Charlotte, Duchess of Wyre, once held the Queen’s highest confidence—and the technological secret that keeps the royal heart beating. Fearful of what atrocities that Britannia might commit with her research, Charlotte turned to the galaxy’s most infamous assassin, Lord Sigmund Regret, to stage her own death.

Even without the simplest of luxuries, seven years hiding in the Americus colony is preferable to one day in the Tower of Londinium. Until a bounty hunter’s bullet forces her to revive her research. Now the same nanobots that keep the Queen alive also run rampant in Lord Regret’s body. Making his yearly Solstice visits increasingly… intimate …and complicating her courtship with the safe and honorable Sheriff Gilead Masters.

When the Americus colony declares independence, and her humble sheriff makes a shocking confession, Charlotte has had enough. Weary of running, tired of living without tea and silks, she fires a warning shot across Britannia’s bow: cease hunting Lady Wyre, or lose the technological power the crown holds so dear.

Title: LADY DOCTOR WYRE
Author: Joely Sue Burkhart
Series: Jane Austen Space Opera, book 1
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Futuristic Romance, Steampunk
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2011, March 29
Format: eBook
Source: Requested and received an e-ARC from the author for review

First line:
“I cannot marry you.” Charlotte Wilder struggled to take a deep breath through the heartache banding her chest, made even more difficult by her corset.

Memorable Scene:
- fight scene with the Raven Guards and its aftermath > can’t tell much about it because of spoilers but it the fight was breathtaking and the aftermath was tearjerking
- scene at the end with Charlotte and her two men > you all know my soft spot for ménages by now
-Not a scene but I found it awesome that the Marshalls’ names were Smith, Wesson, Colt, Gatlin and the their director’s name was Howitzer > these artillery piece association was a touch of brilliance, Joely Sue!


Charlotte Wilder faked her own death to escape her planet. She’s the former physician to the Queen of Brittannia and lost her position in society because she turned to science and military intelligence. Now both she and the man who helped her escape are in danger of being found out. Charlotte, lady Wyre, is proud, determined and extremely intelligent.

Charlotte is the character this novella revolves around. Her two men are Gilead Masters and Lord Sigmund Regret. Gil is sheriff and marshal on the planet she takes her refuge, Americus. He’s a soldier turned lawman and deeply in love with Charlotte. Sig is the man who helped her fake her death and flee from her home planet, Brittania. He’s a gunslinger and assassin, ruthless yet with a weakness for Charlotte.

One man wants to marry her, the other wants her to sail with him and hide from their/her enemies. They will both go to the ends of the universe for her and she doesn’t want to choose between them.

While reading this book I knew this was going to be a review that was going to be one of hardest reviews to write. Why? Because I love this author’s voice and works in other genres but this book just didn’t quite work for me. This was partly because of the genre. Steampunk is a new-to-me genre and going by this novella I don’t think it’s a genre that I will read many books in.

The reason I still enjoyed this book was because of Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing and style. Even in a genre where the technical, mechanical stuff (nanobots, assemblers, living organism handcuffs, life force protecting lockets, etc.) sometimes went a little over my head I still enjoyed the characterization, the plot and romantic aspects of the book. So I tried to read through the tech-y parts, even if I was sometimes puzzled by the futuristic stuff, and enjoy the, fascinating plot, the complicated romance and the characters that are intricately layered and brought together in a great way. Little by little you get to know them and their back-stories and I loved that.

With this series Joely Sue Burkhart has created an alternate world where future and history are meshed and a world where women are the leaders. This made LADY DOCTOR WYRE an interesting read which I enjoyed but I discovered the steampunk genre is not for me as I felt myself zoning out on the technology bits...Fascinating and though different from anything else I've read by Joely Sue Burkhart, I still enjoyed most part of the book.

If you are a lover of steampunk romances I really recommend this book and I do hope there will be more stories set in this world with these characters.

Favorite Quotes:
She’d reluctantly fallen in love with him and those hands, so incredibly gentle in their ruthlessly slow attack against her every resistance without ever once touching her intimately. (Charlotte about Gil)

Masters turned his head and pinned Sig in a hard glare. “Are you telling me you’d kill five hundred men? At once?”
“If I had to get through them to her, most definitely. I’d rip them apart one by one with my bare hands.”

One sub to please the Master…in any way he wishes.

Victor Connagher is no stranger to the Dallas BDSM scene. As CEO of a risqué cable channel that caters to adventurous adults, he ensures the lifestyle is portrayed in a positive light. He even supports a local bondage club. Yet behind the cool, confident mask, Victor lives in fear.

Once, and only once, he lost control of his inner Dom—and it cost him his fiancée. Now, no one knows how hard he works to keep his darker appetite for pain buried. No matter how much his saucy, confident associate producer makes his fingers itch to once again take up his riding crop.

Shiloh Holmes is a sub, but she’s no doormat. She’s always suspected Victor has the skills to feed her insatiable need for pain, and now she’s found the perfect way to crack his formidable control. Develop a new reality show, America’s Next Top sub…and dare him to compete.

Week after week, as Shiloh fearlessly challenges the real Victor to come out of hiding, he realizes his past mistake was only a blow to his pride. If he loses Shiloh, he could lose his heart.

Warning: Explicit sex, BDSM, reality television, a very reluctant Dom, an audacious sub willing to do anything to win for him, and one very wicked riding crop.

Title: Hurt Me So Good
Author: Joely Sue Burkhart
Series: The Connaghers
Genre: Erotic Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2010, October 5
Format: eBook
Source: Received from author for ARC-review, due to circumstances I unfortunately couldn’t post it as an ARC-review in the week of release.

First line:
Dear Blogland:
The last thing the internet needs is yet another anonymous sexy blog detailing a submissive's journey to complete and utter surrender to her Master, but I promise you, this blog will be different.
Memorable Scenes:
- First kiss scene > goose bumps
- Victor and his mom > emotional and pivotal scene
- Taping of the final episode of the show > breathtaking

Victor Connagher is a former star quarterback now CEO of Dallas cable channel VCONN, Victor is commanding, fierce, outwardly calm and collected, inside a volcano of intensity on the verge of erupting, which made him an intriguing character that demanded my full attention, whether I was ready to give it or not.

His darker sexual needs and urges, a nasty experience with his ex-fiancée and the subsequent difficulty to find the woman who accepts that side of him and is able to handle him and his vicious needs when he's on the edge, have made him weary of dating or frequenting the BDSM scene. He needs a woman who can handle the Master and love the man.

Shiloh Holmes is an associate producer at VCONN. She’s saucy, bubbly, submissive yet defiant, open and energetic. Shiloh knows what she wants and goes for it, fully aware that there’s a chance of getting hurt but she doesn’t let that stop her. She’s undeniably drawn to Victor's dominance and the reality show she's developed is her means to secure him as her Master.

HURT ME SO GOOD starts with copycat TV channel stealing their concept for a show and the search for the mole/spy within VCONN who is selling them out to the competition. They need a new show to save the season and Shiloh pitches her idea for a reality TV show on BDSM, America's Next Top sub. For her the show is her final chance to obtain Victor as her Master, something she's craved from the moment she laid eyes on him and saw the one and only man who can give her what she craves.

Victor and his crop had me in his thrall from the very first chapter and I felt like pushing Shiloh out of the picture (think stairs scene in Showgirls) so I could take her place. And this is me talking! Whimpering wuss of the century who doesn't tolerate the faintest hint of pain without curling up into a ball of misery.

Victor's need to hurt and Shiloh's need for pain are very in tune and it makes their chemistry smoldering and intense. But both of them are also hindered by feelings of insecurity as to how they can truly give the other one what they really need without causing irreparable damage

Victor was so hard on himself, so afraid to hurt Shiloh and so filled with guilt, yet not seeing that what is truly hurting Shiloh is his guilt, him shutting her out every time he uses his crop on her and not giving himself completely. I was truly wondering how this was going to change and what was needed for him to let loose and embrace himself and accept what Shiloh was offering him in terms of love and submission.

All the characters in this book are utterly fascinating and anything but cookie-cutter lift this contemporary erotic romance to a high level. This goes for both Victor and Shiloh but also for secondary characters like Malinda, Patrick and Victor’s mother. Without them this book wouldn’t have half the impact it had on me now.

And Joely Sue, I think the m/m romance readers would love a Leon-Brandon story *wink*

With HURT ME SO GOOD Joely Sue Burkhart has combined two things that utterly fascinate me: reality TV and a D/s relationship and she gave me a deeper look into the sadist/masochist aspect of BDSM instead of the Master/slave relationships I've read about and don't really feel comfortable with.

The way Joely Sue Burkhart describes the feelings and the dynamics, the hunger and need, is mesmerizing. The way she describes insecurity, vulnerability and pain is simply out of this world. I have no words to do it justice with a description. I had the pleasure and honor of proofreading HURT ME SO GOOD many months ago and was utterly impressed with the way Joely Sue Burkhart wanted to bring Victor's story to her readers. Now having read it with a reviewer's eye I can only be even more impressed. From the first to the last word she reeled me in with a poignant and emotional story within the realm of D/s that is a more than worthy successor of DEAR SIR I’M YOURS!

Thank you, Joely Sue, for another great installment of the Connaghers, a family that has found a firm place in my reader’s heart and on my (digital) shelves. I can’t wait to see what Vicki will bring to the table.

Favorite Quotes:

Shiloh Holmes shook Mal's hand and with a bright smile, turned to him. He felt the impact like a quarterback sacked from his blind spot. She was one of those people who managed to brighten up the room as soon as she entered. Literally, it felt as though someone had yanked open the blinds and let the Texas sun come pouring into the darkened, cavernous room.

He eased her back to the mattress, settling his weight between her thighs. "Where does it hurt, baby? I'll bite it and make it hurt better."

The exquisite pain blended with that sweetness, an agony of need that twisted her mind and clawed her heart to ribbons.

Losing Kimberly had been a blow to his pride. Losing Shiloh would rip his heart out of his chest and leave him gasping his last breath on the floor.

Worlds within worlds await through the Maya Bloodgate….

Dr. Jaid Merritt doesn’t do digs. The last time she ventured into the jungle, someone died. Now she’s content to decipher Maya glyphs from pictures sent to her by her famous archaeologist father. But when he goes missing while trying to perform a ritual based on her translations of an ancient codex, Jaid must put aside her fears and travel to Guatemala to find him.

After misusing the Bloodgates to bring his twin brother back from the afterlife, the Maya priest known as Ruin was cursed by the gods to stand as the guardian for all time. He was unable to stop Dr. Charles Merritt from opening the gates, and now demons roam this world. The last thing he wants to do is hurt the beautiful woman who is somehow infused with his magic, but if she uses the codex to retrieve her father, Ruin must do his duty. And this time, he won’t fail. Even if it kills him. Again.

When her father goes missing while opening the gates to the Mayan underworld, Jaid Merritt must put aside her fear of digs and head to the last place he was seen alive, a Mayan dig in Guatemala. There she not only discovers her father’s whereabouts, but a Mayan Warrior and the people her father was working for also hunt her. Rescue and help come from an unexpected corner in the form of Ruin, a Mayan Priest and shifter, cursed to be the Gatekeeper to the Mayan underworld. While trying to undo the damage her father did and finding him, Ruin and Jaid grow closer and an impossible and heartbreaking love story develops.

Jaid is brave, smart and stubborn. She lives and breathes Mayan glyphs and has dedicated herself to helping her father in order to gain the approval, love and admiration he’s always withheld from her

Ruin is broken, loyal and so powerful power just radiates off him. He oozes danger yet at the same time he has this vulnerable side that comes out when he’s with Jaid. He acts impulsively out of the love he has for the people close to him, which leads to unintentionally hurting them, and this eats away at him.

I struggled a little bit in the beginning with all the different creatures, characters, terms and world building but that was soon forgotten when I was pulled into a fascinating tale of Mayan mythology and romance. With every turn of the page fascinating events unfolded in developments and revelations that kept me riveted to the pages, enjoying the engaging characters and the thrilling plot. It didn’t take me long to become completely immersed in the story.

THE BLOODGATE GUARDIAN is a very dark paranormal romance and thriller and I must say it hovered on the edges of my comfort zone. I am not one who easily reads about gory stuff like people getting gutted, with intestines tumbling out and blood spurting around. There were two scenes in the beginning and one in the end that were pretty graphic in violence but I must say Joely Sue Burkhart pulled it off for me.

The ending was action-packed and nerve-wracking for a moment but I got the HEA I was rooting for so for that I thank you, Joely Sue! The ending also set up the next step in the overall story arc that can’t but become ongoing. Though Jaid and Ruin have their HEA the world is about to be devoured by evil, an evil they have to stop somehow and I am very curious to read how.

This was my first taste of Joely Sue Burkhart’s non-contemporary/erotic work and I definitely want to read more of it. I absolutely loved the extensive look into the Mayan world of mythology. It was truly fascinating and worth reading through the few violent scenes. THE BLOODGATE GUARDIAN is suspenseful and brilliantly set up. Romance is not the focus of this book in the first part of the book and that was absolutely okay with me as I was entranced and captivated by mythology, magic and plot. However, this doesn’t mean the chemistry between Ruin and Jade wasn’t impressive. It was definitely there, threaded through everything else going on in a subtle, clever way. To me the romance took a secondary role in the first part of the book due to the room needed for world building but it became a very strong emotional element in the last third of the book, which I loved.

THE BLOODGATE GUARDIAN once again proves that Carina Press has committed to bringing the reader exceptional, unusual books that definitely aren’t a-dime-a-dozen and books that give the reader an amazing reading experience.

Quote:
He’d forgotten. In all these years of trying to die, he’d forgotten how good something alive could feel.

8.2 out of 10


As announced last week my Carina Week will not be without a fabulous giveaway, courtesy of Carina Press! Up for grabs here on the blog is one coupon code worth $ 15 to spend at Carina Press, buying the books you'd like to try out. Believe me, if what I've read is an indication, there is something for everybody and the books I've read were gems in their genres, each and every one of them. Okay, now to the important part. How can you win this coupon code? That's easy.

• Just leave a (meaningful) comment on the posts during my Carina Week.
• Each comment will give you an entry.
• There will be 6 Carina Week blog-posts so that gives you a maximum of 6 entries if you comment on every post. Mind you, you don't have to comment on every post, it just gives you more chances if you do.
• Make sure you leave your email address with your comment (or email it to me, through the contact link in the left sidebar if you don't want to publicly leave your email address) because it's needed to be able to claim the code.
• On Saturday June 12th I'll tally up the entries and pick a winner via random.org

I also announced last week that there would be 2 coupon codes of $ 15 each so you might wonder, what of the other code. That one will be the prize in a Twitter-giveaway so if you want another chance at it...keep an eye on my Twitter-account this week and get tweeting because each tweet including the hashtag #CarinaWeek will be entered for the Twitter-giveaway.

So there you have it...2 chances to win an opportunity to get your mitts on some Carina Press gems!

Have fun! And hope to see a lot of you this week!

Jacket Copy:

This professor’s final exam includes a spanking.

There’s no house restoration too challenging for Rae Jackson, a.k.a. “The Fix-It Lady”. There’s no fixing the past, though. Like the day she left college. A semester of flirting with her English professor ended when he spanked her to the best orgasm of her life. Afraid of her own eager willingness to comply with the sexy Dom’s commands—no matter what—she fled.

Yet not even five years can dim her memory of his masterful touch.
Conn never forgot the one student who gave him a big fat “F” on the greatest test of his life. After all these years, he’s still haunted by his uncharacteristic loss of control. When he finds the very object of his shame—and desire—crawling around under his grandmother’s house, he swears to do anything to win Rae’s trust.

Rae finds herself helpless against Conn’s slow seduction. Exactly the way she likes it. Instead of poetry, this time she learns the erotic pleasure to be found in bondage…and submission to the sexiest professor alive.

Warning: Explicit sex, spanking, light bondage, a crazy old lady who talks to ghosts, and one lethal pink parasol.

Joely Sue Burkhart is another author I discovered via Twitter. Can’t remember who but someone tweeted about the release of DEAR SIR, I’M YOURS and I succumbed and clicked on the link and I was sold. Downloaded the prequel (LETTERS) from Joely Sue Burkhart’s website, bought DEAR SIR, I’M YOURS at My Bookstore And More and started reading immediately. All I can say is that I have found another talented author, able to take me on a discovering journey into world of BDSM with its many levels. I have found out that I am not always comfortable with some aspects of BDSM in the books I read but Joely Sue Burkhart’s take on it, is one that agrees with me.

DEAR SIR, I’M YOURS is the story of English Literature teacher Dr Verrill “Conn” Connagher and Rae Lynn Jackson. Rae joined his poetry class with ulterior motives and had a final exam that shook her to the core. She fled from the powerful emotions, not able to deal with her feelings and after five years their paths cross again, not entirely by way of coincidence. Conn let her go five years ago but now he is determined to show her there is nothing to be afraid of.

Rae is scared of what she’ll do for Conn, to what lengths she will go to please him. She is scared of losing her own self in her longing to give Conn what he wants and is exploring her feelings and boundaries after letting herself get caught in a bad marriage with an emotionally abusive and manipulative (ex-) husband.

Conn is afraid that Rae will run away again if he pushes her boundaries and does something or demands things from her she is not ready for. He likes to be in control but in a sweet way. He is possessive and (sexually) confident but never overbearing. He wants to be with Rae but he doesn’t want to cross her boundaries.

I was glad I read the prequel first because it gave me the background of what happened between Rae and Conn that lead them to the situation they found themselves in at the beginning of DEAR SIR, I’M YOURS. And the continuation of the letters from Rae at the start of each chapter is one of the things I loved about this story. I would think having so much insight into Rae’s character through her letters, it would take away from getting to know Conn but this was not the case.

The characterization of both main characters was balanced and well done. And there was also room for some intriguing and complementing secondary characters such as Miss Belle (Conn’s grandmother) and Mason Wykes (Conn’s colleague). I wonder whether Mason will have a story of his own some day. He was one of the secondary characters that made an impression on me and would love to see him get his HEA too.

What I liked most about this book was the story build-up. It was done gradually and perfectly. Allowing me, as reader, to go along with Rae in every next step Conn takes her. Conn is the one who is in control but it is Rae who sets the pace in the rekindling of their relationship. The character-development and extensive background for both Rae and Conn makes them well-rounded and multi-faceted characters that both captured my heart and took me with them to their HEA. A journey that was not without complications. The way Joely Sue Burkhart build up the story and characters with their struggles, angst and insecurities did not take away from the intensity or hotness of the love scenes. They were spine tingling and arousing. For me it was erotic romance as it is suppose to be: classy, erotic and emotionally intense.

Another thing I liked was the poetry throughout the story. I have never really been into poetry but this book has stirred my curiosity and the used poems fitted the story perfectly. I will definitely look up some of the mentioned poets and poems.

With DEAR SIR, I’M YOURS, a story of love, sexual discovery and most importantly trust, Joely Sue Burkhart has put herself on my reading map and I am ready for the next story that comes out of her pen (or keyboard).

Quotes:

“Daddy always told me that I’d know the woman I was meant to love by how hard I had to work to control myself when I was with her. You, darlin’, wreck my control with a glance, yet the light in your eyes ties me up in a fragile feather-soft bond I’m unable to break. I don’t want to break it. I want you more than ever, and I’m going to prove to you every moment of every day that you can trust me.”


“What is it with you and white?”
“White is virginal innocence, which brings out all my wickedness and debauchery. To a man like me, it’s like waving the white flag of surrender. I see you pure and innocent in white and I can think of nothing else but all the ways I might be able to get that pretty white a bit dirty.”


“You have this image of me controlling your every move, your every thought, bending you to my will alone.” (…) “Demanding and controlling your pleasure, forcing you to pleasure me, tying you up, making you helpless. And yeah, the thought of doing those things to you makes me damned near blow a gasket simply sitting here while I look at you.” (…) “But if you want vanilla missionary then I’ll do that too, just as wildly and passionately, over and over, as many times as you’ll let me. Because it’s you beneath me, Rae. I love you. I want to please you in every way you desire and half a million you haven’t even thought of yet. I’ll give you exactly what you need, every single time.”