Lizardo94

Reviewed for Sara at www.HarlequinJunkie.com! :D


Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NETGALLEY!


I'm sorry everyone, but here's another bummer review. But allow me to explain this one, ok? I would have HAPPILY given this book 5 full stars but I straight up HATED the heroine. It all started out great. Everyone was wonderful and the sex was plentiful and friggin' HOT but the more and more I read, the more I started to dislike her. By the end of the book, it happened: I HATED HER!!! I hope you read this review and then read the book so you can help me feel better about it all. This one actually hurts.

Before I jump right in with the reason for my heartache, let me be clear: This is no erotic romance for novices. This is a serious erotic romance with major BDSM themes. If you've not read ANY BDSM before, this may not be a good one to start with because you WILL be turned off. But if you're reading this review, I really hope you've read some of my other erotica reviews and that you've read some of those books. If so, jump on in!!

Ok, let me start with a super brief overview. Danny, Paul and Eve have been friends since they were kids (although we don't hear a lot about Danny until we come to the present day). Eve and Paul have been sweethearts since high school and before. But Eve needed to leave Tampa to go to Art School in New York. In leaving Tampa, she was also leaving Paul. Paul was left to deal with an abusive father and an ineffectual mother. Danny? Who knows. But Eve is back after she's broken off her engagement and she sees Danny in a supermarket....

Now let me tell you about my favorite part of the book: THE BOYS! Danny and Paul are great. They are just about complete opposites especially since Danny is Master and Paul is the submissive. I think Danny is my favorite though. He's mean (when he has to be) but he's so vulnerable. He seems like he would be your average, normal, ridiculously handsome man if it wasn't for his past. His mom and his A-hole dad were killed in a car crash when his dad was driving drunk. Somehow, Danny is now super wealthy due to that accident. I guess his dad was a real estate whiz or something. But whatever. Danny is amazing and damaged and I loved him. Paul isn't so bad. His dad is just as much of a bastard, just in an abusive way. Paul is a hardcore masochist. He loves pain. Intense pain. Extreme pain. No pain is too much. But because Paul loves pain so much and also because he's such a good submissive, Danny has had to be a Domme because Paul could be seriously injured if he's Dominated by the wrong Domme. So these two love each other in some kind of way. You can just tell. And its beautiful.

Now for the worst part: Eve. Hated her. A lot. She seemed ok at first. She was wounded by a painful breakup and has come home to regroup and figure out what's next. She's so happy when she and Paul and Danny reunite as friends. And I was really happy for her. But then it started to change. She falls for Danny... until Paul comes back into the picture. Then she loves Paul AND Danny but Danny is sort of out in the cold (due to her history of being lovers with Paul). Then she won't accept a car from them but she's ok with them paying for every time her piece of crap car is in the shop!! I mean it goes on and on! Danny is a neat freak and she's combing her hair at the kitchen effing table!! GROSS! I'm not a neat freak and I know better than that! She's in her room painting with her ear buds in, blasting the music in her ears. Paul comes in and sees that her room is a pigsty and she's dripping paint all over the new hardwood floors. He tries to talk to her and she's shouting at him over the music in her earbuds. Is she a moron? Take the earbuds out you dimwitted mental defective! I mean, I could literally list about 5 or 6 more times where she was so stupid and self centered that I almost quit the book.

But let me shake off my Eve-pissiness. I really dug this book. It for sure gets a place in my risque list. With the serious BDSM and with the male on male action, this is outside my usual type of book. But the sex scenes were really well written and I found myself NOT turned off by the male on male sex. There was also plenty of M/F sex and even a few M/M/F scenes as well. No matter what, all of it was super hot! I had some other issues with the book but all the rest of it was pretty minor compared to my overwhelming hatred of the heroine.

Overall, I had to give this book a much, much lower rating than I usually would have. If you took the heroine out of the argument, the book would have received top marks from me. I really liked everything else about it and I really enjoyed the book. I found myself bawling like a baby towards the end of the book. Everything was so emotional, all the way through. I loved following these people on this really emotional journey. Although I gave it a low grade, I think I might recommend this book. I just want you to go in knowing that the heroine was awful, in my opinion. But again, I want to caution anyone who is new to erotica and anyone who is new to BDSM. Paul plays a very dangerous game and it may turn you off if you aren't familiar with the BDSM scene.

www.HarlequinJunkie.com

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley


I'm in the middle of the road on this one. I really enjoyed the book but there were a couple of things about it that REALLY bothered me. Let me see if I can figure this out...

Ok, so I liked the heroine, Kate, well enough. She's in a small town in North Carolina, just trying to keep things together. Her mom died and she's left with her no-so-helpful stepdad and her hormonal stepsister, Dina. Dina is hormonal because she's pregnant but won't tell anyone who the father is. Drama Mama!! Although when we first see Kate and Dina together, they don't look like they get along but as the book progresses, I really liked how they are together. Anyway, the reason I liked Kate is one of the reasons that I liked the relationship between Kate and Dina: everybody depends on Kate without knowing that they depend on Kate. Kate's trying to keep the household afloat and keep them from losing the house altogether and she's doing everything she can to help their family, not just with money but also with moral support, especially for Dina. She has a lot on her shoulders and pretty much asked for none of it. So I really felt for her. Then, when things aren't looking so good, something... someone comes along and throws a monkeywrench into all of it!

That monkeywrench is named Teague. He's an up and coming movie star who is about to hit the big time. But he has this little tiny secret that could possibly end his whole career. That secret is the reason for Teague's visit to Kate's hometown. But when he's spotted by some paparazzi, he has to ask Kate to rescue him. One thing leads to another and they are both caught in a lie that's grown to gargantuan size! It's actually pretty funny! But, as you may have guessed, Teague is not your typical, shallow movie star. He has some personal issues to say the least. It seems to all come from the fact that he was given up for adoption when he was 2 years old. He feels like his mom and dad just sort of threw him away and he's never let anyone close since then. I thought Teague's train of thought was a little wonky but when someone has issues that go back to childhood, there's usually no point in trying to make sense of them. Either way, Teague is known as a love 'em and leave 'em guy and he's just fine with that image, even if he DOES wish for more.

I think Kate and Teague are perfectly matched, especially since they BOTH believe that they are not destined to fall in love. Teague thinks that it's because he won't let anyone get close (which is true) and Kate thinks it's because it's just not in the cards for her. It was a lot of fun to watch each of them fight against the attraction they have for each other. Later, it was even better to see them denying that they were falling for each other. This book is ALL about denial!! LOL! Oh! One other thing: there's this side story of Dina and her baby's daddy that was cute and fun. I loved seeing them together and it was one of the things I really liked about this book.

But I did have a couple of problems with this book. First, is the stepdad supposed to be like an "oh you forgetful rascal, you" or is he an asshole? Because I thought he was an asshole. They way he neglects his daughters (Kate and Dina) is practically criminal and I pretty much hated him from the beginning. I hated him even more as the story went on. My second (and last) issue was the hokey-ness of the whole book. I get that it's called "No Foolin'" and that the author dropped the "g" on foolin for a reason. But seriously? People in the south don't REALLY talk like that, with the Aw Shucks and Gee Whiz and constantly dropping the "g"s. Plus, the local eateries are called the Jelly Jar diner and the Kissin' Cousins diner? You have GOT to be effing kidding me. I'm sure that somewhere in the sticks, there's restaurants with ignorant names like that but do we really need to put that in print? I mean, it felt more like perpetuating a stereotype than anything else and that drives me nuts.

Overall, this was a pretty good book. I liked it! Small town southern girl goes to Hollywood on the arm of a big Hollywood star? Heck yeah! Lots of secrets and lies, where even the secrets have secrets!! You'll get some laughs and maybe a couple of tears but you'll certainly have some fun. I think anyone who likes contemporary romance will like this one.

www.HarlequinJunkie.com
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

Seriously, Stacy Gail is about to be put on my favorite authors list! I've REALLY enjoyed the Earth Angels series (the ones I've read anyways). The title is very appropriate because both the hero and the heroine are really wounded individuals.

Wow, our heroine, Ella, has a seriously jacked up past. I don't want to reveal too much about what exactly is in her past because it seemed to me that it might have been part of the mystery of the book? I'm not really sure but just in case, I don't want to ruin it for anyone. But I think I can safely say that Ella is scarred emotionally and physically, like, A LOT. One of the things I love about Ella though (of course) is how she's come back from her traumatic history and has become a seriously kick ass woman. She TEACHES a self defense class at the gym she works at. Yeah, she's THAT good! Ella is nothing if not a survivor. And she shows you that over and over in this book. No matter what crazy shit happens, she reacts like anyone would (occasionally tossing her "cookies") and then she picks herself up and keeps on truckin'. She has closed off her heart and has vowed to not trust anyone and she's doing a great job at it. Ella doesn't really have any friends. She's close to her boss, Phoebe and her co-worker, Jacob but only because she had to reveal her truth to them when her past threatened her present. But other than that? No one. So when this gorgeous, giant specimen of male perfection catches her eye at a kickboxing class, Ella loses a little bit of that wall around her.

Nate really is a huge guy. It almost seemed like the author was describing someone who looked like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. I don't think Nate would really be quite THAT big but I think he's close. But even if he resembles the dude on the cover? Oh my! I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that Nate is a Nephilim, the offspring of human/angel mating from long ago. Nephilim have certain gifts but Nate was born weak and has very few, if any, gifts. He does have super speed but he rarely uses it since it pegs him as different. Like Ella, Nate is physically scarred. Again, I don't want to get into how he was scarred even though it's introduced into the book pretty quickly. But I'd rather you read this book to find out all of the details. Nate is a really great guy. I mean, what would you expect from the decendant of an angel, right? But still, he's great. And hot and caring and sweet. And he has a special connection to Ella that will surprise you.

I liked this book. I had only two small problems with it: hardly any Sexy Time and some confusion at the beginning. With someone as physically fit as Ella and with a man as perfect as Nate, I was hoping for more hot scenes. But what it lacks in Sexy Time, it makes up for in other ways. The mystery of Ella and Nate's backgrounds is pretty interesting. But I think that's why I was confused in the beginning. I've read one of the previous novels in this series and I was lost for quite a while. I thought that maybe the author held off on Ella's trauma a little too long before revealing it. The lack of details was about to take me out of the novel. I mean, it was becoming obvious that the author was holding information back on purpose.

I would still recommend this book. But I would say to have patience with this one. It doesn't start off with a bang or anything but it IS a great book and its really entertaining. In fact, I think it has a great mix of suspense, maybe a little horror and a few laughs. Although Wounded Angel isn't as good as Book 1 in the Earth Angel series, I still had a lot of fun reading this and I think you will too!

www.HarlequinJunkie.com

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley



Wait! Don't go! True, I only gave this book 2 stars but hear me out before you decide against reading this book. I personally did not love this book BUT I think that a lot of other people would. So here are two things about me that you need to know as you read this review: I am more than a little bit of a feminist AND I don't give two shits about motorcycles. I don't think they're cool and I don't think they're lame. I think they are an economical way to get around town but I hate the noisy ones.... A LOT. Knowing this, please read on and THEN decide if you want to read this book...

I had a VERY hard time connecting to our heroine, Tab. We first meet her when she's still in college and hanging out with not such a great group of friends from high school. She eventually gets scared straight, gets her shit together, buckles down and gets her degree in nursing (I think?). She meets a man, they fall in love and that's where things get really interesting. I ended up liking Tab a little, even though I hated her name. I kept thinking Tab was a man. Tab's dad runs the Chaos Biker gang/group/club/whatever so she's like a biker princess or something. Like, all the biker guys make sure she's safe and not doing stupid shit and generally saving her ass. Of course, I didn't think she needed much saving, which is one of the reasons I liked her. She usually stands her ground and she's really loyal. I thought she was just a really good and nice person, who happened to be raised in a biker gang. But that's about where my connection with her ended. She sort of seems to be defined by whatever guy she's with and when she gets with Shy (hang on, I'll tell you about him in a minute), she's sort of lets him be the boss? I can't really explain it but she loves to think of herself as a "badass biker babe" but she isn't REALLY a badass, biker babe since her man fights all of her battles, her man drives the motorcycle, and tells her what to do and when. What, exactly, is badass about that? She's all about her man and what her man needs to do, even if it goes against her wishes (like beating the shit out of one of her co-workers). It just left me feeling a little "Grrrr" at her.

Shy is the quiet, loner guy who has nothing except for the gang. His family was killed when he was young and he doesn't say much. He's the one that scares Tab straight but he also holds a secret flame for her. He really really digs her and it crushes him when she stops speaking to him. It hurts even worse when she gets engaged. The whole biker gang steps in to help Tab out when her fiancee is killed in a car crash but that doesn't stop Shy from wanting her. But for now, he'll be whatever she needs him to be: shoulder to cry on, friend, confidant, anything. I hated Shy. He's everything I hate about alpha males. What he says goes. Period. Women are "bitches" and when he talk to them, it always starts with "Yo, Babe...". Gag. He loves the motorcycle gang and not much else. Several times we see him, he's in bed, completely naked with 2 women who are also naked. I mean, really? He turned me off from the beginning and he never really recovered from there. He's certainly dedicated to Tab and that's awesome. But when a co-worker is giving her grief and she asks Shy to NOT intervene and then he goes and has this guy beat to within an inch of his life (ok, that's overstating it, I guess), I was thinking that he needed some kind of help with impulse control or something. I think Shy would best be classified as the Strong Silent type and normally, I'm ok with that. But when the strong silent type calls women bitches, I need to step away.

BUT, the first time Shy and Tab kiss, I about died!! It was so friggin HOT and I have no idea why!! I don't know if it was just built up and built up so that when it finally happened, it was amazing or what but wow. Just wow. Shy and Tab are SO hot together, I think my Kindle melted a little! LOL!

Overall, the book is just ok for me. There's A LOT of slang used and it sort of got on my nerves. There was WAY too much of things like goin', doin', sayin', etc. It drove me nuts seeing all of those apostrophes at the end of every other word. Holy crap. I would hate to see that author's spell check program. So the slang bothered me because there was so damn much of it. I hated how chauvanistic everyone was. I hated reading women being called bitches for no reason. There's a lot that I hated about this book, as you can see. That's just me though. The book really was hot. I don't think it was written for someone like me. I think this was written for someone who really loves super alpha males and/or someone who loves motorcycles and motorcycle culture. If that sounds like you, you may love this book. But for me.... not so much.

I didn't like this book. Yes, I gave it 4 stars but even I can see good writing. This book was really well written and had a great story but it isn't really my cup of tea.

This book is one of those "New Adult" books that have been gaining ground recently. They've probably been around for a lot longer but now they have their very own category. Now that I've read one, I can conclusively say that "New Adult" splits the difference between YA and romance. I don't like or read YA and I think that in the future, I'll stay away from "New Adult" as well. That's just a personal preference and in no way should reflect on this book.

Callie has had a rough go of it. She was raped when she was 12 years old and has never really gotten over it. Of course, do you really EVER get over something like that? I don't think so. But she deals with it in an unhealthy way. She never tells her mother, she never gets counseling for it. She just goes into a depression and doesn't really come out of it until she moves away and starts college. I liked Callie. It's hard for me to wrap my brain around her not being comfortable telling someone about what happened to her. In this day and age, everyone has a horror story about their youth and it seems like just about everyone is in therapy of some kind! So to read about Callie dealing with this all by herself was difficult and sad. I really felt for her. But I also liked her because now that she's in college, she's making a serious effort to be different. She has a new friend, Seth, to whom she has told her secret and together, they are trying to get out of their shells and to get out in the world. Honestly, I don't know how she does it. Callie is one strong girl and she truly does want to change.

Kayden has had equally awful experiences at home. For Kayden though, it's ritual physical abuse from his drunk of a father. Again, it's hard for me to wrap my brain around the situation that these kids are in. I can't imagine being afraid to come home. But that's Kayden's life and he's used to it. He also deals with the abuse in an unhealthy way and he also doesn't seek out help. I think he mentions that he tried to tell his mom but that she's a drunk too and wasn't any help. I mean, can you imagine?? Anyways, Kayden is obviously a troubled guy but he's also trying to do the best that he can. He was always popular in school so that was no problem but he has some anger control issues that he tries very hard to deal with. I really liked him and my heart went out to him. I just wanted him to feel better and to feel happier and whenever he made a step backward, it killed me.

You'd think that Callie and Kayden would be awful for each other but at least in this book, they aren't. Kayden helps Callie open up a little bit and helps her to trust again. Callie inspires new feelings in Kayden that he doesn't really know how to deal with. I wouldn't say it was "fun" to watch them grow into this relationship with each other but I enjoyed reading about it. I was definitely rooting for these two to work through their issues and to come out whole on the other side.

This was a very good book but be warned, there is a cliffhanger at the end and the next book isn't supposed to come out until August of this year!!! Again, I don't like "New Adult" or YA books so this book wasn't for me. But it pulled me in and I found myself caring for these characters more than I wanted to! I would highly recommend this book to any adult audiences. The subject matter dealt with in this book should not be tackled by minors on their own. Its very serious and extremely real and I don't think it should be tackled by anyone underage.

Review posted on Kindles & Wine

Plus a Behind-the-Scenes Look & Excerpt posted on Kindles & Wine here


Jill Shalvis continues to delight me (and probably you too) with the seventh book in the Lucky Harbor series, It Had to Be You. It seems like she’s got writing great books down to a science at this point. Great characters, fun story lines, and a quirky town come together again to create another great installment in this series.

Ali and Luke are a perfect couple. On one hand, they are both having a tough time in their lives right now: Ali was just dumped by her boyfriend via text, and then she’s accused of a major theft; Luke has come back to Lucky Harbor after a case he was working on fell apart and an innocent woman died. But on the other hand, they are opposites: Luke wants to go into seclusion so he can recover his equilibrium; Ali wants to go out and still be part of the community and wants to clear her name and help solve the case while she also wants to tell her ex-boyfriend to take a long walk off of a short pier!

Ali is so cute! While I wish she would have been able to punch her ex in the face or something (trust me, after you read this book, you’ll agree), I have to admit she behaved in a way that was better than I would have! Also, the way that Ali and Luke first meet is awesome! Ali is trying to calm herself down, and she’s sort of leaning against the fridge, looking like she’s hugging it, and she’s saying to herself, “It’s just one bad day…” and I thought that was SO hilarious all on its own. Then Luke walks in, and she thinks he’s an intruder. She starts throwing things at him, and the confusion is so silly and funny.

Luke is so taciturn that he almost feels like the straight man to Ali’s comedy, even though Ali isn’t really trying to be funny. It was so much fun to watch Ali sort of coax Luke out of himself, and that’s a great thing, because it was a little hard to get to know Luke. Eventually, you can see that he is loyal and dedicated. Luke really cares about people—not just the people in his inner circle, but people in general. I felt like the author was able to show his love for people and for his community without shoving it in your face and without Luke losing any of his tough-guy persona.

One of the things I didn’t love about this book was that the side characters from earlier in the series didn’t have much presence in It Had to Be You. I love Lucille and the heroes and heroines from all the previous novels, but we don’t see very much of them in this book. Now I can’t really complain TOO much, because first of all, hello, they’re secondary characters for a reason! Also, since this is the start of a new trilogy set in Lucky Harbor, we’re being introduced to a whole new cast of primary and secondary characters. Really, there probably wouldn’t be any room in this book for all of our series favorites to have a big part unless the author made the book 500+ pages…not that we would mind, right? Hmmm, now that I’m thinking of it… {makes note to self: write a letter to Jill Shalvis requesting that all future Lucky Harbor books contain 500+ pages} :)

I also never really understood why Luke blamed himself for his case falling apart. I get that the case really affected him, but I didn’t think he needed to blame himself for all of that. On the other hand, I think that it was a great way for us to immediately warm up to Luke, because he clearly DID feel so bad about what happened.

Bottom Line 
It Had to Be You is a great book and a fun read! Since it starts a new trilogy within the Lucky Harbor universe, if you’re new to the series, this would be the perfect book to pick up so you can start falling in love with Lucky Harbor like the rest of us! You can always expect a good mix of laughter and heartfelt moments from the folks in this small Washington town, and this one will not disappoint. Like all of the books in this series, you can read this one on its own without having read any others. But I think that once you read It Had to Be You, you’ll be going back for more (I know I did!).


Rating: A-

Giveaway copy from the publisher at RT13

www.HarlequinJunkie.com

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley


FINALLY! A book that I can say I really liked! It may not have been a perfect book but it was the best I've read in a little while!

I really enjoyed the heroine in this book, Sofia. She's a nurse and a caring friend. She's headed to this club to try and find her friend/roommate, Sara, who has sort of been missing for a few days. I say "sort of" because she's heard from Sara but she sounds strange and hasn't really come home at all. Sofia finds Sara in the bathroom of this club with some dude going to town on her neck! Like eating her! Sofia handles herself against the bad guy but she also meets Phenex, who jumps in to save the day. So, you KNOW I love the fact that Sofia is no shrinking violet. Already, she gets points from me for going into this strange club to hunt down her friend. And then she's so brave in the face of what is obviously a vampire. I loved how she just sort of goes with it. Like, she's living her life and ok, now there are vampires, yeah ok, I got this, don't panic. LOL! It was so great!

Phenex is also pretty awesome. We eventually find out that he's a Fallen Angel. From what I can tell, it sounded like Phenex used to be the Angel of Song and then he got pissed at humans and Fell so he was in Hell. But then, he rescued an angel who was imprisoned in Hell so he was brought back to Earth and now he's somewhere in between Angel and Demon. But because he's still a little pissy, I think he identifies more with the demon side. Plus, demons can have more fun, right? Obviously, I loved Phenex. He's kind of broody but you can see this sweetness in him that just TOO adorable. He's also pretty awesome because he's a serious badass. He comes along with some really great and quirky characters, like his fellow Fallen Angels. Everyone kind of has a chip on their shoulder so they have these bad attitudes but the author somehow makes them fun and funny at times too.

I liked seeing Phenex and Sofia together but I do think that their relationship MAY have been a weak point of the book. I don't know that I ever felt how they connected. I could see that Sofia was falling for Phenex more and more but you don't get that from Phenex. But on the other hand, I think the author intended for it to be that way because I felt like Phenex didn't think he COULD love anyone or anything. He was kind of stuck on his past and how he fell? I'm not sure. But Phenex and Sofia were pretty hot together. There was not a ton of sexy time but what you get is good.

My only major complaint about this book was how often I felt confused. It sort of felt like I joined the series in the middle but The Demon's Song is book 1 of the Hearts of the Fallen series. I don't know a lot about this author so its possible that she has another series set in this world. It wasn't a huge big deal but I felt like I was playing catch up a little bit, here and there. Next, I'm still not clear on exactly how and why Phenex got out of Hell. I know that he pissed off the demon that was holding that angel captive but how that lead to him getting out, I don't know. Maybe it doesn't matter though. Last, I have no idea how this underground city, Terra Noctem, works. Humans can get in to the city and can get in to this club but they can't see it? And its a secret underground city? So how do people get in? They don't notice all the people with red eyes (vampires)? But NONE of this confusion really bothered me and didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, I really liked this one. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance. It has a little bit for everyone: demons, angels, vampires, monsters. The romance is sweet but the sexy time is minimal. No need to worry about tears but you'll probably get a couple of laughs. This book was a lot of fun to read and I can't wait to check out the next one!

www.HarlequinJunkie.com

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley


DID NOT FINISH.

I don't know... I really hated this book a lot. I tried very, very hard to get past the first few chapters but I just couldn't do it.

The beginning was pretty clever, with the heroine, Daniella, making an offhanded comment about vampires while she's unknowingly in the presence of a vampire. But immediately, I was confused. I didn't know if she was joking around or if this is the kind of world where people know about vampires (like in the Sookie Stackhouse novels). From there, it just gets worse and worse and worse.

Daniella wants to open up a cupcake shop in this certain part of town and she's getting pushback from the local community leader, Nick. Nick happens to be a vampire and he doesn't want humans coming around so he doesn't want Daniella to open up her shop. So far, so good, right? But it isn't.

This is where the cheesy segues begin. Nick is having an internal monologue and thinks something about how Daniella is playing with fire and the problem with that is that vampires can be burned by fire. My eyes almost fell out of my head from the force of my eye rolling.

If the cheesy segues weren't enough to scare me off, we then get the info dump. I thought for SURE that this was book 2 in a series. We're given so much world building information in this one chapter. It was obvious and awful. It was so poorly disguised that I was thinking, "Holy heck, I could write this in a less obvious way and half the time, I have a hard time writing my reviews!" 

I think the final "nail in the coffin" for me was when Nick said to his voice activated GPS, "To the Vamp Cave." I don't know what kind of tone the author was going for, but whatever it was, I didn't get it. I didn't think it was very funny, I never really connected with Daniella and I didn't think Nick sounded attractive or interesting. I'm ashamed to admit this but this was one I just simply could not finish.

Review originally posted on Kindles & Wine

Um, hello? Do you SEE the cover photo for this book? Kindle Gal and I had some discussion about this photo and, if I can be honest…it’s the entire reason I wanted to try One Sweet Ride. I’ve never, ever wanted to read a book because of the cover! In fact, usually I have to overlook the cover to want to read some of them! I happy to report that it isn’t just the cover that is hotter than the South Carolina Lowcountry in August; this entire book is THAT hot!

I just want to say, right off, that I’m not a big NASCAR fan. I don’t follow any kind of racing at all. So the whole racing aspect of this story was pretty much lost on me. But the great news is that you don’t have to be a fan of racing to love this book!

Evelyn is our heroine in One Sweet Ride, and I found myself liking her and not liking her during this book, which I actually kind of liked! At first she’s described as this calm, cool, collected career woman, but she was SO singularly focused on furthering her career that it sort of put me off. She had that “whatever the cost, whatever it takes” attitude, and I just didn’t like it. But then, I ended up doing a 180 on my opinion of her. We’re given some context for her ambitions, and I found myself liking her more and more. In fact, you may not believe this, but Evelyn’s focus and drive eventually became the main reason that I liked her! Another great thing about Evelyn? She has seriously awesome fashion sense! I loved this one part where she’s thinking about how the dress she chooses sends the right message about being interested or not interested in a man she’s going on a date with. I don’t have a lot of opportunities to dress up and go to fancy dinners, so it was fun to listen in on her deciding how to avoid sending mixed messages. I ended up really liking Evelyn, and I think she was the perfect match for Gray.

Speaking of Gray, he was pretty great too. I loved picturing the guy from the cover photo! Phew, he is hot!! But Gray is a lot more than a pretty face and an amazing body. He had great success driving for someone else, but now, he owns his own team and races for himself. All of the business decisions are up to him, and he has a lot riding on his shoulders, but he handles it all with this calm friendliness that I thought was kind of sexy! At one point during the book, Evelyn tells Gray that just when she thinks she knows him, he goes and reveals something new about himself. I agree, and that’s one of my favorite things about Gray. He’s not just some dumb steering wheel jockey. He has interests that you’d never guess, and when he reveals them to Evelyn, it’s so cool!

My only issue with Gray was his relationship with his dad. Gray’s dad is a senator. He has been in politics for pretty much Gray’s whole life, and politics always took precedence over Gray. So he has some serious resentment toward his father, and rightly so. But I feel like Gray was a little too pigheaded about his dad making amends and changing his ways. Everyone is telling Gray that his dad has changed, and even Gray sees some differences in his dad, but he still refuses to believe anything good about him. I can certainly understand why he wouldn’t want to see those changes because he was so hurt by his dad for so much of his life, but I thought it dragged on a little too long.

Together, Gray and Evelyn are so hot! It seems that Evelyn has had something of a dry spell in the Sexy Time area, and she sure does make up for it with Gray! But this book has so much more than just plentiful Sexy Time. The pacing of their romance was superb! I thought that the progression of the relationship between Gray and Evelyn was spot-on—not to slow and not too fast. Also, the author has such a gift for description! Gray and Evelyn go to New York City, and even though I’ve never been there, it FELT like I was there! The NYC sequence was so much fun; I dare you to not fall in love with Gray after reading it!

Bottom Line 

I haven’t read anything else by Jaci Burton, but after readingOne Sweet Ride, I know I’ll be going back for more. This book has amazing characters, lots of hot Sexy Time, and a realistic progression of the romance between the hero and heroine. Although this is the sixth book in the series, there is absolutely no need to read the previous novels. But I think you’re going to enjoy this one enough that you’ll go back and read the whole series!

Rating: B+

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley

Another great book from Jacquelyn Frank! I normally don't read books about witches but I've read her Nightwalker series and I loved it! So I figured if anyone could get me to read about witches, it would be her!

I immediately loved the heroine, Tatyana. First, her name is just way too cool. I think that's a sexy and mysterious name! But we meet her as her car breaks down on the side of the road in the middle of the Catskills in New York and there is no cell signal and its ridiculously cold and... well you get the point. She's having a really crappy night!! She's dressed for her company New Year's Eve party so she's got this beautiful, red silk dress and killer heels on which is NOT the attire to go trekking through the snow. Luckily, she had some sneakers in the backseat so she puts them on and heads out to try and find a house or a phone or SOME kind of sign of civilization!! This whole scene of her being stranded and walking in the pitch darkness in the snow was so funny to me. I mean, she wasn't scared or anything. She was just pissed as hell and I could totally see her grumbling and mumbling to herself as she's slogging through the snow in this gorgeous, fancy dress and sneakers... Anyways, her introduction was awesome and she just keeps getting better. She's a strong woman and is incredibly resourceful. Best of all, she has a true and deep love for her HUGE family. She's the youngest of 13 kids!!!!! Yikes! I know I can always count on Jacquelyn Frank to give me awesome female characters and Tatyana doesn't disappoint.

But Tatyana has an equally awesome counterpart in Hunter. Hunter is an extremely powerful witch, a white witch, which is a good witch and that's a good witch to be! LOL! I crack myself up! Anyway, Hunter is also his coven's Sentinel. To me, it sounded like the Sentinel was not just the coven's protector but also their enforcer. Like, when a coven of dark witches kills or hurts one of Hunter's coven, he is the one who is sent out to hunt down and punish whoever is responsible. So Hunter is a serious badass, on all levels. And of course, we love that, right? But the other side of that badassery is a deep level of love and caring for the members of his coven. Every single one of them is like a brother or sister to him. I think it makes Hunter even sexier, that he loves and cares about these people so much. He's also so damn honorable that it makes for some funny situations. Like when he and Tatyana are about to get into some Sexy Time, its his honor that makes him slow things down and you know that Tatyana is pissed as hell!

I just loved seeing Tatyana and Hunter together. Witches believe in nature and in fate so what Tatyana and Hunter are feeling for each other, they don't really fight it because its fate that they meet and their attraction is natural. That doesn't mean that Hunter's honor doesn't get in the way quite a bit in the beginning! But they mesh so well and so quickly and it doesn't SEEM fast. There's a few witchy rituals that have to be done and that bind them together so you get past the getting-to-know-you stuff right away and can get right into the action, which I absolutely love!

Hunter is a stand-alone novel but I would swear that it's book 1 of a series. Well, at least, I WISH it was book 1 of a series! I want to hear all about all of the other characters and I want to see them fall in love and fight battles and all that good stuff! Either way, I loved this book. I'm trying to come up with something that I didn't like about it. Characters, pacing, situations, everything. I can't come up with one thing that I didn't like about it, other than wanting more of this world. Speaking of the world of Hunter, one of the neat things about this book is that it's taking place in our time, in our world but some of the things they say sound like it's set in medieval times. It keeps you a little off balance and I mean that in a good way! 

I would definitely recommend this book to pretty much anyone. If you don't like witches, don't worry about it. There are spells and magic but not really any chanting in the woods or anything like that. The characters are the absolute best part of this book and I think you'll fall in love with every single one of them. If you've never read Jacquelyn Frank before, do yourself a big favor and check this one out!

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

Review and author interview posted on Kindles & Wine

So, sure, there were a few slang words and phrases that I didn’t recognize in this book, but it really didn’t matter. You can pretty much figure out what the author is trying to say from context. So let’s forget about the nonexistent language barrier and talk about something we can ALL agree on: hot dudes and Sexy Time!

I don’t think I could tell you one thing that I didn’t like about Jo, the heroine of Down London Road. I mean, she has just about all of the qualities I love in a heroine. She’s a strong, independent woman. She’s had a difficult past and is currently having some struggles, but she’s keeping herself and her family together through all of it. One of my favorite things about Jo is her internal monologues. In her head, she’s thinking what we all would think, but her thoughts are filled with hilarious combinations of cuss words. Since I would like to keep this post from being X-rated for language, I won’t repeat some of the best ones she used that made me laugh out loud, but trust me, they were great. And unfortunately, they sounded a lot like my OWN inner monologues!

Anyway, Jo proves what an amazing woman she is every time you see her interacting with her little brother, Cole. Their dad was awful and went to prison, and their mom spiraled down into a major drunken stupor and has been there ever since. Jo is pretty much left to raise her little brother, and she’s doing the best she can. She’s vowed that he will never go a day without knowing he’s loved. I just thought that was so awesome, especially since it shows how Jo is purposely trying to “break the cycle” of abuse.

Now our hero, Cam, is a whole different story. Grrrrrr, he was such a bastard! Well, at least for a little while he was. Cam gets a job at the bar where Jo works and he makes some seriously incorrect assumptions about Jo. I wanted Jo to strangle him, or at least kick him in the “junk,” LOL! But because he’s our hero, you KNOW he has to redeem himself and he really, really does. Which brings me to what I liked so much about Cam: when he’s wrong, he not only admits it, he also apologizes for it. How many men do YOU know do that?

Sparks definitely fly when Jo and Cam are together. Whether it’s sparks of dislike or sparks of another kind, they are definitely great together. There is plenty of Sexy Time and, wow, let me tell you that Cam is insatiable! And even better than the great characters and hot sex scenes is the emotional roller coaster that the author takes you on! I kept waiting for the proverbial “other shoe to drop.” Whenever someone is so happy, so quickly, it never ends well. And then when you think you can’t handle anything else, not one more thing to drop in Jo’s lap, there’s something ELSE happening! It’s so insane!

The only thing about this book I didn’t love was that I wished the bad guys/jerks in Jo’s life got what was coming to them. I guess I felt protective of Jo because she was such a great character, and I just wanted her happily ever after to include justice for all the wrongs done to her in the past.

Bottom Line 
I really had no idea what to expect when I started this book, but it was awesome! Great characters that you can really root for, great family interactions, lots of drama, tons of laughs, and just the right amount of Sexy Time made for a great, great book. Although Down London Road is Book 2 in a series, you could absolutely read this one as a standalone. I think anyone who likes any kind of romance will enjoy this. I know I sure did!

Rating: A-

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley


Holy crap. FINALLY! A romance where the heroine has the same thoughts as a normal person would about a love affair with a billionaire!

Bronte Dawson was a pretty great character. I immediately liked her. When we first see her, she's won this vacation to the Bahamas through a local radio station. She begrudgingly took her co-worker, Sharon, with her and she's regretting it. Sharon has done nothing but complain and drink all the booze in the mini-bar, which Bronte will have to pay for. Ugh, I couldn't stand Sharon and I felt bad for Bronte. When the hurricane rolls in, Sharon can't find her passport and asks Bronte to go upstairs and double check their room. Of course, Bronte gets trapped in the elevator with a stranger while the hurricane makes landfall and that's where the REAL story starts! So Bronte was great. She's a nice, normal person which is a nice change. She's a little quirky and I loved that. She has a degree in Philosophy and she's constantly quoting Plato and Socrates and all of those old philosophers. I thought it was so cute and funny and it was really endearing. Later, when she finds out who this Logan really is, she has perfectly normal feelings. She worries that she won't fit in with his super rich crowd of friends and that she isn't good enough for him. I felt like I could really identify with those feelings. I mean, a normal person dating an uber-rich guy? Who wouldn't feel inadequate?! So, yeah, I really loved Bronte and thought she was a great match for Logan.

Logan Hawkins was an awesome hero. He's stupid rich and really powerful. He has powerful friends and intimidating business allies. He knows what he wants and he goes for it. I just really liked him, a lot. He could have been this cold heartless bastard, which is probably what his father would have wanted him to be. But he wasn't. Especially when he gets to know Bronte. He doesn't even understand why he feels anything about her at all but he kind of likes her and he likes her attitude. She's so friendly and sunny that he feels he can't help but be drawn to her. I really love when the hero feels like he can't help himself when it comes to the heroine. And Logan goes to extremes to get a chance to talk to Bronte. I mean, when Bronte finds out who Logan is and what he's worth, she's intimidated by him and takes off. Logan buys the restaurant where she works so that he gets a chance to talk to her! I mean, hello? And if you can believe it, that's only the beginning of their relationship! There's just so much more and the more you get, the more you love Logan!

Together, Logan and Bronte are so awesome! On the island, they have one kind of relationship and its sweet and wonderful and free. And then, when they come back to reality, its like a bucket of cold water has been thrown on them. Reality comes crashing down around them. So it's somehow fun and painful to see how they work through it.

I loved this book. I think that Bronte resisted Logan a little too long but it didn't take me out of the story or anything. Of course, I ALWAYS want the heroine to go back to the hero way sooner than she does so don't listen to me! LOL! Again, I loved this book so much because Bronte reacts to Logan's wealth the way I think a normal woman would. She's seriously intimidated and that makes so much sense to me. It almost makes other books with billionaires that I've read seem LESS realistic! I urge you to give this book a try. I really think you'll enjoy it!!

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.


I haven't liked many shifter books. After reading this one, I finally found one that I really liked!

The heroine, Carly, is definitely my kind of heroine. She finds her fiancee in the act of cheating on her. At first, she's shocked and hurt. But later, she gets pissed. Really pissed. I love when heroines really have that fire. Carly is a strong woman and she simply won't let anyone mess with her.

The hero, Tiger, is almost the perfect hero. He's a shifter. But he's some kind of super shifter and no one is quite sure exactly what he is in addition to being a shifter. But he's been subject to torture and experimentation ever since he can remember so he doesn't really fit in anywhere and doesn't really have any social skills. Tiger is operating pretty much on pure instinct. When he sees Carly, he scents her and he feels that he recognizes her scent as that of his mate. From then on, he's pretty much inseparable from Carly. Since he's this huge guy, he generally does whatever the hell he wants and no one can stop him! Gah! So hot!

Now, the reason that this book made me a lover of shifters is because of the complex relationship between Carly and Tiger. Tiger is a serious alpha male. He tough and huge and intimidating. But he has some serious flaws, like the fact that he can't really function in polite society. So Tiger is this big strong guy but Carly comes in and rescues him. And she doesn't do it once. She does it over and over. Tiger needs Carly in so many ways and Carly comes to care for him in a deep way. I mean, it felt so epic to me and I was completely caught up in their romance and their relationship.

So I loved this book but I only gave it 4 stars. Why, you ask? Well, the secret of what Tiger really is eventually is revealed. And to ME, it was a total let down. I really thought that Tiger was going to be, like, an alien or a superhero or something. I won't tell you what he is but I just wanted him to be more. However, what he IS, pretty much had to be so that all of the loose ends are tied up and so that you can walk away feeling good about everyone. Also, I'm not totally sure that its completely a stand alone novel. I mean, its number 5 in the Shifters Unbound series and I had never read any of the other ones. I still enjoyed this book. But I have to admit that I was a little confused at first. I just wasn't sure if shifters were out in the open or if they were still hiding in plain sight. You figure it out pretty quickly so it wasn't that big of a deal but I still wanted to mention it.

Overall, I loved this book. I would recommend this book to people who aren't super sure that they want to read a book about shape shifters. I think this book might change your mind. It was so fun to read and has so much heart. I'm for sure going back and picking up the previous books in the series. I think you might do the same if you read this one!!

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.


I feel like, at this point, I've read enough erotica that I have a pretty decent idea of what I like and what I don't like; what works and what doesn't work. I think that, overall, this book doesn't work and I have to say that although it was ok, I didn't particularly care for it.

First, the heroine, Maddy Stone. I tried so hard to like her. In some places, I actually DID like her. But after reading it and thinking about it, I have to say that it was really hard to connect with her. She has this secret trauma in her recent past that has her crippled with guilt. The author drops a clue here and there but we don't really find out the full story until almost the end of the book. I have absolutely no problem with that when its warranted. But Maddy's secret was (I hate to be this harsh) really stupid. It didn't seem like it was much of a secret and I can understand why she would feel guilty but I never understood why she was SO guilty over a year later. And then, why would her guilt make her unable to switch gas stations? Or require her to make up a list of things that will get her out of her comfort zone? Or why playing a hand of blackjack is so important OR why its so difficult for her to do!?!?!? I could go on and on with my questions since my confusion about what Maddy's problem was never really ended. On the other side, Maddy was a really kind person and didn't mind working hard for what she wanted. But I really can't think of anything else that I liked about her.

Then, there's our hero, Alex Frasier. As much as Alex was hot and sexy and rich, it seemed like the author went down a list of attributes that every BDSM novel is required to have. Billionaire? Check. Owns a huge business and looking to get another? Check. Ridiculous hobby? Check. Subtly dangerous henchman? Check. Never "usually" dates? Check. Inexplicably wants to immediately be exclusive with the heroine? Check. Has a big secret? Check. I mean, come on people!! Can we PLEASE let 50 Shades of Gray go?? PLEASE!? I've seen enough reincarnations of it that I'm about to choke on it! Oh Alex can't help but love Maddy's innocence. Huh? An experienced Dom that wants to take someone who has absolutely NO knowledge of the BDSM scene and train her? Sure, right. Like Maddy's "secret", Alex's secret wasn't a big deal and doesn't seem like it would be that much of a secret. I liked Alex marginally more than I liked Maddy. I do enjoy reading rich guys who want to lavish their women with gifts and fun, surprise trips and all that. Its not so much about the money for me though. Its more about the thoughtfulness, I guess. I liked that Alex seemed to innately know what Maddy needed/wanted even when Maddy didn't know what she needed/wanted. I don't know why I like things like that but it was pretty much my favorite part of the book.

Together, Alex and Maddy were so-so. When you don't love the characters individually, its hard to love them together. I think that Alex and Maddy will be good for each other though. I thought that Maddy resisted Alex and what he's offering for way too long. It wasn't realistic and it really frustrated me.

Overall, I would only suggest this book to people who are maybe new to BDSM since there isn't much sex and what there is, is a little on the vanilla side. I think most people might find Maddy irritating at best and stupid or ungrateful at worst. There was really no conflict, since their "secrets" were extremely lame. The only thing that they had to overcome was Maddy's ignorance and steadfast refusal to look at herself in an honest way. I don't think I can recommend this book to anyone since to me, this is a poor example of a 50 Shades knockoff. There are plenty out there and this isn't the best.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.


I'm finding that I really enjoy paranormal romance. So when I saw that some of my favorite authors had an anthology together, I knew I had to read it! There are 4 novellas in Predatory and here is how they break down:

Out Of Control by Alexandra Ivy
I liked another book that I read by this author and I was excited to see what else she had. This novella looks like the very beginning of a new series for her. I loved it and I can't wait to pick up the next one!

Angela Locke is a very bookish PhD student who really, really would rather stay in and do research rather than go out with her friends...er friend. She's socially awkward but I loved her! She has this serious crush on this visiting professor and they chit chat but she absolutely has the hots for him. Well, not everything is as it seems, of course! The visiting professor, Nikolo, is a Sentinel. A Sentinel is a guardian of the "freaks". Now, "freaks" are anybody who is born with special powers, like telepathy, mind reading, etc. Think X-Men. And like X-Men, most (if not all) live in this castle behind huge walls, yadda yadda yadda. So one of the evil "freaks" is after Angela and Nikolo is using Angela as bait. You KNOW that even though Anegla is a bit of a shrinking violet, she's still going to be mighty pissed! The sparks fly between them and its a lot of fun to watch it go down. There are plenty of laughs, excellent sexy time and plenty of action! Gah! I was on the edge of my seat! One minor issue: if you aren't really into the book and paying close attention, it may seem like Nikolo goes from being indifferent to Angela to being in love with her in a very short amount of time. 

This was a great novella and an excellent intro to Alexandra Ivy's writing.


Ties That Bind by Nina Bangs
This one was a little weird. I've not read Nina Bangs before and although this novella felt strange, I think I kind of liked it!

Cassie has a very strange fear of corpses. I mean, don't we all? But she has, like, a debilitating fear stemming from a horrible incident when she was a child. She's subbing in for a friend who works at a mortuary... wouldn't ya know it?! LOL! But I really liked Cassie. She's got this phobia but she works through it and then later, she's kind of a badass! And if not a badass, then she at least has a hand in keeping herself AND others safe. Anyways, various things happen... various BAD things... and Cassie finds herself in serious trouble when a vampire comes to her rescue. It felt like there was this whole mob-esque connection so Cassie and her vampire rescuer, Ethan, are on the run. Why a vampire would have to run from the mob is a really long story and I don't want to give anything away so let's just say that it involves plenty of magic. Ethan is a pretty great hero and you know this because he rescues a bad tempered cat from his dead neighbor's apartment.

Just a couple of issues with this one: this is a very unusual vampire tale. The vampires have, like, cat eyes when they vamp out. They have something called The Second One, which is part of them and is responsible for any killing that happens. Drinking of blood isn't really discussed but sounds like they have to do it. I really felt like I was dropped into the middle of a series already in progress but if that's the case, I couldn't find any information on it. Maybe you won't be confused but I was. Still, I enjoyed this novella and I hope that there are more to come.

In Still Darkness by Dianne Duvall
Full disclosure: I love Dianne Duvall. A lot. Her Immortal Guardians series is amazing. I'm just sayin'...

I really believe that you could read this novella without having read the rest of the series. If you even SORT OF like this offering from Dianne Duvall, I implore you to try the rest of the series. You'll love it.

Richart is a centuries old French immortal. Kind of like a vampire that's almost impossible to kill. They don't really drink blood but an infusion of blood can help them heal super fast. Anyway, he's so sweet and handsome (duh) AND he can teleport! Awesome! He has telepathy with his brother and sister who are also Immortals. One night, he saves a woman from regular vampires (the bad guys in this series) and he can't get her out of his head. So he decides to keep an eye on her (code: stalks her! LOL!). Of course, she doesn't mind since he's a great guy. 

There is a special treat for anyone who has already read the series. In the last book of the series, Phantom Shadows, we saw that Richart was always on the phone and there were some off-handed comments about his human woman. In this novella, you see the other side of it and get the whole story. There isn't anything I didn't like about this novella. I loved it, loved it, loved it!


High Stakes by Hannah Jayne
This was a DNF for me. Within the first few pages, the main characters uses the phrase "totes adorbs" which I'm pretty sure is air-headed-California-bimbo speak for totally adorable. It pissed me off when I read it and it took me right out of the story. That has got to be the dumbest phrase ever invented. But I stuck with it since I've never read this author before. But I never connected with the heroine and the rest of the characters were just as vapid. I quit before the second chapter. Sorry.

Overall, I'd recommend this book. For the novellas, there's one great one, two good ones and one awful one. That made me give this anthology 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it and I will for sure be checking out some of those authors again!

Reviewed for Evie at In Love With Romance

Review copy courtesy of the publisher



I'm trying to figure out how to write this review and can I tell you that it ain't easy? I'm giving this one 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed it. A lot. Does that mean I'm "into" women?? Just kidding! Let me give you some details and then I'll tell you why this was a great book!

First off, two warnings. 1.) This is a F/F erotic romance. Not a single penis in sight. And holy crap, it's really pretty hot! 2.) This is also a novella (approx 75 pages). Ugh. I hate novellas and this one is the reason why... I WANT MORE!!!!!

I thought that Bella Key started off like any other romance. You see your heroine and immediately like her. For me, this was true because I totally understood Maddie and her feeling about the Miami heat. Well, not so much MIAMI heat but living in South Carolina, I have a good idea of how miserably hot it was for her, especially since she lives in Portland, Oregon!! Maddie was in Miami for a business trip and it was her incredibly apt description of the suffocating humidity that had me identifying with her right from the start! Sure, I know I should be used to the heat and humidity of the Midlands and Low Country but I'm not and I just don't see it happening. Heat is hotter down here, dammit! LOL! Anyway, back to the book (hello!). So Maddie is a smart, career oriented woman who is having a bit of a problem. I wouldn't say she's having a meltdown, per say, but she does decide to take a quick trip down to the Florida Keys instead of getting on her scheduled flight and going home. That's the other reason I warmed up to Maddie so fast: I really wish I could do that... just on a whim, decide to blow off my flight, rent a car and see where the day takes me. First, I do NOT have the guts to do that and second, I really do not have the funds to do that! LOL! But it sounds like so much fun. Just to have an adventure by yourself, to calm down, to relax and regroup. Ahhhh, sounds perfect!

Once Maddie reaches Bella Key, she meets Sunny. I really liked Sunny too! Sunny seemed effortlessly cool and who doesn't want to be that?? Also, she let's Maddie use her restroom, even though her B&B is closed, which I think makes her a saint! Have you ever been to a tourist-y type area and tried to use a non-public bathroom? Yeah, right! You'd think you were trying to poop on the front lawn with the way some people act!! So Sunny is the owner of this B&B that Maddie was hoping to stay in. But Sunny thinks Maddie seems pretty great and they make a deal that allows Maddie to stay if she cooks while she's there. Sounds like a great plan to me! I liked how trusting Sunny was but at the same time, it sort of seemed like Sunny was just one of those people that has a natural talent for reading other people. She can talk to you for a few minutes and just kind of knows what you need and what kind of person you are. I think she'd make a great shrink! LOL!

So the author does this great job of introducing the two main characters in a way that has you liking them without realizing that you like them. At least, that's how it went down for me. I had only a couple of issues (other than it being WAY too short). First, the reason that Sunny's B&B is closed is that the A/C is not working. Well, its not that it isn't working but more that it isn't working well enough for "some" people. I get that we have to have a reason for Sunny and Maddie to be there alone but I thought this was a little strange. Especially since it seemed like it was the end of the busy season for Sunny anyways? And it didn't seem like it was uncomfortably warm for either of the women in any case. But it wasn't a huge big deal for me. Second, there's this scene where Maddie spies on Sunny when Sunny is having... umm, let's say that Sunny is having some Sunny Time, ok? I thought this scene seemed out of place and maybe a teensy bit gratuitous. Not a lot but I found myself thinking, "What the heck was THAT for?" On the other hand, it was a pretty hot scene so I didn't mind it all THAT much after all! LOL!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It may be a little risque for some due to the F/F romance involved but come on, we're all adults here, right? And to each their own. I'm a happily married woman (for the most part!) and I found this novella to be seriously hot! Having said that, it's not in your face or trying to make a political statement so just calm down and step off your soap box. Relax, ok? The SexyTime scenes between Sunny and Maddie were pretty tame. If one of them was replaced with a man, I doubt this would be considered erotic romance. Not even a little bit. So it's not like crazy, out-there with the lesbian sex or anything. I think it's a great little F/F romance that would be a perfect start for someone who was interested in going outside the M/F romances and interested in trying something different. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes novellas and wants to read something other than the same old, same old.