Three Stages of Love: Lust

Three Stages of Love: Lust
by T. C. Anthony
Published by CreateSpace
194 pages
Genre: erotica; romance
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
4 / 5 cupcakes


I liked this book a lot, even if I wanted to smack the main character senseless.

Eva is a young career woman, very determined and very ambitious. She fully believes that she will rule the world some day, and the last thing she's interested in is a man who will get in her way. One drunken night, she meets one who immediately captivates her. She makes a move, but he is a gentleman; she's drunk, and so he declines.

Naturally, she runs in to him again. Naturally, he becomes her new boss.

Alex is a stud, ladies. He is gorgeous, rich, intelligent, loving, caring and good in bed. Oh my, is he good. He and Eva have no problem scorching up the sheets. He allows her to unleash her inner vixen, and she provides him with a muse of sorts.

But of course, there are Issues.

Eva's ambition, for one thing, causes some problems. She wants her career, something she worked hard to gain and she does not want to sacrifice it for love, of all things. Alex, on the other hand, wants the big L word. He professes it to Eva and cautions her that she is about to lose out on something amazing.

Can Eva crawl out of her own butt long enough to see that Alex is right? And that he's good for her?

This is an entertaining book, even with Eva. The sexy times are HOT, and you will not believe that Eva can withstand them. As much as she annoys me - and she does annoy me - I kept on reading, if for no other reason than Alex. I liked that the roles were switched: she is career-driven, while he wants love and a relationship.

Given that this is the first in a series, you know it will end with things unsettled. And it does. I want to know what happens next in Eva and Alex's relationship, and I kind of hope that Alex finds someone more worthy of him. Then again, there is potential in Eva. If she can grow up and let go of her own insecurities, she might be okay.

If you're looking for some hot headboard rockin', this is a good one. It has the added bonus of interesting characters and a decent story.

Caroselli's Christmas Baby

Caroselli's Christmas Baby
by Michelle Celmer
Published by Harlequin Desire
192 pages
Genre: romance
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3.5 / 5 cupcakes


Well, that title kind of gives everything away, doesn't it?

Terri and Nick have been friends forever. They watched each other's romances, offered shoulders to cry upon, cheered on each other's accomplishments. So when Nick meets Terri for dinner one night and she announces that she has something to celebrate, Nick figures she scored a major client.

Or something.

Terri is celebrating, all right, because she decided she wants a baby. As luck would have it, Nick needs an heir! His grandfather proffered some silly dare to his three grandsons that they produce a kid, and Nick figures he can get his while Terri gets hers.

When they decide to get their baby the old fashioned way, their little friendship gets a whole lot cozier. And hotter. And, um, yummier.

How Terri can think she will EVER want another man after she rocks the headboard with Nick is a question best not pondered.

You may think you know where this is headed, and you're right. It does. But along the way, you get some pretty scorching love scenes, and you will enjoy Nick and Terri, even if you want to clobber one, either or both of them on occasion. They are frustrating people, but that's why they are meant for each other. Everyone sees it.

This is a fun, quick, fairly hot read.

Stolen

Stolen
Shiloh Walker
Published by Ballantine
400 pages
Genre: mystery; erotica; romance
Thanks to edelweiss for the preview
3.5 / 5 cupcakes


If you want to go some place where you are not likely to be found, you might want to try Earth's End, Alaska. That's what Shay Morgan determines when she decides to escape a torturous, abusive life in Arizona. The good news about Earth's End is that Elliot Winter is there ... and Elliot Winter is HOT.

Shay lives alone and pens novels under the pseudonym of Shane Neill, whom many assume is a man. Despite having dated Elliot, she never let him in on the whole Shane Neill thing - and Elliott owns a bookstore. In fact, it was Shay's inability to let Elliott in to her life that caused their break up.

Now, however, Shay needs him, even if she doesn't realize it herself. The book opens with her returning home after spending three weeks in the hospital for injuries sustained in an accident. She has scarce memory of what got her there, and even scarcer memory of her childhood As the book unfolds, we discover that someone is pretending to be Shane Neill and that even Earth's End is not far away enough.

There is the mystery part of this story - who is pretending to be Shay's alter ego and why - and there is the romance. When Elliot and Shay reconnect, they do so passionately. Each has trust issues; Shay is not the only one who has had a rough go, and Elliot's problems continue to haunt him. Thanks to her history, Shay needs a man who moves with a slow hand, and Elliot, who loves her desperately, wants to be that man. By the time the headboard rockin' begins, we have waited for it, and the payoff is HOT. Elliot knows what to do, girls. He knows where to go, how to get there, and what to do upon arrival (and departure).

As the mystery deepens, so do Elliot's and Shay's feelings. But you cannot forget that each has endured a sort of trauma, so nothing will come easily for these two.

Much about this book is very good. Shay and Elliot's relationship moves realistically, and you can't help but like the two of them. The mystery is not as difficult to uncover as it should be; what becomes a greater mystery is the "why" question, but even that is solved fairly easily. The sex scenes are good, if not too few in number (yes, that old complaint again). I guess my biggest issue with this book is the ease with which some of the problems are dispatched.

Still, though, part of the mystery is strong, and those sex scenes are hot. And that counts for something, non?

The Marriage Mistake

The Marriage Mistake
by Jennifer Probst
Published by Gallery Press
352 pages
Genre: chick lit; romance
Thanks to edelweiss for the preview
4 / 5 cupcakes


If you read The Marriage Trap, you met Carina Conte. Michael's youngest sister, Carina has had a raging crush on Michael's best friend Max ever since childhood. As the kid sister, though, she rarely rated more than a ruffle of her hair from Max. Carina is all grown up now, complete with a Masters degree, and she is 100% woman, complete with a woman's needs. And she still has that crush.

So when she comes to New York to work with Michael, learning the family business, she is thrown when Michael assigns her to work under Max. Boy, does she want to "work under Max"! Ba domp shish! She may be Michael's baby sister, but now that she is in her twenties, Max no longer sees a fun loving kid; he sees a woman, and he likes what he sees.

But wait. She's Michael's kid sister! And Michael's family always took care of Max, especially when the none-too-fabulous news about his father got around in their Italian hometown. And he works for Michael. This could get awkward!

And it does.

After a trip to Las Vegas ...

Much like its Marriage Trap brethren, The Marriage Mistake comes at the story from both points of view, and it also presents the love birds without benefit of any filter. Carina and Max have their share of shortcomings and preconceived notions, but they are made for each other. We understand Max's reluctance to give in to the attraction he feels for Carina, just as we understand her frustration that he does not. When she tells him that she just wants to rock the headboard with a capable man, we feel Max's rage and jealousy, just as we feel her (momentary) sense of freedom at being able to utter what she wants. When the two go to Vegas, we expect them to succumb, and we are not disappointed.

Yes, it's predictable, but you won't care that you know what's going to happen a good dozen pages before it does. You won't, because you will like Carina and Max so much. We understand them, and that's thanks to the way Jennifer Probst writes. She knows how to create characters that we get close to and feel as if we know. She makes us care about them, and when she allows us to be a voyeur in their bedroom, we are grateful.

Boy, are we, because Max? Knows what to DO, people. He not only knows how to rock the headboard, he knows how to keep it rocking until you've had enough.

If you know what I mean.

The Marriage Trap

The Marriage Trap
by Jennifer Probst
Published by Gallery Books
320 pages
Genre: chick lit; romance
Thanks to edelweiss for the preview
4 / 5 cupcakes


Let's say that you need to get married. Your father, God rest, demanded that you, as his only son, be married before your younger sisters. Well, one of them wants to wed her boyfriend, but Mama says no. The family must adhere to Papa's wishes. Meanwhile, a close friend, who just happens to be a married woman pregnant with her first child, has an angry best friend who is convinced that you are out to destroy her friend's happiness. So you strike a deal. You will stay away from the married woman IF the best friend agrees to marry you.

Such is the conundrum with which Michael Conte is presented. His pal Alexa is very happily content with her husband, whose sister Maggie is Alexa's best pal. Maggie hates Michael; she seethes with rage when she sees him, because she believes that he wants Alexa for himself. Michael really doesn't, but there is no convincing Maggie of that point. But then he finds out he needs to get married - and fast - and he needs a wife. You don't get to be the head of a successful family business by not knowing how to solve problems, and Michael Conte is a very adept problem solver. He negotiates a deal with Maggie - you marry me, I stay away from Alexa - and bada boom, bada bing. Problem solved.

Or is it?

Naturally, Michael and Maggie are attracted to each other, and, naturally, circumstances conspire to force them to share a bed. At first, they are merely engaged, thinking that just putting a ring on it will satisfy Michaels' mother. But when they go see her in Italy, Mama Conte turns out to be much shrewder and more perceptive than anyone realizes.

There is some pretty hot headboard rocking, because even if Michael and Maggie don't particularly like each other, their bodies sure do. And Michael ... well, let's just say this: YUMMY! He knows what to do to break down Maggie's physical defenses, and she melts like an ice cube in the Sahara. Maggie may be brittle and caustic, but she means well. And of course she has some Issues that require sorting through.

You see the ending coming from the first pages, but that doesn't mean that this is not a fun book to read. I wish there had been more sex (whatever, people - call me a perv; you wouldn't be the first), but what there is works very well. Verrrrry well. And that may be why I want MORE. Told from both Maggie's and Michael's points of view, we get to know the two of them - what drives them, frightens them and stymies them. What is well done in this book is Michael and Maggie. At varying times, you will not like either of them. We see their flaws on full display, yet we wish them well.

We also wish them more time between the sheets, but that's another matter ...

Deserving of His Diamonds

Deserving of His Diamonds
Melanie Milburne
Published by Harlequin
192 pages
Available on Amazon.com
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
4 / 5 cupcakes


Gisele Carter thought her life couldn't get worse when she was dumped days before her wedding by Emilio Andreoni, who saw a sex tape presumably starring his fiancee. (Turns out it was her twin sister, but Emilio - and Gisele too, for that matter - had no idea a twin sister existed.) But that was only the beginning for Gisele. She discovered she was pregnant, had the baby without Emilio's knowledge despite being told that the baby likely would not survive, and spent a mere six hours with her little girl before she passed away. Yes, Gisele finds herself in the midst of a bad run that suddenly gets worse.

Emilio shows up, apologizing for the break up, and hoping for a reconciliation.

Understandably, Gisele is angry. She's hurt and she wants to hurt him in return. Emilio understand this, even if he is ignorant of the existence of his daughter, but he's confident that he can convince Gisele to rekindle their relationship, even agreeing again to be his wife.

Emilio either is blindly optimistic or sadly delusional. Turns out he's neither. He knows Gisele, and he knows how he felt with her. He wants her back, and if it takes a little work, he's willing to do it.

Watching these two come together, back up apart, come back together, step back again is fun and even sweet. It also provides us with some pretty hot headboard rocking, because these two know how to engage in some sexy times. Regardless of how fractured their relationship is, their bodies want and crave each other. Which is good for those of us who like reading sex scenes.

This is a quick read, with a fairly predictable ending. Gisele and Emilio are not always likable, which is not necessarily a bad thing. They have their faults and yet they find a way to accept each other. Plus, the sex scenes are hot, and that's always a good reason to read a book, non?

Mating Season

Mating Season: A Cabin Fever Novella
by Alice Gaines
Published by Avon Red
Available on Amazon.com Kindle
Thanks to edelweiss for the preview
4 / 5 cupcakes


The great thing about Alice Gaines's books is that they understand their purpose: they provide us with a few hours of escapist fun. Hot escapist fun, in fact. These novellas do not reach beyond their ability. They simply entertain.

As with others in the Cabin Fever series, we have characters trapped alone in a small cabin in the woods; sexual shenanigans ensue.

In this case, our romantic duo is Gayle Richards and Nolan Hersch, sparring professors who each has a different theory about the mating habits of animals, elk in particular. Gayle invited Nolan and two of his research assistants to the cabin in hope of studying elk, although Gayle also hopes to change Nolan's mind about his opinions on the subject. The fact that the two are attracted to each other only heightens the fun.

When Nolan's assistants are blocked by a fortuitously timed flooded road from getting to the cabin, Nolan and Gayle attempt to make the best of the situation.

Boy, do they ever.

They make the best up against a wall, on the floor, in a shower, on the bed and up against a tree, amongst other lively locales. They make the best any place they can. All in the name of research, of course.

The circumstances leading to their coupling are flimsy at best, but we don't care. We just want to read the hot stuff, and Alice Gaines provides it in abundance.

If you want to waste a couple of hours on some decently hot erotica, this is the novella for you. Don't be surprised if you get cabin fever, though. The good news is that Alice Gaines has more books in the series.

Summer Nights

Summer Nights (Fool's Gold, Book 8)
Susan Mallery
Published by Harlequin HQN
383 pages
Available on Amazon.com
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.
4 / 5 cupcakes


First, a word about the cover. Absolutely no scenes in this book take place on a beach, certainly not any love scenes. I'm all astonishment that this photo was chosen as the cover, because it reflects nothing about the book other than a couple who falls in love.

Which is a shame, because Summer Nights is a fun, sexy read and perfect for reading at, say, the beach.

The eighth in Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series (I read none of the previous books, and had no trouble understanding this one), Summer Nights focuses on petite redheaded librarian Annabelle Weiss, who does not let her divorce sully her wishes for True Love Always. In fact, Annabelle craves the mess and passion and lack of control that come with love. She's ready for it.

Shane Stryker, on the other hand, has made no peace with his divorce from his cheating ex-wife, who remains a specter in his life. Unlike Annabelle, Shane has no interest in anything uncontrollable; he wants order and neatness, love that can be predictable and reliable.

So of course they fall for each other.

Annabelle goes to Shane, who earlier spotted her dancing on a bar (there is a good reason for it, and no, she was not drunk) and decided that, hot as she is, he needs to avoid the certain drama that comes with her, to learn how to ride a horse. She wants to raise money for a book mobile and has an idea of riding a dancing horse as a fundraiser. Shane reluctantly agrees, just as he reluctantly agrees to a lot of things in this book, mostly because, as Annabelle tells us many times, he is a good guy. And he is. Too bad about the nasty divorce and all, because he really is a good guy. And he can wear his jeans with style.

[As an aside: girls. I know you know. Not all men can wear their jeans well. Sometimes the jeans sag, sometimes they are tight in the WRONG places, sometimes they ride too high on the hips. But a man who can wear his jeans Just So, who can fill them out in all the RIGHT places? That, my friends, is nectar of the gods.]

Shane and Annabelle are immediately attracted to each other, and the first time they kiss, it's HOT. Every time they kiss, it's HOT. So imagine how hot it is when they rock the headboard! It's HOT! But in spite of their clear desire for each other, there remains the little issue of feelings. Annabelle worries that she feels more for Shane than he for her, and he worries that he will feel anything other than lust for her at all.

He wasn't indecisive. He knew exactly what he wanted. What kept him from acting was the consequences. Because sex complicated everything. The better the sex, the bigger the complications. Because wanting Annabelle was driving him crazy but having her might be another level of hell.

Susan Mallery can write some sexy times, folks. Annabelle is very comfortable with her body and with knowing what to do to drive Shane nuts, and he knows his way around a woman. Does he EVER. He knows exactly what to kiss, lick, suck and bite. He is a true fantasy.

The only problem with reading this book at the beach is that you might get the pages wet or short circuit your eReader from all the sweating you do, or from the dripping water when you go dunk yourself to cool off.

This is a fun book with some rockin' sex scenes. My only quibble is a subplot involving a friend of Annabelle's who decides she wants to become a mother. I realize Susan Mallery is setting up the next book, but it was distracting and those scenes dragged. I'd rather read more about Shane's kissing. Or how he wears his jeans.

Temptation & Twilight

Temptation & Twilight
Charlotte Featherstone
Published by Harlequin HQN
400 pages (it would be better if it were less than 300)
Available on Amazon.com.
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
2 / 5 cupcakes


First, let's be real clear: this book has nothing to do with vampires. So those of you searching for the latest in Edward and Bella's romantic travails (and really it is time to LET THEM GO, especially since the unfortunate portmanteau of Renesmee) need to keep on keeping on.

Temptation & Twilight is part of a series about the Brethren Guardians (the others are Pride & Passion and Seduction & Scandal, which I did not read and I had no problems understanding this one), a trio of men related to the Knights of the Templar. Iain Sinclair, the Marquis of Alynwick, is one of the Brethren, which are under siege by Evil Forces out to destroy them - or at least make them miserable and make money off of them. There are some red herrings thrown in your way about who the bad guy is, and ultimately it is someone completely out of left field. Maybe if I read the first two it would make sense? Because it didn't.

But this being a Hot Romance Novel, let's hit on that element, shall we?

Lady Elizabeth York and Iain were lovers when she was 19 and he 21, and now, 11 years later, neither can shake off the feelings they still have for each other. He left her lo those many years ago, and at some point in this book you find out why. They are wildly attracted to each other, even if Lizzy fights her feelings at every turn.

Oh - and there is one more eensy problem: Lizzy is blind. Yep. She can't see, and while everyone around her is just peachy about the whole thing, Iain makes one wrong move after another. Elizabeth pretends to be all "I'm just hunky dory with the whole blindness thing," but really she is not. She's pissed off, quite frankly, and hurt.

Iain wants Lizzy back, but then Lord Julian Sheldon appears and mucks up the whole thing. He's an archaeologist who has studied the Brethren, and he and Lizzy (whose brother is a Brethren - GET IT? HAHAHA - and one of Iain's partners) hit it off. Iain is not amused, and he angles to bust up that budding relationship. He hopes that because he is not  21-year-old stupid boy any longer, he can get Lizzy back in his arms.

He tried to think of a way to make it right. To make it so that Elizabeth could trust him, would hear him out. He was not the man he'd once been. He'd changed, and would change more, too, if she would only give him a chance. There needed to be some sort of bridge between them, an olive branch that would help to pave the way to forgiveness. He had to ensure that the connection they once shared flickered back to life, binding them, before he could begin discussing the reasons why he had failed her.

That passage illustrates what bothers me about this book: it is long, repetitive, and tells rather than shows. We are told SO MANY TIMES that Iain feels badly over how he treated Elizabeth and how he just HAS to let her know that he still loves her, people! And we are told that Elizabeth still cares for him, but she is HURT and she has NOT FORGOTTEN how he left her after he rocked the headboard with her.

The mystery part - who is out to get the Brethren - is another problem. Oh, are you told about those Brethren. You get a whole history lesson. Which is fine and all, but this is a HOT ROMANCE NOVEL, not a history book, and a little goes a long way. Well, a little history, but not a little hot lovin'. The sex scenes are tantalizing and detailed, and we like that. More, please.

This book is just underwhelming. That's the best word I can use for it. Lizzy is delightful, if not a little up her own ass, but she's blind, and I guess I'd be a little bitchy if I couldn't see. Iain is supposed to be an alpha male, but he comes off like a boor. There are better books - and better characters, certainly better heroes - out there.

Temptation Island

Temptation Island
Victoria Fox
Published by: Harlequin MIRA
600 page
Available on Amazon.com UK
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
4 out of 5 cupcakes


The subtitle for this book, Sexy, Sensational, Sinfully Good, pretty much sums it up.

I don't even know where to begin to summarize the plot, because there is a LOT going on here. The island in question actually appears in less than half of the novel. The rest of it takes place in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, London, and a private school in England, not to mention the Mediterranean Sea. The story is told primarily from three points of view (but there are more thrown in, although it never gets confusing):  Lori, a beautiful Spanish girl trapped in a Cinderella nightmare; Aurora, a spoiled, overly indulged and utterly ignored teenage daughter of two successful country singers; and Stevie, a London native who moves to New York to start over.

For all of the glamorous locations and people, the gut of the story is focused on a very seedy, dark underbelly of Hollywood, and each of the three women comes to this unsavory element through different paths. Lori, in trying to escape the evil stepmother and stepsisters, is rescued by the mysterious and attractive JB Moreau, whom we are told repeatedly is Up to No Good. Yet he seems to treat Lori extremely well, appearing as her knight in shining armor (Lori's story is the fairy tale of the three). She becomes a top model and moves to Los Angeles. Aurora, a hot mess if ever there was, meets Pascale, a French bundle of complexities and curiosity, at boarding school; Pascale's uncle is JB Moreau. Stevie becomes a movie star and meets Xander, an actor / director who gets very skittish anytime JB Moreau's name comes up.

Ah, JB Moreau. He is the magnet that draws the three women - amongst other people - to Cacatra, the eponymous island, where the only rest and relaxation you will get is if you avoid all of the characters in the book. Something very nefarious is afoot on Cacatra, and our three heroines become involved in it.

The plot is convoluted - there are a LOT of characters and subplots - yet this is an edge-of-your-seat page turner of a book. Victoria Fox knows how to create characters who draw us in, and she can tell a story. She writes some decent sex scenes, too.

And then, she didn't know how it happened, they were kissing each other, their bodies apart one second and together the next. His lips, his tongue, that scar she had noticed that felt, beneath her mouth, like danger. The smell of leather and the smell of him: his neck, his skin, the softness of his mouth and eyelashes. His hands held her face, one thumb on her chin where it was cut, the fingers behind her jaw, beneath her earlobes. She had never been kissed like that. She could kiss him forever. She could kiss him till her mouth bled. 

Another thing Victoria Fox does well is create some ambiguity with her characters. JB Moreau is a bad guy, apparently. He does very bad things and he poses a threat to everyone in his orbit. Yet ... he helps Lori, and he cares about her. And he rescues another character, much later in the book. In fact, the theme of rescuing and saving is bigger than any temptation. That Stevie is stronger than she realizes does not surprise us, because she left a terrible situation in London to try to save herself. Aurora, too, must save herself, because her parents certainly aren't interested.

Temptation Island might be better titled Deception Island, because nothing is as it appears. But whatever its name, this is a fun book that you will not want to put down, so make sure you have a few unfettered hours in which to read it.

Lord Atwood's Lovers

Lord Atwood's Lovers
by Eva Clancy
Published by: Spice Briefs
Available on Amazon.com.
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.


Looking for a hot novella about threesome sexy times? Then look no further, my friends. Eva Clancy serves up total hotness with a m/f/m ménage.

This tasty morsel is a historical romance, of sorts, focused on the eponymous Lord Atwood, who recently married Imogen, a comely - and rambunctious - widow. They have this thing where they go to balls, she flirts with other men, he gets aroused, and they come home for some raucous headboard rocking.

"You knew you were making me hard tonight. You were being a wicked girl, weren't you?"

"Yes," she said hoarsely. "I was being a bad little slut, Charles. Now fuck me, please."

And there you have it. Pillow talk, Atwood styles. When Imogen happens across Alex Lambert in the park, she finds out that he is an "old friend" of her husband's and invites him for dinner. Turns out, Atwood and Alex liked to share all sorts of things, and Imogen is nothing if not determined to please her husband, so ...

Other than an oddly placed sub plot involving Imogen's first husband, Lord Atwood's Lovers is all about the nooky, both within marriage and with a little extra something something. Clancy's sex scenes are good, but better when it's just Atwood and Imogen. The ménage outings were insufficient, I guess is the word. It isn't that they are not hot, but there wasn't enough.

If you're in the mood for a quickie, this is the novella for you.

Against the Sun

Against the Sun
Kat Martin
Publisher: Mira
400 pages
ISN:  0778313506
Available on Amazon.com.
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.


I think I need to quit reading romance novels, because the men in these books are just too much.

TOO MUCH, people.

In this case, we have Jake Cantrell (seriously ... the name alone, right?), an ex Marine now working in a sort of private investigations/protection capacity. He is all man. Tall, big (yes, BIG in exactly That Way). Growly and manly and virile. And HOT.

He has been assigned to protect Sage Dumont (is it wrong that every time I saw her name, I pictured a Thanksgiving turkey, with its crisp skin covered in butter, salt and sage? Kat Martin probably didn't intend for that to be the thought going through me head), who is trying to broker a oil platform and pipe deal with a wealthy Saudi family. Jake and Sage's fellow Houstonians do not embrace this idea, whether for environmental or ethnic reasons - fears of terrorism and whatnot. But Sage is determined, because if she makes the deal, her grandfather might appoint her president of the company.

There are some twists and turns in the plot, many of them involving the Saudi Sheikh's family, not to mention the fiancé that Sage needs to jettison before she and Jake can rock the headboard.

Before you can say, "Take your clothes off," the aforementioned fiancé is a mere memory, and Jake and Sage are coupling with a fervor. When she gets a look at his, um, appendage, Sage does experience a moment of apprehension, to which Jake says, "I'm a big man, Sage."

See? I told you he was big. and he promises her that she will make room for Daddy, as it were. During their first romp, she begs him several times to not stop, and he complies. Boy, does he COMPLY.

Kat Martin can write some steamin' hot sex scenes, never you fear that.

She gasped as he hauled her up and lifted her into his arms, carried her over and settled her on the bed. Jake followed her down and began to feast on her breasts. She thought he would take her, but instead he lifted her, set her astride him, let her sink slowly down until he filled her completely.

 "Your turn," he said, and her eyes closed as pleasure washed through her. For a moment she just sat there, absorbing the feel of him inside her, the way they fit so perfectly together, the thrum of her heart and delicious sensations.

In other words, Jake was right. He fits her JUST FINE.

In terms of plot, the story is fast-paced and packed with action - and I don't just mean rocking the headboard action. It's a fun read, perfect for the beach, especially if you have someone handy to help you with the hotness, as it were.

Against the Sun is part of the Raines of Wind Canyon series, but you do not have to read the prior books to understand this one. Curiosity might drive you to it, though, just to see if the other heroes are half as masterful as Jake is.

 

Shades of Desire

Shades of Desire
Virna de Paul
Published by: HQN Books
ISN:0373776357
384 pages
Available on Amazon.com
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.





If I didn't know better, I'd swear that Virna de Paul likes it nice and slow. Girlfriend keeps us waiting a long, LONG time for some headboard rocking.

Shades of Desire is more of a mystery than the title (and cover) would indicate. Only even then, the mystery is solved for the reader before it is for the characters, so I'm not sure you can say this is an edge-of-your-seat mystery, either. It's more of a how-long-can-I-keep-you-from-the-sex-scenes type of book.

Globetrotting photographer Natalie Jones has macular degeneration, and one day, the last vestiges of sight leave her. Unfortunately, she has a camera with her at the time, and she might have taken a picture that implicates someone in a crime. So she is attacked. Liam "Mac" McKenzie is the detective called to help her, and he takes n instant interest in her. And she in him.

It wasn't a darkness that scared her. Instead, it was erotic. Heavy. Heavenly. In her mind, it pressed her against him. Prompted him to put his arms around her. Made her nipples harden and her breath hitch and the spot between her legs ache. Heat fluttered its fingers across her entire body, not just warm but hot, banishing the coldness that had continued to cling to her over the past month. In the intimate space of the enclosure, she greedily reached for more, pressing harder against him, wanting to get inside him, wanting him inside her, big and thick and hard and ruthless, refusing to let her turn away or hide for one second longer -

Whoa. That's during their FIRST MEETING. Yet I do not want to tell you how long you have to wait until these two rip their clothes off and tear each other apart.

And that is my problem with Shades of Desire: it can't figure out what it is. A Hot Romance Novel? A mystery? A murder mystery? Erotica? It's frustrating. One minute, Mac and Natalie nuzzle each other, and the next he's trying to help her make peace with her blindness. They want to heal each other, but first they need to get naked. Well, first they need to figure out who's trying to kill Natalie and why.

Virna de Paul takes us into the heads (no pun intended ...) of a lot of characters: in addition to Natalie and Mac, we get to know Mac's partner, Jase, and the people (there is more than one) chasing Natalie. It's too many. We don't need to know that Jase is hot for a woman on the squad, and we don't need to know as much as de Paul tells us about the bad guys. In fact, this book would have been better served by letting us guess more.

Now, the sex scenes. They are pretty hot, thank goodness, and not in a subtle, hazy way. We get details, and after waiting so long, details are nice. Details are good. Mac is HOT, people. And, um, proficient. His stamina gives Christian Grey a run for his money, let's just say. On his BEST day, Christian can't last as long as Mac on his worst.

It all comes back to Christian Grey, doesn't it? I need to let go of that, don't I.

Snowbound with a Stranger

Snowbound with a Stranger
by Rebecca Rogers Maher
Published by Carina Press
73 pages
Available on Amazon.com.
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.



I tell you what. I am not one for exercise - a brisk trot from the sofa to the refrigerator is enough for me - but I'd hike a mountain. In a snowstorm. A blinding snowstorm. In frigid, dipping temperatures, while being chased by a bear. IF it means that what happens between Dannie and Lee happened to me and  someone.

And by "someone," I guess I mean my husband.

Whatever.

So anyway. Dannie and Lee work at a hospital in New York, she as a nurse and he as a social worker. They have tortured pasts ... blah blah blah. What matters is what happens when they are trapped - SNOWBOUND - in a well stocked cabin.

He bit her neck. She gave a strangled cry and came again. He was building, tensing. She wanted him to feel what she felt. She lifted her hips to him, locked her legs around his back and met his thrusts with her own. She dug her nails deep into his back and arched into him.

He exploded inside her, pinning her to the floor. 

For reals. Wouldn't you brave a snowstorm - a hike through snowdrifts and trees and NATURE - for some action like that?

Yeah, there is a plot here somewhere. Two lost souls find each other while they rock the headboard in a snowbound cabin in the woods. What really matters are the sexy times, and Rebecca Rogers Maher can write some sexy times, people. Yes, she can. Dannie and Lee give as good as they take, and by "give," I mean - well, you know what I mean. And by "take," I mean TAKE. The headboard in question is brass with rungs.

Think about it.

Again, I say, Christian Grey, you have given me Ideas.

This is a very quick, hot read. Nothing more, nothing less. Maher writes the hell out of sex scenes, you can rest assured about THAT. Read it if you want to get your motor running.

Let Me In

Let Me In
Callie Croix
Publisher: Carina Press
ASIN: B007BBV884
87 pages
Available on Amazon.com
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.


Finally. A Hot Romance Novel that knows that we want as much headboard rockin' as possible, not all that silly plot nonsense.

Not that there isn't a plot here. There is. But Callie Croix realizes that we want to get between the sheets more than we want to know about Talia's mother and her hoarding or Talia's inability to commit. In fact, the plot is resolved tidily and with minimal stress, even if we are left with a slight twinge of blue nether regions because the final love scene is not completed, as it were.

Talia is in the military and returns "home" for a brief leave around Thanksgiving. She is greeted by her best friend, Angie, and Angie's hot brother, Liam, for whom Talia feels tremendous attraction. It's reciprocated; Liam can't wait to rip off Talia's uniform and perform a reconnaissance (GET IT?) tour of her body. But Talia resists, which isn't all bad for Liam, because he is a Dominant and likes his women to put up a fight.

Only we don't get any scenes of true domination, which is a shame. And which leads to the aforementioned blue nether regions.

But Liam and Roxana do engage in some headboard rockin':

The startling hunger in her set him on fire. Groaning, he slid his hand around her back to release the clasp then helped her shrug out of the bra. He skimmed his lips over her cheeks, her jaw. The robe slipped off her shoulders, baring her to his gaze. Pale golden skin and dusky brown nipples beckoned, making his mouth water at the thought of tasting her.

Hot, right? It makes you wonder what Callie Croix could have done if she'd given us some of Liam's Dominant side. There is a prequel of sorts to this book, No Holds Barred, which relates a threesome Liam had with his best friend and the best friend's fiancee. Maybe there is some bondage in that?

I'm ASKING for bondage? Oh, Christian Grey. What have you done to me.

So, yeah. This is a fast, hot read. But it's a tease.

Ruined by Rumor

Ruined by Rumor
Alyssa Everett
Publisher: Carina Press
ASIN: B007BBVC6M
218 pages
Available on Amazon.com.
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.




This is one of those books in which I cared a LOT more about the hero than the heroine. In fact, I kind of wanted the heroine to be miserable, lonely and left shriveled like a heap of wet towels. The only reason I cared one toenail about her happiness was if it made the hero happy. And since it did, I had to give a fiddler's fart about her scrawny ass.

Roxana is engaged to George Whitby, who basically is a cad and a scoundrel, only she's too stupid to see it. WE see it. Boy, do we. We know that he will break her heart, one way or another, and by golly, he does. They have been engaged for five years, during which she waited patiently for him to return from war. A few weeks after their engagement ball, he dumps her.

We aren't too sad about this, though, because (a) Roxana feels nothing - not one tiny flutter - when he kisses her (in fact, it could be argued that she feels revulsion) and (b) George's absence means Alex Ayersley has a chance. And Alex Ayersley, people, can KISS. When he (finally) kisses Roxana, she "grew so breathless she was sure she would faint. The whole world seemed to spin and tilt around her."

Alex, you see, has loved Roxana forever. He even tells her that he loves a woman, has loved her for years, and that she is the most beautiful, desirable woman he's ever met. Dumb Roxana doesn't realize he means HER, mostly because Alex is kind of socially constipated. He doesn't know how to make small talk, and he's perfectly content to sit in silence. In fact, prior to the kiss, the only thing that seems to stir his emotions is when he discusses politics and the law, specifically the time he witnessed an execution:

Ayersley, passionate? The incongruity of the thought almost made her laugh. A more mild-mannered man had never walked the earth - the dull dog, George called him. Yet Ayersley's tightly contained outrage just now had been unmistakable.

Shortly after the aborted engagement, Roxana's virtue is questioned by some who witnessed her rousing game of tonsil hockey with Alex. He proposes a solution to her wrecked reputation: let's get hitched.

Alas, Alex cannot figure out how to tell her the truth about his feelings for her, and Roxana is so stupid that she can't suss it out on her own. She puts herself into situations that cause him pain, and even though it's innocent (for the most part), and even though she does feel a little guilty, she can't be honest with him. Until, that is, Alex decides he can't take it any more and unleashes his frustration on her. Oh, faithful readers, it is a delightful castigation, and I cheered him on most happily.

Now, about the hotness. There are some decent sexy times scenes. Alex knows how to rock the headboard. Oh, yes, he does. He may seem restrained and polite, but underneath that dutiful exterior lies a dutiful exterior, if you know what I mean. And I hope you do. He knows how to please a woman, bless him. Not that Roxana deserves it, but whatever. There are not many sex scenes, which is unfortunate, because I'd love to know the full extent of Alex's prowess, but what's there is good. Not scorching, but good. All in all, this is a predictable romance featuring a hero you can cheer for.

Read this book, for Alex's sake. He deserves to be loved.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace
Eve Gaddy
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (April 30, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1611941326
Available on Amazon.com.
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.
3 / 5 cupcakes


In the annals of bad covers, this one has to raise the bar, don't you think? He looks like he has a crick in his neck, and she looks a bit zaftig, maybe? Manly? I'm not sure. But this certainly is not a cover that captures your interest and makes you think, "Hmmm. This is the summer beach read I wanted!"

Yet if you are looking for a quick, sweet read with reasonably hot headboard rockin', this is the book for you.

Max Ridell is an undercover Texas Ranger sent to Hell, Texas (which, having lived in Texas - and I mean no disrespect to those who like that state - is not limited to just one town), to investigate a potential illegal alien smuggling ring. He comes across Sheriff Grace O'Malley, who basically emasculates him by having to rescue him more than once.

He likes her, though, and she likes him, and eventually their liking takes a lustier turn.

The hard ridge of his erection pressed against her, too, letting her know how much he wanted her. She had no defense against him, against the need, both their needs, and she raised her arm to reach back and touch his cheek with her fingers.

"Say yes, Gracie," he whispered, and kissed her fingers. "Say yes." 

There isn't much to say about this book, other than it is pleasant and the sex scenes are fine. They aren't so detailed that you would be embarrassed if your grandmother caught you reading them. Then again, maybe it's just my grandmother, who once told me that sex is anything you wouldn't do with your parents watching. Which, by the way, is a LOT.

Anyway. It's good. Not great, not spectacular, won't change your life, but it's cute and fun. As usual, I find myself wishing for more hotness, but that's just me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An update: Thanks to Debra Dixon from Bell Bridge Books, I found the current cover. Girls. Please. THIS is a cover. I might have to increase my rating to 4 cupcakes, just because of this hotness. Feast your eyes:

Brook Street: Thief

As part of the Brook Street trilogy, Thief concludes the story of gay men finding love and romance in early nineteenth century England. They also find some pretty hot headboard rocking.

Lord Benjamin Parker suspects he might prefer the company of men, but that's all it is - suspicion. He has never acted on his urges, mostly because he's never ventured beyond his social realm. But at twenty-five, he realizes that his friends and his five siblings will start to urge him toward matrimony, and he wants to know, beyond a doubt, if he can marry a woman.

He heads to a club he believes is frequented by homosexuals, and while at a gambling table, he meets Cavin Fox. The two wind up in a seedy hotel, and Benjamin has his answer. Women will not do.

"Why be unhappy when I could be happy?" It seemed rather silly now to have waited so long, but if he'd have acted on his desires years ago, he highly doubted he would have met Cavin. "I realized there was no point in fighting with myself. If I preferred men, so be it. ... Not every gentleman takes a wife, and I certainly don't want to now. That would be cruel, condemning some poor woman to a husband who can't feel true attraction toward her. It's the reason why I wanetd to find out the truth about myself now."

Ben wants more than one night with Cavin. Unfortunately, Cavin, a pickpocket and occasional paid consort who works for an evil pimp (for reals), fears that Ben can't possibly want to be with him if he knows how Cavin plies his trade, so to speak.Yet the two are drawn together, and through various quirks of fate and coincidence, continue to rock the headboard (and the floor).

Brook Street: Thief is a breezy, hot read, if you're into m/m lovin'. Ava March writes hot sex scenes, and she draws Benjamin and Cavin with great care and affection. There isn't much plot to be found here; what there is tends to be a bridge between the rocking of headboards. And that's just fine.



Published by Carina Press and available on Amazon.com.
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview. 

The Siren's Song

When last we left the Rissa, Blade and Marisol discovered true love together, after some furious headboard rockin' both on the ship and in a cave. Now owned by Thayer Drake, the Rissa continues to be a pirate ship of sorts, although the crew calls themselves salvagers, not scavengers.

During a dark and stormy night, Gilly McCoy clings to a broken mast on the Rowena, which has crashed aground near the Rissa. Thayer rescues her, and then, in some fashion, she rescues him. Gilly is a songstress on the run from some thugs out to avenge some wrongdoing by her ex-fiance. Thayer protects her, against all his logic, and, of course, falls for her. Unlike Blade and Marisol in A Kiss in the Wind, however, Thayer and Gilly take a while to rock the headboard. Their romance is not as immediately sensual; Jennifer Bray-Weber gets us there much slower.

Like A Kiss in the Wind, The Siren's Song involves a tale of pirates and evil-doers. Thayer and Gilly must extricate themselves and the crew from one scrape after another. Fortunately, three memorable characters from A Kiss in the Wind show up here: Henri, the height-challenged chef, Sam, and William. As with Marisol, they develop a fondness for Gilly and encourage her romance with Thayer.

Jennifer Bray-Weber can write some sex scenes, even though there are not nearly enough of them in this book. I like that she writes from both Thayer's and Gilly's perspectives, especially when it comes to rocking the headboard.

Gilly's intoxicating scent drove him mad. He wanted her to enjoy this intimacy as much as he. He wanted her to feel how much he desired her. With her, he'd expect nothing in return. Having her this way was all he required. "You're so warm, so wet." Drake deepened his kiss, swirling his tongue across her wet folds, slow and gentle at first. But soon he suckled and lapped faster, unable to taste enough of her sweet juices.

Hot. Hot, hot, hot, hot, HOT.

Sometimes the swashbuckling gets a little bothersome, but only because you want to head back into the captain's quarters and get these two between the sheets. But it's a fun, hot read.

At the rate the Rissa is going, it is on its way to being the new Love Boat.

Published by Carina Press and available on Amazon.com.
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.

Guarding Jess

Jessica Pennington spends her life instructing others in proper decorum. As an etiquette consultant, she prides herself on presenting a serene demeanor, allowing nothing to rattle her cage. Until Noah Samuels, that is. His boss enlists Noah as Jessica's bodyguard when she begins receiving ominous, nasty threats. Good thing Jess's body is one he likes guarding.

If you know what I mean.

But I'm ahead of myself. And I'm certainly ahead of Shannon Curtis, who keeps us waiting a LOOOONG time for some headboard rockin' in this book. And even then, it isn't the headboard that gets rocked. 

Before Jessica and Noah engage in carnal adventures, they have to overcome the negative preconceived notions they have about each other. OF COURSE they have negative preconceived notions, because, COME ON, this is a Hot Romance Novels, and we all know that in Hot Romance Novels, the happy couple must work to be together. Jessica thinks Noah is a bit obtuse and lacking in social graces, while he thinks she's a snob. His nickname for her? Miss Prissy.

When Jessica lets down her guard, though, and confides in Noah just how upsetting this stalker business is, he softens toward her. Well, maybe internally he softens. Externally, he's all hardness.

If you know what I mean.

Noah stared at her, his mouth open. He couldn't ignore the thread of hurt underlying her words, as though his remarks had cut her deeply. Her eyes were flashing and the color was high on her cheeks. Her chin was up, her shoulders back. She was defiant. She was scared, and she'd just undone him completely with her impassioned argument.

Put a fork in him, because he's done. And as an aside: Jessica squares her shoulders very, very frequently in this book. Very frequently.

Jessica, too, is attracted to her protector. He's built like a linebacker, and she, while petite, has legs that make Noah growl.

The thing is, though, Guarding Jess gets pretty dark and violent. While on the one hand, it's the story of a romance, on another level, it's about the twisted mind of a stalker. There is a body count in this book, and Shannon Curtis is unflinching in selecting her victims.

This book has a story that hooks you, characters who make you care, and some decent sexy times. I would have liked more of the latter, but that's just me. The mystery was well done, and it's a quick book to read, making it a good selection for the beach.

Published by Carina Press and available on Amazon.com.

Thanks to NetGalley for the preview.