Adam Steele is good. Good at using his money to get his way. Money always works-until he realizes he can't buy his daughter's way out of her new wheelchair. Three private physical therapists later, he's almost given up on Emily walking again. Then he meets Dr. Jaden Monroe. And his match.

Jaden doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit". But she knows a lot about "fired" after a public blowout with her ex jeopardizes the donation her hospital was counting on. Now the most tempting man she's ever met has made her just the offer she needs to save the new children's rehab wing-one million dollars to rehabilitate his daughter. In return she finds herself making Adam rash promises: that his daughter will walk in time to take the lead in the school play. And that he won't entice her into his bed. No matter what.

But Jaden didn't anticipate a teen whose injuries are more than physical. Or a man so passionate and devoted-and as tenacious as she is. As Adam wears down her defenses with kiss after kiss, the only thing harder than keeping her promise will be keeping a hold on her heart.

Warning:
Contains heated arguments that erupt only slightly more often than hot kissing, a new perspective on kitchen appliances, and sizzling sex occurring everywhere BUT the bedroom (though they eventually make it there).

Title: NO MATTER WHAT
Author: Erin Nicholas
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2009, November 3
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Samhain’s eBook store

First line:
One-night stands were a lot like apple pie as far as Jaden Monroe was concerned.

Memorable Scenes:
Swimming pool scene > Adam made me sigh
Kitchen scene > bone melting hot
Mall scene with Emily and Jaden > made me tear up


Quick & Dirty-review:

Ingredients/Summary:
A wealthy father seeking the best of the best in physical therapy for his daughter, a pediatric physical therapist who's lost her job and is working as a bartender until she gets an offer that'll put her back on track.
The attraction between them is there from the start but different things hold them back from giving into it.

Hero:
Adam Steele is commanding, used to getting what he wants the way he wants it, demanding, intimidating, stubborn passionate and protective.

Heroine:
Dr. Jaden Monroe is very capable and able to stand her ground with Adam's commanding ways and stand up to him. She’s defiant, involved and fierce.

Writing:
Erin Nicholas' writing is wonderful. Her characters are engaging and well rounded. She tackles emotional stuff in a way that seems effortless yet utterly heartfelt and she writes sex scenes that set the pages on fire without being too explicit or graphic. I really liked this first encounter with her work and it left me wanting to read more.

Likes:
- Emily (Adam's daughter), she a tough, mouthy 14 year-old kid who doesn't want to be helped. She forms a real challenge for Jaden but she handles Emily patiently and splendidly and doesn't tolerate her whimsical temper tantrums.
- the character depth and development
- the emotions

Dislikes:
- the parts where Adam and Jaden weren't together on the page seemed to drag on a little bit...just a little bit and they seemed less intense.
- Adam's attitude towards Jaden where Emily's treatment is concerned: strong-arming her, questioning her methods

Verdict:
NO MATTER WHAT is a delightful novella that tugs at your heartstrings because the relationship between Jaden and Emily is just as important and impressive as the one between Jaden and Adam. The story and characters surrounding the main characters made a lasting impression on me and I'd love to read a story on Tony, Adam's brother, someday.

Favorite Quotes:
Tony took advantage of her stunned silence to say, “I have to talk to you. I’d like to be nice about it. I’d like to charm you into having a civilized conversation. I’d like to buy you a drink.
"I’d like to be a thirty-six C, but we don’t always get what we want,” Jaden said as sweetly as she could through gritted teeth.

“Taking you to bed occurred to me the first moment I saw you.”
He had to stop doing that. If she lost her ability to breathe and think every time he said something like that, she was afraid she would quickly lose her professional credibility with him. If she hadn’t already.

"Do you like soft kisses?” He pressed his lips to hers gently. Her hands went to his shoulders and she kissed him back, making his heart thump in his chest. He lifted his head, breathing hard already. “Or do you like hot, wet kisses?” He tilted her head and demonstrated that as well, stroking his tongue over her bottom lip and then taking advantage of the sigh that parted her lips and granted him access to the sweet, hot mouth he’d been dreaming about.

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.

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

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

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

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

Quick & Dirty-review:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

One night in Bangkok is all it takes to turn Beth Martin's future plans upside down. After being betrayed by her fiancé the last thing she needs is another man screwing up her life.

But Tom is different. He makes her feel sensations long forgotten, makes her want in ways best left unspoken. Can she live out her wildest fantasies in one decadent night? And when it's over, can she walk away, or will what she doesn't want prove to be what she needs?

Title: ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK
Author: Rhian Cahill
Series: Passport to Passion Collection
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Noble Romance Publishing
Year of release: 2009, May? ---I know I talked with the author on Twitter about the release date but can't remember and didn't write it down anywhere for some obscure reason, or I did and can't find it anymore *headdesk*---
Format: eBook, 28 pages
Source: Gracefully offered to me by author when I wasn’t able to buy it from publisher

First line:
Sweat oozed from every pore, pooled and then dripped between Beth's breasts, the slide of moisture a warm caress, like a lover's tongue.

Memorable Scenes:
- Dinner scene > foreplay from start to finish, HOT!

Quick & Dirty-review:

Hero:
His name is Tom and that’s all I can tell you without spoiling the story.

Heroine:
Beth Martin. A capable and professional woman who has a passionate side to her that’s waiting to be sparked by the right man. She’s decided she won't be dictated by others any longer and wants to take life head-on and on her terms. That’s exactly what she does on her last night in Bangkok.

Plot:
A one night stand in Bangkok leads to a HEA with a nice twist at the end

Writing:
Rhian Cahill's writing is simply mesmerizing. The way she describes sexual chemistry and arousal is amazing. It's so vivid and sensual I can actually feel the zing and sparks coming of the pages. She's one of the very few authors whose descriptions I love to read as they are anything but page fillers and they almost form a character of their own in the books I've read by her.

Likes:
- writing, sex scenes and premise

Dislikes:
- minor one: missed Tom's POV though at the end I understood why the story was told almost exclusively from Beth's POV.

Verdict:
Rhian Cahill did it again. She seduced me with another incredibly hot and well-written novella that just sizzled of the pages. I can't wait to read her next erotic contemporary book! Bear in mind that I am being this enthusiastic about a 28-page story…Me! The reader who always complains about novellas being too short but in this case it was so deliciously written I can’t even fathom complaining about length.

Quotes:
Lost in the thrill of what he was doing to her hand—and in a domino effect,
her entire body—Beth feared she would agree to anything he suggested as
long as he didn’t stop.
“Have dinner with me.” He spoke against her skin and his breath puffed over the moisture left by his tongue. It cooled and heated at the same time as sparks of fire shot through her hand and up her arm leaving a trail of tingling starbursts in their wake.

“Dinner?” She moved out of the way to let the server pass and Tom closed the distance between them, crowding her against the wall.
“Yes, dinner,” he whispered into her ear.
“But I thought—”
“What? That I would strip you naked and take you against this wall the minute you walked in?” His warm, moist breath sent shockwaves of lust down her neck. He bit her earlobe lightly. “Make no mistake, Beth, I will have you. But I’m a civilized man. I invited you to dinner and I will feed you dinner.”

A whimper of anguish slipped past her lips before she could stop it. Want and desire laced every note, conveying her arousal, her need, her desperation to have him touch her.

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.”

Don't get even. Get everything...

Even before her bad marriage ended, Lauren MacDonald lost everything—her job, her friends, her self-esteem, and her sexual appetite. Now that she’s finally free, she’s struggling to regain control of a life her ex did his best to destroy.

The plan: sex with Justin Scott, her ex’s business partner. The man her husband invited into their marital bed, forcing her to realize it was time to get out. Justin was the star of the fantasies that helped her endure her marriage, so she can’t deny she wanted him—but not like that. She wants him like this—alone. In her bed. For exactly three nights.

Justin screwed up with Lauren, and in the past she’s made no secret of the fact she loathes him. So when she walks into his office flashing miles of long, lean legs, his brain cells misfire. Three nights of meaningless sex? He’s all over it. Not only does he have the chance to unleash his desire for her, it’s the opening he’s been waiting for—to convince her to give him more.

Title: A Proper Seduction
Author: HelenKay Dimon
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2010, May 18
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via My Bookstore and More
First line: “I was surprised to see your name on my schedule this morning.” Justin Scott eased into his oversized desk chair, careful not to tip over backwards. Having his ass hit the floor in front of Lauren MacDonald…well, that was just not going to happen.
Memorable Scenes:
- Opening scene > real attention grabber

Quick & Dirty-review:

Summary:
Lauren MacDonald is out to take back the reigns of her life through a sexual encounter with the man she has secretly been craving for. Justin Scott has seen his business partner’s ex-wife go through hell in her marriage and divorce and was unable to do something about it until now so he accepts her proposition because it offers him the opportunity to show her a glimpse of the happiness she deserves.

Hero:
Justin is not comfortable with Lauren's demand for cold, meaningless, businesslike sex but is so eager to be with her that he grabs on to the opportunity. He is patient yet firm. He doesn’t take everything Lauren dishes out and subtly tries to steer their agreement into something more permanent. He also shows Lauren that she is the only one with the power to stand up for herself.

Heroine:
Lauren seems very cold and clinical about sex. It's associated with bad memories of being powerless and controlled by someone else. For Lauren it's time to grab back the power, regaining control and rediscover her sexual appetite but underneath there's a craving for Justin that makes it hard to stay as detached as she'd like to. It would've been easy to dislike Lauren because of the way she treated Justin but I didn't because I understood where her behavior came from and her internal thoughts showed that she wasn't the coldhearted woman she was trying to portray.

Writing:
This is the second shorter story I've read by HelenKay Dimon and going by them I really need to read her full-length books because the shorts are great and the full-lengths will satisfy my need for more. I love her clean and crisp writing style and with A PROPER SEDUCTION she demonstrates she’s got the erotic part covered quite well too.

Likes:
- Loved the quotes about sex at the beginning of every chapter:

Ch 1: “There is nothing safe about sex. There never will be.”
~Norman Mailer
Ch 2: “Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place.”
~Billy Crystal
Ch 3: “Lead me not into temptation—I can find the way myself.”
~Rita Mae Brown
Ch 4: “Sex is hardly ever just about sex.”
~Shirley MacLaine
Ch 5: “Sex alleviates tension. Love causes it.”
~Woody Allen
Ch 6: “Although humans tend to view sex as mainly a fun, recreational activity sometimes resulting in death, in nature it is a far more serious matter.”
~Dave Barry

Dislikes:
- My usual complaint: too short.
- There was no desk scene that was hinted at in chapter 1 or the robe stuff promised in the warning.

Verdict:
A PROPER SEDUCTION is another ebook I inhaled in one sitting. Lately I've been reading some mighty good ebooks and A PROPER SEDUCTION fits right in with its unusual yet not unknown premise, scorching sex scenes and lovely, well written characters.

Favorite Quotes:
Lauren to Justin: “I’m not looking for a commitment or a promise of any kind. This is about the act and bodies, heat and chemistry, not romance or feelings.”

“Why, Ms. MacDonald, are you asking me to go down on you?” On any other man, the remark might have sounded crude. Delivered by Justin, it made her toes curl.

Summary from author’s website:

In Salem, human magick has thinned the veil between the planes to a permeable mist, forming a portal into the city, allowing time travelers and chameleons of the universe to enter there.

Bastian Dragonelli, once a Roman warrior turned dragon, is the first of his legion to be returned to earth, a man. So his brothers can also be saved and sent to earth, Bastian must reclaim the magick of Andra, Goddess of Hope, who sacrificed hers to transform him. He must seek his heart mate and make her quest his own. But the dark, powerful Killian, Sorceress of Chaos, who turned his legion into dragons and skewed his transition back into a man, is hot on his heels.

McKenna Greylock, the last non-magickal descendant of Ciarra, a witch who survived Salem's hanging times, needs a jack-of-all-trades to help turn her dilapidated Victorian into a bed and breakfast so she doesn't lose her home and her family's centuries-old legacy.

Enter McKenna's cousin, Vivica Quinlan, Ciarra's most magickal descendent, owner of the Works Like Magick Employment Agency. Vivica has a gift for matching human employers with magickal employees. Like Ciarra before her, Vivica knows when magickal supernatural ancients are about to arrive. She greets them and acclimates them to life, and to making a living, in Salem.

Besides Killian's threatening presence, Bastian's life is also complicated by McKenna, his guardian dragon, a troublemaking fairy, and a case of culture shock. Bastian also has a problem with his man lance. It won't behave at all the way he remembered it should. Not at all...

Title: Naked Dragon
Author: Annette Blair
Series: Works Like Magick Series, book 1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year of release: 2010, January 5
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought at The Book Depository
First line: In a body that seemed too small to contain him, Bastian tumbled endlessly through bouts of darkness and spirals of light, hailstorms and lightning, surcease and fright.
Memorable Scenes:
- The horse ride > the point where McKenna started to feel attracted to Bastian
- The two lake scenes > first one was an important scene for both plot and romance as a lot becomes clear to McKenna. Second one was just plain hot!
- Bastian’s PMS scene > funny, brilliant and cute!

Quick & Dirty-review:

Ingredients:
- A dragon sent to Earth to find his heart mate in order to fulfill his destiny and save his brothers
- A cranky but loving house-owner in desperate need of a handyman and love
- A pesky and creepy property developer who has nothing but evil in mind
- Magical creatures that are colorful in more ways than just to the eye: a Goddess of Hope, A Crone of Chaos, a faery pixie, a guardian dragon
- A wonderful and sensuous romance filled with laugh-out-loud, pee-your-pants humor

Hero: Bastian Dragonelli, was turned from Roman warrior to Dragon to human handy man. He’s a true alpha dragon. He’s bold, protective and fearless. But he’s also caring, impetuous and endeared me with his unfamiliarity with earthly things.

Heroine: McKenna Greylock is a descendant of a famous witch in Salem but she has not inherited any magick. She is obstinate, tenacious, a little bit bossy and difficult and sometimes short-tempered and challenging. But she has a heart of gold.

Plot: There were a few plots and they flowed into one, connecting together in a fast-paced and thrilling ending. There’s the story line of McKenna needing to open her B&B as soon as possible so she won’t loose the house and land to an evil property developer, there’s the task of finding his heart mate for Bastian, in order to save his brothers from eternal destruction by an evil sorceress and of course there’s the romance between Bastian and McKenna. The plots were all clear and well written and fit into each other seamlessly.

Writing: What caught my attention throughout the book was the humor. I laughed so hard and so many times I lost count. It was everywhere: in the dialogues, in the plot, in the characters. The most funny parts were those where Bastian’s unfamiliarity with earthly things were displayed, the way he described everyday things like cars (“colorful noisemaking machines with stink powder coming out of their hind ends”), thin women (“bony females who needed feeding and badly”), breasts (“dragon-hardening globes”) or fried eggs (“food with big yellow eyes”).
After first 100 pages humor was toned down a bit as Bastian got more knowledgeable and familiar with the earthly terms and things and the story and pace seemed to fizzle out a bit but luckily the last 100+ pages were up to par again.

Likes:
- The humor which I found refreshing as with paranormal the norm seems to be dark and gritty at the moment
- The romance that was touching and hot

Dislikes:
- Very, very short chapters, average chapters: 5 pages and sometimes there were chapter breaks in the middle of scenes.
- Like other people's reading pet peeves can be babies or children, mine is ghosts. I dislike them in stories and there are plenty if them in NAKED DRAGON.

Verdict:
I thoroughly enjoyed NAKED DRAGON. The book caught me by surprise with its great humor that made it laugh-out-loud funny without going over the top. It’s also a lovely and touching romance that was fast-paced but never felt rushed. I don’t know why I left this treasure of a book on the shelves for so long and I can’t wait for Bastian’s brothers to get their books as this one has really left me wanting more.

Favorite Quotes:

“Your eyes are violet,” she said.
They’re dragon-elli eyes. Dragonelli. All my brothers have eyes this color.”
It’s in the genes, then?”
No, that is my man lance in my jeans. I am sorry if it distracts you. It is a bit out of control today.”

“McKenna?” her friend said. “You’re not answering me. I repeat. Have you seen him naked?”
“Little bit.”
“Yes!” Lizzie screamed. ”I’ll bet he’s hung.”
“LizBeth!”
“Well, he wasn’t hiding a cocktail frank under that blanket.”

"I could get used to playing the royal in the bedroom.”
“I will adore you, my queen, with every inch of my body, and I have many inches.” His rough voice promised heaven while his look turned her into a useless puddle of need.

Surfer—make that ex-surfer—Carly Winters can't believe she accidentally faxed an erotic letter to…a secure military line? Now navy SEAL Jonathon "Hunt" Huntington is at her door, fax in hand, asking her how the fantasy ends.

Because Carly's parents think Hunt is her new boyfriend, and Carly does need a wedding date ASAP, Hunt's ready to play—only on one condition. Carly's got to teach him to hang ten. Problem is it's been a while since Carly's career-ending accident and she's terrified of anything aqua. But with Hunt, letting go just may make her fantasy a reality!

Title: Coming Undone
Author: Stephanie Tyler
Series: SEAL trilogy, book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin (Blaze)
Year of release: 2007, April 1
Format: eBook (Category), 256 pages
Source: Bought at eHarlequin
First line: “I started with, I think it’s sexy when we cuddle.”
Memorable scenes:
- All the beach scenes > wonderful and emotional
- The scene in the bar with Samantha and Ty > If you read nothing else of this book, please do read chapter 11! *Sigh*

Quick & Dirty-review:


Hero: Jonathan "Hunt" Huntington (28), Navy SEAL Lieutenant

Heroine: Carly Winters, recovering from a severe surfing accident which ended her professional surfing career and has made her fearful of surfing again and has impeded her from picking up surfing again, from a socialite family

Plot: To be honest, I read this book a long time ago and didn’t take any notes about the plot so I can’t dish up an eloquent plot summary here. The only thing I remember is Hunt finding Carly because she sent a naughty fax to a wrong number and and misunderstanding leads him into accompanying her to her sister’s wedding, they fall in love and he helps her overcome her fear of the sea after her horrible surfing accident. There was also a lovely tentative secondary romance plot with Samantha (Carly’s friend) and Ty (Hunt’s brother) that was pretty intense and impressive.

Writing: The writing is hot and engaging, once I started I couldn't stop.

Likes:
- Depth of the characters, for a short book they were very well-rounded
- multi-layered story with the multiple (4) POVs

Dislikes:
- Too short
- Missed some more suspense
- Carly's family. As characters as such not the way they were written

Verdict: I was really pleasantly surprised by this book and honestly I shouldn't be because it was written by Stephanie Tyler, who never fails to deliver for me! Even in the short span of a Harlequin Blaze she manages to bring a lovely emotional, action-packed story with amazing characters, multiple POVs and a wonderful secondary romance that makes me ache for that story to be completely told, preferably in a single title, full length book.

Favorite Quotes:
Oh Lord, he was on the phone with her sister. And doing a fine job of soothing the savage beast with the combo Jedi-SEAL mind-control thing.

“So, Samantha, what do you do?” Ty leaned an elbow on the crowded bar, cordoning off an area for her where she wouldn’t be bumped. He’d moved her away from the guy she’d been speaking to earlier, gently but firmly, as if he already owned her. His focus was all raw energy and on her alone.
“For a living?” she asked.
“We could start there.”
“I’m a teacher.” She took a long swig from her beer bottle, and her heart beat a tiny bit faster. She might have imagined it, but she could have sworn he’d moved closer to her.
“Hot for teacher,” he said, caressing her forearm.
“Like I’ve never heard that one before.”
“Never from anyone like me. Want to take a ride on my bike?”
“I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before.”
Ty winked. “That’s good. I like virgins.”
“Are you always this forward?”
“Yes. Always. I go after what I want.”

A GOOD AGENT NEVER LETS THE JOB BECOME PERSONAL…

Who wanted her dead? That's what Claire Samson wanted to know. On the run and alone, there was only one man she trusted to find her. Recovery agent Luke Hathaway was the best at locating and saving, and she needed the best if she wanted to live. But the handsome agent who promised salvation had some conditions of his own. If he were to help, she needed to stick close by his side. Very close. And the only thing more dangerous than her current situation was the way Luke made her feel. From the protective look in his green eyes, she could tell he felt the same. But every second that brought them closer together was also ticking toward an explosive confrontation that might tear them apart….

Title: Under the Gun
Author: HelenKay Dimon
Series: Harlequin Intrigue’s Ultimate Heroes
Unnamed series, book 1 (name of the series will be added shortly)
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Harlequin (Intrigue)
Year of release: 2010, March 16
Format: Mass Market Paperback (Category), 224 pages
Source: Bought at the BookDepository.com
First line: Luke Hathaway scanned the surveillance monitors set up in the nondescript Washington, D.C., office building’s underground security headquarters.

Quick & Dirty-review:

Summary: Claire ran out right before they were supposed to get married two years ago. Now on the run and wanted for murder, she runs to Luke for help clearing her name.

Hero: Luke Hathaway, stubborn, determined, professional. His antiques recovery business is a front for an agency that finds and rescues missing people. Claire abandoning him left an undeniable impression on him and at first he is hesitant to help her.

Heroine: Claire Samson is smart, courageous and resilient. However there was something about her story that I just couldn’t grasp and I didn’t get a satisfactory explanation for it. I understood that her childhood played a big part in her reason to leave Luke as he was withholding part of his life from her (his real job) but that still didn’t explain why she not only left him practically at the alter but also chose to marry another man after she did.

Plot: A very well drawn and well-written, action-packed plot that kept me at the edge of my seat from start to end.

Writing: I really liked HelenKay Dimon’s writing. It’s crisp, clean and fast-paced. I just think that an Harlequin Intrigue is not enough for me to really form a founded opinion on it. So I am definitely reading more of her work in order to do so.

Likes:
- The action that kept the story going in a very fast pace
- Luke’s fellow operatives, a wealth of future books there!

Dislikes:
- Claire’s character and back-story. I am still on the fence about Claire because I liked her courage and determination but couldn’t get a solid explanation for her actions in the past.

Verdict:
This was a book of firsts for me. My first HelenKay Dimon book and my first Harlequin Intrigue. I had not tasted HelenKay Dimon’s writing before this book and didn’t know what to expect from a Harlequin Intrigue except suspense. I can safely say that I really liked this first encounter. The thrilling start immediately had my attention and held it and it was filled with hard-core action with the gunfights, fistfights and the suspense. I definitely want more and have my next HelenKay Dimon HQN Intrigue climbing Mount TBR!

Favorite Quote:
She fell into the kiss, returning his sure touches with her own. Hot breaths. Guttural moans. The memories of being with him came rushing back. Not that they had ever truly left. A woman didn’t forget being overwhelmed by the joint pleasure of a man’s mouth and hands.
Luke had that power over her.

So a quick update post on how the spur of the moment Read-a-Thon went.

To be honest I'm a little bit disappointed in myself. I spent less time reading than I had planned. Sometimes this was due to unexpected stuff, like hubby feeling under the weather and me having to spend 2 hours doing grocery shopping by myself or sleeping through the alarm this morning and losing about 4 extra hours to read but mostly I have only myself to blame because I couldn't stay away from Twitter, was distracted by the Hungrian Grand Prix (Formula 1 racing) on television and simply not concentrating on the reading enough. Still I didn't do bad because where I normally read about 5-8 books in a month this weekend I read 5 books so I have to be satisfied with the little victory of that. And I also read some requested reads and ARCs which gives me some breathing space this coming month as I have a few more to tackle before the beginning of September, next to the daunting Mt. TBR of the books I own and buy...

Still I only finished 2 full length books, the other 3 books were novellas of ranging between 80 and 120 pages. I know these are books too but still I have trouble classifying them in the same category as full-length books of around 300 pages.

Here's the list of books I read, they'll all be reviewed in due course (sometime this month depending on which request/ARC it is and on some other reviews I have to write and some that are already lined up).

01. Full Disclosure by Cari Quinn
02. A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl
03. A Hollywood Affair by Sally Royer-Derr
04. Ex Appeal by Cari Quinn
05. Whirlpool by Vivian Arend
started Naked Dragon by Annette Blair

I was blown away by the Cari Quinn's Full Disclosure and Ex Appeal. They were an unexpected treat during this read-a-thon weekend and I hope to read much more of her contemporary work in the future

The historical by Victoria Dahl was my first taste of her historical work and all I can say is that I prefer her contemporary work but I did enjoy A Little Bit Wild

A Hollywood Affair was a very tough read for me. The book was well-written and fast-paced but the subject of it was something that was so not to my liking that I had a lot of trouble reading this book. I'll explain more in detail in my upcoming review of it.

I closed the read-a-thon with a great read, Whirlpool is the second book in the Forces of Natures series by Vivian Arend and though I had trouble with the pace of Tidal Wave (it's predecessor), I flew through Whirlpool and enjoyed every page of it. Once again, well done Viv!

That's it for now, I am going to finish the review I left hanging when I started the read-a-thon on Friday.

And speaking of reviews FYI as of tomorrow my reviews will be having a slightly different lay-out as I am fusing the lay-out of my QnD-reviews and my full reviews together a bit in preparation of closing down my QnD Romance Reviews blog in the near future. Because it's not really working like I had envisioned so I've decided to do the QnD reviews here on Pearl's World of Romance, so all my reviews will be kept in the same place. I hope you all will like the new format and the future move of the QnD reviews to PWOR.