Slow thrusts until she completely lost control. He'd always been relentless when it came to sex, driving her until she fell apart, mind, body, soul. There was something inside him that needed to dominate her responses until she begged him to let her come.

He couldn't get enough of her touch, needing it as much as he'd always needed her, with a fierce, possessive intensity that sometimes frightened him to his soul.

Logan has been in love with Meredith for as long as he can remember. Seeing her with another had been its own brand of torture, but now that she’s free, nothing can stop him from claiming what is rightfully his.

The magnetism of Logan has never been lost on Meredith, but crossing the line between friend and lover scares her, even after dumping her slimeball ex. When Logan kisses her, an attraction like she’s never known ignites, sweeping her into an affair she can’t walk away from.

As Logan fights to win her heart, Meredith wages a battle of her own. Is she willing to admit her interest stretches way beyond merely doing Logan?

Title: Doing Logan
Author: Rhian Cahill
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2010, November 4
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Jasmine Jade Enterprises

First line:
Logan Foster was a man of action.

Memorable Scenes:
- from the moment Logan and Meredith are in the car via against-the-wall-by-the-door making out to the panties-ripping in the bedroom > *fans self*

Quick & Dirty-review:

Ingredients/Summary:
It's an Ellora's Cave Quickie so the blurb about covers it as far as a summary goes.

Hero:
Logan Foster

Heroine:
Meredith Wainwright

I guess I was too engrossed in the hot stuff to notice any personality traits in the main characters, because where I normally make annotations about hero and heroine while reading a book, this time I have nothing written down…nothing. Well, draw your own conclusions from that *wink*

Plot:
DOING LOGAN is a short and sweaty hot friends-to-lovers erotic romance novella.

Writing:
Engaging writing that hooks you from start to finish. And Rhian Cahill writes the sexy like no one else can. Hot, enticing, sensual and intense. Her writing is clear, very explicit and calling things by their name but never turning vulgar or crude. Rhian Cahill's sex scenes are awesome! They leave nothing to the imagination and still stay on the right side of explicitness.

Likes:
- the sex scenes. Rhian Cahill has an uncanny talent for writing fabulously intense smexing

Dislikes:
- due to the shortness of the story there's no real getting to know Logan and Meredith other than how they behave in the early stages of taking their friendship to being in a relationship.
- beating a dead dog here but: this novella is just too damn short, I wanted more Logan and Meredith.

Verdict:
Oh sweet Lord, no matter what subject or trope Rhian Cahill tackles, it's always a deliciously HOT read and DOING LOGAN is no exception. From start to finish this short read is sizzling enough to burn the pages.

Ms. Cahill, you have got yourself a fan for life, where your erotic contemporary work is concerned, I thank you for writing such amazing and hot stories that take me away for a couple of hours and make me forget my troubles.

I want more of it so publishers please don’t make me wait too long for her next erotic contemporary, okay?


LET ME SAY UPFRONT THAT I COULD'VE QUOTED THIS ENTIRE BOOK, IT HAD SO MANY SNIPPETS WORTHY OF MENTIONING so enjoy the “handful” I’ve included below…

Quotes:
If he wanted something, he went after it. Simple. Except for one thing. Meredith Wainright . Where she was concerned, his courage disappeared completely. For over twenty years she’d had him tied in knots and unable to be his usual assertive self. He’d be putty in her hands if she ever decided to touch him.

Meredith couldn’t believe they talked about the weather. She was trying to get up the courage to ask Logan inside for coffee and all that came out was “nice weather we’ve been having”. If it wouldn’t make her look more of a twit she’d slap herself upside the head.

The closer they got to her house the more tense she became. It didn’t help that the man oozed sex. From the way he moved to the way he smelled, Logan Foster projected dark forbidden pleasure.

There was no time to wonder what Logan was apologizing for. Her back hit the wall and his mouth slanted over hers. This kiss was nothing like the one in the car. Hot lashes of his tongue had her opening to him. He swept inside, touching, tasting, devouring. Wet velvet ribbons unfurled inside her and rolled out until every inch of her melted against his hard body. With lips, tongue and teeth he ate at her. Consumed her in a fiery lip-lock that incinerated all memory of previous kisses.

“The bare little-girl look does nothing for me but a well-groomed woman makes me hotter than hell."

She was gorgeous. Lush curves painted pink from exertion and satisfaction, she glowed and Logan had the sudden urge to lick every inch of her. From head to toe he wanted to feast on all that female flesh.

Razor-sharp need cut and sliced at senses already teased to their limits. With the slide of his fingers, Logan shoved her over the edge of sanity. Wanton desire ripped through her, the force shook her limbs and made her heart race at alarming speed.

The woman could tempt a saint and watching her eat was better than watching porn. She savored every mouthful, the look of bliss on her face one he recognized well. Their whole meal had been foreplay.
The way she sucked the food from her fork to the way she licked her lips between bites had his heart pounding and blood racing. He’d shifted so many times in his seat it was a wonder he hadn’t worn a hole in it.

Their mouths were a breath apart but he didn’t touch her. If they kissed now he’d lose it completely and take what his body screamed was his.

About a month late because of my drowned iPhone and not having access to all my review-notes but hey, better late than never...Here's my review of the last Wild Irish book that was supposed to close of my Wild Irish Week...

The child who is born on the Sabbath day, is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

Sean Collins is happy working at the family pub and sharing a house with the woman of his dreams. He and Lauren are equals in every way, including in bed, where they burn the sheets. Life is good. Even if he must hide a couple of secrets to keep it that way.

Lauren is madly in love with Sean. They share everything—almost. She can’t deny sensing…something. A certain feeling when she, Sean and their friend Chad are all together. But she doesn’t press. How can she when she’s not being completely forthright herself?

Chad is feeling pretty miserable, and renting a room in Sean and Lauren’s home has only made it worse. In a house filled with secrets, Chad’s are doozies.

When an opportunity arises to explore their deep desires, the trio plunges into a sex-filled, emotionally charged ménage. Long-buried feelings are revealed, changing their lives irrevocably. Whether for better or worse, only Sean, Chad and Lauren can decide.

Trope/themes:
Ménage, friends-to-lovers, D/s, spanking, m/m, toys,

First Line:
“Where’s Chad?” Lauren asked breathlessly as they entered Sean’s apartment.

Memorable:
The scene in which Chad confessed to kissing Lauren and Sean's reaction that followed > very powerful and pivotal scene.

The baby shower (not spoiling who's shower) > both emotional (serious talk between Lauren and Keira) and LOL funny

The 3 Sundays > some of the best ménage sex scenes I've read since I started reading erotic romance

Review:
The main characters in ANY GIVEN SUNDAY are Sean Collins, Lauren Chase and Chad Watterson. They have been friends forever and at the beginning of this book Lauren and Sean decide to move in together and for various reason invite their best buddy to shack up with them. What they don’t know is that each individually has yearnings he or she is hiding deep down…yearnings that make their living together a lot more complicated than they could have imagined.

Sean is the youngest Collins sibling. He’s impulsive, romantic, outgoing and a heart on his sleeve type of guy. Throughout the series Sean was always an element of tranquility among the boisterous Collins family. He was the one with sound advice and a listening ear for his siblings when they were balancing on the amorous edge.

Chad Watterson is Lily’s younger brother. He’s perceptive, guarded, solitary and an over-thinker. He’s not the most talkative or sociable of men but when he’s in his comfort zone (mostly with Sean and Lily) he loosens up and a different Chad emerges. You might remember Lily as the heroine from SWEET THURSDAY. When I first found and read the blurb for ANY GIVEN SUNDAY I was pretty surprised that Chad was one of the main characters as his reaction to his sister’s relationship with Justin and Killian was pretty explosive. He was considerably younger in that book, but still I was looking forward to all the possibilities this development was going to bring to this book.

The woman in the middle of these two fine specimen of men is Lauren Chase.
She’s direct, open, headstrong, chatty and has a steel backbone. From early in their friendship she’s developed strong feelings for both Sean and Chad but she keeps her feelings for Chad quiet as she and Sean pursue a relationship together. What she doesn’t know is that in their friendship she isn’t the only one keeping feelings hidden and unspoken.

The final installment of this series definitely packs a punch. It started off scorchingly hot and actually never let up. Mari Carr held me captive from start to finish with this journey and exploration into secret and hidden desires. It’s all about admitting and submitting to them. She made ANY GIVEN SUNDAY about love between 3 people...pure and simple yet emotionally complicated

Sean caught my attention from the first time he set foot in this series and his story being the last was both fitting and torturous. Mari Carr definitely delivered on the promise for Sean's story! From the first line to the last I was enthralled by this excellent closure to the Wild Irish series. The prologue at the start sets the tone and once again it was all there: the heat, the family dynamics, the relational dilemmas, the humor, the excellent storytelling and the emotional ending. ANY GIVEN SUNDAY may well be the most intricate book of the series. The HEA isn't as cut and clear as in most of the other books.

I'm in awe of how Mari Carr tackled the ménage-theme in this book, she showed the problems and dilemmas and never took the easy way out. Approaching the possibility of à threesome from all angles and not making it mainly a sexually triggered one makes this book a keeper on my shelves and Mari Carr a definite favorite.

It's known m/m is a trope that is not on my erotic romance menu much. I can count the books that include m/m action that I've liked on one hand and there are very few authors who can make me forget my reluctance to read m/m scenes or romance. Mari Carr turns out to be one of those very few.

I've praised Mari Carr in previous reviews about her ability to keep all the books in this series unique and fresh despite known tropes and recurring subjects and themes and with this book she remained true to form. Underneath all the emotional intensity of this book there's still that humor I like so much in the books. It's subtle, giving way for the intricate and heavy emotional struggles

If you thought previous books in this series were hot, brace yourself for this one! To say ANY GIVEN SUNDAY is one sizzling hot book would be the first and biggest understatement of this new year.

Words fail to describe the emotional impact this book had on me and I can't but give this lovely closing installment of the Wild Irish series my highest rating!

Quotes:
Years as best friends had bred a comfortable familiarity. It had also built up some pretty deep-seated need in Sean. If he didn’t get her into his bed soon, he was likely to do himself an injury. Sporting a hard-on 24/7 couldn’t be good for anybody.

Chad felt like a middle-aged accountant whenever he stood next to Sean. He spent too much time indoors. While he was trim, no one would call him built. He certainly wasn’t sporting a six-pack. Shit. He’d be lucky to find just one in his pack and his skin was too pale from lack of sun.

She curled against his shoulder as he engulfed her in his large embrace. For once, she wasn’t trying to solve the puzzle. For once, she gave up all her internal struggles and placed herself in Sean’s capable, strong hands. And for the first time in a long time, she felt happy.

(Sean) He’d tossed and turned and jacked off all night as he lay on the couch thinking about Lauren’s proposition and that damn kiss. She’d reached into his head, pulled out all his naughtiest fantasies and was now offering them to him on a silver platter.

She’d been a fool to listen to Riley’s advice. She’d thought she was engaging in a ménage, exploring some wicked fantasies. With her stupid plan, she’d blown the lid off an ancient, unseen volcano and she had a feeling they were all about to be taken down in the ensuing scorching lava flow.

Sean gave them a shit-eating grin before moving to his knees and crawling forward. He didn’t stop until his face reached Lauren’s and he gave her a long, wet kiss. Chad marveled over how natural their closeness felt. He’d always been a firm believer in personal space…but Lauren and Sean fit in his space.

Alana MacGregor craves excitement, but when her sometimes lover dumps her at a popular sex club, she wonders if she’s outgrown her live-fast-and-recover-later lifestyle. The last thing she expects is to run into the nerdy guy she rebuffed in high school—or for him to rock her world in ways no other man ever has.

Hot on the trail of a story, Carter Nicholas can’t believe his luck at encountering the one woman he’s never forgotten. He’s come a long way from being a wall-hugging geek. Now he gets all A’s between the sheets. But can he convince Alana he’s her sure ticket to an unforgettable night—and maybe much more?

Title: REVEAL ME
Author: Cari Quinn
Series: Kink series, book 1
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2010, January 19
Format: ebook, 52 pages
Source: Bought at Jasmine Jade

First line:
“Is this some kind of sick joke, Ramon? You’re dumping me?” Alana demanded, staring up at her pathetic excuse for a boyfriend.
Memorable Scene:
The moment at the bar, right before Carter and Alana had to get out of the club > Talk about sexual tension, Cari’s a master at building it!

Quick & Dirty-review:

Summary:
After 8 years coincidence (or is it fate?) brings Alana MacGregor and Carter Nicholas together, at a sex club of all places. Carter has a major crush on Alana in high school but she mowed him down ruthlessly. Now Carter is no longer the quiet, geeky boy he was in high school and he’s determined to get the woman he’s wanted for years.

Hero:
Carter Nicholas, high school computer geek turned into a man with a sexual intensity that sets the pages on fire. He’s serious, sweet and a really nice guy.

Heroine:
Alana MacGregor is a carefree party-girl and a pleasure/good times seeker. She’s out-going, vivacious and a try-anything-once person. She tries to hide her insecurity with bravado and doing things that seem inconsiderate and before getting this I was having a bit of a hard time with how bitchy she could be with Carter.

Alana and Carter couldn’t have been any more different if they tried. They are the textbook example of opposites that attract and proceed to set the pages on fire!

Notes:
Cari Quinn never fails to pull me into her stories with her easy, fluent and hot writing. REVEAL ME was no exception. From the first sentence I was invested in Alana’s story and wondering what Cari had in store for me this time around.

Cari writes sex scenes like few other erotic romance authors do. They’re bold, straightforward and explicit and they way I absolutely like them the best: with talkative participants. Also, her books are fresh, original and never repetitive. Every one of Cari’s books I’ve read are uniquely hot. But it’s not just about the heat, she also puts characters on the page that go through development, no matter how short the book is. REVEAL ME was like that too. As I said, I had to warm up to Alana but she was never unlikeable to me because I could understand why she behaved like she did.

My only complaint about REVEAL ME is that is was such a short story because I could’ve read on forever and I hope to see Alana and Carter back in future books. Speaking of future books, I am very curious about Kelly and if there’s a story there. I dare hope that PROVOKE ME will be about her and her mysterious behavior in this book…(reviewer’s note: In the meantime I’ve heard from the author that book 2 is indeed about Kelly…YAY).

Verdict:
“Quickie” is an appropriate adjective for REVEAL ME. And this is not just because the book was short and sweet, though sweet is not the word I’m looking for…Short and scorching is more like it! Thanks Cari, for another great read and I’m anxiously looking forward to Kelly’s longer story!

Funny thing:
I keep referring to Carter as Nick…every time I’ve typed his name in this review I’ve typed Nick first, only to change it to Carterand in my head I keep calling him Nick…Why? It could have something to do with his last name, Nicholas and Alana calling him Nicky throughout the book…

Quotes:
Once again thoughts of her best friend fled her mind. Yeah, she was going to hell. At the rate things were going, she wouldn’t even get an orgasm first.

Alana to Carter: “Whoa. You’re sounding mighty self-righteous for someone with a glow-in-the-dark condom in his pocket.”

Saturday’s child works hard for a living…

What do you get when you cross a gold-digging stripper, a down-on-her-luck hooker, an estranged husband, his knocked-up wife, a Wayne Newton lookalike taxi driver and one beleaguered Baltimore cop?

A typical night in the life of Riley Collins—Vegas style.

Riley’s always been the wildest of the Collins clan, but even she bites off more than she can chew during an impromptu trip to Sin City. Once again, it’s Aaron Young to the rescue. No surprise; Aaron’s been watching Riley’s ass forever—and he’s wanted to spank it for even longer. Tracking her down, Aaron finally gets his wish—after he drags a drunken Riley to a chapel and makes it legit, of course.

To say she’s shocked is putting it mildly. But Riley warms to Aaron’s seduction quicker than you can say “all-you-can-eat buffet!” Who knew her mild-mannered best friend was so hot in the sack? Of course, thanks to Riley’s penchant for picking up strays, the newlyweds will have to sneak in some honeymoon boom-boom whenever they can.

But they’ll manage…

Trope/themes:
friends-to-lovers, opposites attract, weekend in Vegas, (light) spanking,

First Line:
Aaron Young walked into the Mirage and took a deep breath, trying to calm his ragged nerves.

Memorable:
- Riley finding out about the marriage > a lot of fun
- sex shop scene > hot

Riley Collins is a dynamic and lively party-girl. She’s stubborn, impulsive, cynical and spontaneous. She’s also the last Collins sibling in the nest and after her sister Teagan's marriage and she feels a bit left out and lonely, afraid her HEA will never come. Beneath the party-girl exterior and behavior, Riley has a heart of gold and a penchant for taking care of strays of the human kind.

Aaron Young has been Riley’s best friend, rescuer and watchdog since forever. He’s the complete opposite of her, being responsible, thoughtful and charming. However, make no mistake, he has a hidden dominant streak, because though he may be easygoing and mild-tempered, he's definitely no pushover and he can be just as stubborn as Riley is.

Riley and Aaron have been friends since the playground, the vivacious girl with a penchant for trouble who can cook up a storm, always the center of the party and the dutiful, quiet, staid cop, happy to stay in the background.
When he follows her to Vegas to, once again, get her out of trouble, they end up married; Vegas-style. The marriage unleashes a side of Aaron Riley has never seen before. Her laid-back and pliable friend of over 20 years can be as commanding and alpha as the best of them. But before the can embark on the joys of married bliss, they have a lot of weird people to trace and get on the right track.

The pairing of Riley and Aaron didn't come as a surprise to me. Saw it coming from the first moment he stepped on to the scene in the first (or was it the second?) book. And I was looking forward to what Mari Carr was going to do with him and Riley.

I loved the Trevor/Bella storyline. It was great fun to read and made me think of those screwball comedies, I used to watch with my parents when I was younger. This element of the story is one of the reasons I love this series. Mari Carr manages to give each and every one its own feel, making it a joy to read this series back-to-back.

Before I started reading this book my eye caught a snippet of a review on Goodreads that said this installment wasn't as sexy or sensual as the others and this had me wondering as every installment has been sexy and sensual in its own way and this had me worried a bit because the great eroticism and sexiness is one of the definite strong points of this series. Well, I worried for nothing because to me there was nothing less sexy about SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL. Aaron and Riley had the sexiness down pat and the sex scenes were very yummy.

I suspect Mari Carr had a great time writing this book. The fun and humor is off-the charts. It reminded me a bit of the movie, The Hangover. There was lots of swearing too, which might cause some readers to turn away but not me because I am never bothered by a some good swearing and it definitely fitted the story and the storyline.

True to form, throughout this entire series, I had to wipe a few tears away at the end because even with all the fun, heat and comedic antics, Mari Carr never fails to touch the heart with a lovely and emotional ending.

With SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL I have come almost to the end of this wonderful series and I will be very sad to reach the last page of the final book as this series has given me some lovely reading hours and I don’t say this often but this might be a series I will reread in the future.

If by now, you haven’t been tempted to try the Wild Irish series, something could be definitely wrong with you (or it’s just not your thing) because if you like contemporary and erotic romance, this series should not be missing on your digital shelves.

Quotes:
“Hey, sugar,” she slurred. Great, she was drunk. That helped him ignore the pleasure that suffused his body when she called him by her nickname for him.

“Are you going to eat that or try to stare it into your stomach?”

Jesus, she felt as if she were with two different men. One was her familiar best friend, while the other was a hot, dominant stranger who made her want to do all sorts of nasty, naughty things.

His c#ck had never been this hard for this long. He was beginning to fear for his health. Sustaining an erection for hours on end couldn’t be a good thing. What did those warnings on the commercials for Viagra say? Four hours? No way would the doctors in the emergency room believe his was all natural.

“So are you planning on talking me into an orgasm or do you actually have some plan to back up all this tough talk?”
He shook his head, undaunted by her taunt. “It won’t work. There’s no way you’re going to top me from the bottom. Now close your mouth like a good little girl or I’m gonna gag you.”

Mari Carr has graciously offered a chance to win copies of the Wild Irish books and the giveaway is simple and easy:
One commenter will be drawn from the commenters on each review (so daily from Monday January 3rd until Sunday January 9th) to win the book reviewed. The seven winners will be announced here on the blog Monday January 10th)

Friday’s child is loving and giving…

Ewan Collins has had the hots for Natalie for years but she continually rebuffs him, supposedly because of their age difference. When Natalie comes to stay with the Collins family for a week, Ewan decides it’s time to make his move in a serious way.

Natalie’s been in a funk since celebrating another birthday alone. When Ewan proposes to help her “get a life”—seven lessons in seven days—she figures what the hell does she have to lose? Ewan’s plans include tequila shots, fishing, karaoke…and other, more erotic hands-on demonstrations.

But loneliness isn’t Ewan’s only obstacle. Tragedy in her past continually takes Natalie to a dark place her mind can’t easily overcome. With support, tenderness and love, Ewan plans to win over Natalie one lesson at a time.

Starting with lessons of the heart.

Trope/themes:
Older woman/younger man, depression

First Line:
“You’re the life of the party.”

Memorable:
-making out on the living room couch > the baseball analogy made me laugh, the rest was hot!
- scene in Ewan's office > get your cooling packs out before you read this scene ;)
- the goodbye scene right before the end > bawled like a baby

Natalie Miller is sarcastic, direct and a loner. She can be a little bitchy but not enough to be unlikeable as she uses her sarcasm and bitchiness as a way to protect herself and not show her vulnerability. At the start of the book she’s in a funk because she's feeling she's getting old. She also suffers from periods of dark moods, sadness and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulder. She’s afraid of falling in love because she thinks she doesn't deserve it. And she is also afraid to let people get close for fear they will discover her dark secret.

Ewan Collins is a homebody who’s serious, responsible, open and kind, but don't let that sweet, laid-back side of him fool you. He's the perfect example of silent waters that run deep. Sexually he's very commanding, passionate and almost ruthless in his pursuit of Nat's pleasure. The alpha in him he’s always hidden is awakened by Nat's fieriness and her attempts to turn him down.
Ewan is also very persistent because once he has his sights on Nat, he doesn't give up, no matter how much she tries to deter him from pursuing her in very clear language

Ewan has had a crush on Natalie, who is his senior by 8 years, from the moment they met. When he has the opportunity to live with her under one roof for a week, he grabs the chance to win her over, under the pretence of teaching her to live a little by giving her life lessons, one for each day she's staying in his parental home. The lessons include how to have fun, how to relax/commune more with nature, how to think before she speaks, how to be romantic, how to stop worrying about what the world thinks of her and along the way he also teaches her how to love again.

The chemistry between Nat and Ewan is palpable from the very start but Nat tries to ignore and deny it. And then the emotions. There hasn't been one book in this series that didn't make me tear up. And two of them, including FRIDAY I LOVE YOU, just made my heart hurt. The pain and struggle Nat had to go through and the way Ewan fought for his love for her broke my heart.

FRIDAY I LOVE YOU is the fifth installment of the Wild Irish series and I loved that this installment took me back to the heart of the Collins family: the parental home, restaurant and bar. I missed that in the previous book.

I just love this series. I read a few installments, including FRIDAY I LOVE YOU, back-to-back and each and every one is different and has a unique, fresh vibe that's inherent to their main characters. Yet there are elements that return in every installment and depending on the book they are mixed and balanced out in their own way to give them all a different feel. These elements are: humor, heat, family dynamics and emotional intensity.

Mari Carr has a lovely and down-to-earth way with words that I really like! Every one of her books draws me in and it's very hard to put them down. Her characters become like people you could know and relate to.

FRIDAY, I LOVE YOU is another wonderful book in this series. It has become a very, very close second to my favorite of the series: WAITING FOR WEDNESDAY. And maybe they're even both my favorites!

As you will notice I have more quotes than I’ve had in the reviews of the previous books and I even cut a few quotes as I had so many! Me marking a lot of quotes in a book is a very good sign. A highly quotable book equals an awesome book in my eyes and this book definitely falls in that category!

Quotes:
She laughed. “You really are going to have to give up this schoolboy crush. I’ve been nothing but a bitch to you since day one.”
He grasped her hand and she looked at him in surprise. “I haven’t been a boy in a long time, babydoll . And I’m more than man enough to deal with you and your so-called bitchiness.”

She was in a sequined tank top and Riley had loaned her a barely there leather skirt that Ewan could barely keep his eyes off. She was f#cking gorgeous and his c#ck had been locked in mortal combat with his jeans since they’d left the apartment via the fire escape. He wasn’t entirely sure the denim was going to be strong enough to cage the monster for much longer.

The loud, thumping music matched the pulsating, relentless pumping of blood through his body. Natalie’s hands as they caressed him seemed to leave a trail of fire wherever they touched, singeing him and driving him to heights he’d never imagined. She turned slowly in his arms and he felt as if her movements were in slow motion as the flashing, colored lights set the scene around them…the other dancers hazy, unreal. It was as if they were the only two people adrift in a sea of sound, touch, heat, light.

“Wait,” she called out. He was nearly to the door. Four more steps and he’d be free. Free to hit the shower—a cold one. Free to jerk himself off—a lonely one.
“You said you’d kiss me.”
He closed his eyes and prayed for strength. “Tomorrow, Nat. I’ll kiss the shit out of you tomorrow. Not tonight. Don’t ask me.”

She opened her eyes and pierced him with a glare that had destroyed stronger men than Ewan Collins. He merely stared her down. “Now, Nat. I don’t want to have to dump a bucket of cold water on you, but I will.”
“I will crush you like a bug if you try it.” She tried to invoke as much threatening menace into her voice as possible, but for some reason her powers of evil didn’t work against the idiot and he laughed.


They didn’t say anything else as the song continued, simply held each other and moved. As the music drifted away into another song, Ewan grasped her head in his hands, smiled as he bent down to steal the perfect kiss. His lips rubbed lightly against hers, enticing her to open her mouth. She sucked in a deep breath of his air, reaching out to taste him as well. Their tongues met, touched, played. If there was ever a moment in her life she’d want to freeze, this was it. She wanted to stop time, wrap up the occasion in tissue paper and tuck it in her pocket, so she could always pull it out and come right back here.

Mari Carr has graciously offered a chance to win copies of the Wild Irish books and the giveaway is simple and easy:
One commenter will be drawn from the commenters on each review (so daily from Monday January 3rd until Sunday January 9th) to win the book reviewed. The seven winners will be announced here on the blog Monday January 10th)