WAKING KISS (BDSM Ballet, #1) by Annabel Joseph

Waking Kiss by Annabel Joseph
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I feel bad. I liked it just fine, but not as much as everyone else seemed to. I loved Ashleigh and could completely understand her way of being. Why she only wanted to be invisible. I even understood Rubio. Who I didn't understand was Liam. I don't really understand his need for inflicting pain. I don't think there really needs to be a reason, but I felt like the author was trying to give me a reason, which I didn't think came across. At least not for me.

Rubio was hilarious. The comic relief to the issues surrounding both Ashleigh and Liam. I wanted to know more about Mem as well. I also felt that an opportunity was missed with Rubio and Ashleigh, that can't really be elaborated on without giving away too much.

Again, I liked it and read it mostly in one shot, but didn't love it as much as everyone else seems to have.

Oh well, we can't love them all.

I am interested in reading more about Rubio in Fever Dream.

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JASMINE PLAYS HER HAND (Fantasy Guild, #1) by Anwen Stiles

Jasmine Plays Her Hand by Anwen Stiles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was HAWT! And I'm not someone who generally loves novellas. I liked the idea behind it. I liked the character and I must say, I really liked the idea behind it. I think all of us who read these types of novels would understand the impetus, the concerns and the fun behind the risk of it all.

I gave it 5 Stars because, although short, it was a complete experience, well written and throughly engaging. I definitely wanted more, but not in a cliffhanger sort of way. In the way that I'm curios who the next victim will be, what her fantasy will be and how it will play out.

I would definitely be interested in seeing of were the rest of the series goes.

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STORM DAMAGES (Storm Legacy, #1) by Magda Alexander

Storm Damages by Magda Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


ARC provided by the author for an honest review

4.5 BLOODY GOOD STARS!!!!

Okay, let me say that I really liked this book. But I'm am so pissed I could spit venom. I had no idea this was a series and as it got to a certain point I realized that there was no way to wrap it up before it would end. I want the next book NOW! All I can say is ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! Another CLIFFHANGER!



Gabriel Storm, is a titled British playboy in Washington, D.C. to make deal for his family's company, for which he's the COO. While there he meets young struggling law student Elizabeth Watson, who works for the opposing counsel to the deal. He's immediately smitten with this woman who is very different than the women he usually dates. He's not sure why he's so attracted to her, but he must have her.

As for Elizabeth, she has many demons in her past. A childhood no one should go through, Gabriel either for that matter. Maybe that's why they gravitate towards each other. But Elizabeth is determined to keep it at causal sex, though she's sworn off men for the past three years. Something is different about Gabriel and she can't deny him. But if anyone at her office finds out that she's sleeping with the opposition, her life and career would be over.

Soon the law firm has to travel to England to finish the deal, but there are machinations going on behind the scenes that neither of them know about determined to keep them apart. Elizabeth has to break his heart in order to keep he and his family safe at he same time holding on to a burden she must carry on her own.

The sex is HOT and they have lots of it. Gabe is dashing and driven to be with her, even when she resists at every turn. Elizabeth has so many issues, but she's strong and smart and sweet and loving. Gabe sees all that in her and I believe a chance to have real love in his life. Something he's never had. I said it in my status update, but with a mother like his, who needs enemies. I think Gabriel sees a never loved, lost, broken soul in Elizabeth like himself and that's what draws him to her. I would have liked for him to have searched a little for another culprit, but I get why he may have jumped to the conclusions he did.

I think Magda Alexander did a great job of putting in twists and turns that you can believe and with so many billionaire-meets-impressionable-young-woman books out there, she did a great job of making this a little more original than copying the same pattern. You can imagine that someone working their way through law school with a tattered childhood and past, could potentially meet as slightly older wealthy man through company dealings. And although, as she says, she's twenty pounds overweight, Elizabeth's not out of the realm of normal women.

I highly recommend this book if you like romance with angst, back stabbing and lots of hot sex.

Ms. Alexander, please hurry with the next book. I MUST know what happens!

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ENTHRALL (Enthrall, #1) by Vanessa Fewings

Enthrall by Vanessa Fewings
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


ARC provided by Author for an honest review

I want to thank my goodreads buddy RomanceBookVixen for buddy reading this with me.

Let me start by saying that this review won't be as detailed as it was going to be because as I was finishing it, I lost everything I'd been typing. Therefore, here is the shorthand version of what I previously wrote.

Also, I want to say that I respect all writers for putting themselves out there and putting out their vision. This one just didn't quiet work for me.

The book was confused as to what it wanted to be. Mia works in a BDSM clinic, Enthrall to get money to help with medical bills for her stepmother who raised her. I call it a clinic because it's not a club, but there's very little BDSM that actually happens in the book. Enthrall could be more mysterious or enticing, but that doesn't happen in the book. The author tried with the Chrysalis house, but that didn't really work either. Mia wonders for a moment what goes on, but she's more caught up in falling for Richard.

Mia has a lot of baggage from being an orphan, but she bonds right away with the group of people she works with, yet we barely get to know them as characters. She and Richard spend almost no time together other than when he fires her or when she exposes herself to him to get her job back, which was an interesting part of the story, but wasn't elaborated on. The next thing we know they are in love. All of Richard's issues, for which he hasn't been able to move on from for the past six years are miraculously gone.

Richard and Cameron's relationship is a little too close, for which even Mia is confused about, but seems to get over quickly. Bailey, Tara, Scarlet, Penny and Lotte are just peripheral characters like furniture in a room. Their storylines are either just dropped when the main characters become more involved or they are just around for an extra person in the moment. I know really nothing about any of them.

Mia hasn't been anywhere in the world other than Charlotte, where she was born, and Los Angeles, where she was raised. Yet, she calls an elevator a "lift" and an ass an "arse." She also seems to know or speak French as well as be able to tell where someone who's speaking Italian is from in Italy. How is this possible?

She's so naive that the people she works with are able to set her up in ways that they think are helping her, but this is a girl who has had to almost raise herself. How can she be so innocent when she's had such a rough life?

I like the idea of the story, but it just seemed like the author came up with more and more story plots as time went on to try to throw in drama. There was a moment from NOTTING HILL, there were several pop culture events used in the story and it just didn't flow well.

There's more that I was either confused about or didn't work for me, but as I said before this is the shorter version of the review I had written.

Another goodreads friend, Indy, wrote a review where I thought she was in my head. So I'm adding the link here: Indy's Review

Now I didn't hate it and there were moments that I thought were either sweet or funny or could have gone somewhere and maybe all will be revealed in the next installment. I sure hope so.

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HARD AS IT GETS (Hard Ink, #1) by Laura Kaye

Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


ARC provided by publisher through Edleweiss for an honest review.

Becca Merritt has a problem. She can't find her computer wiz brother, Charlie, who's a little reclusive to begin with. The last time they spoke, they argued about some conspiracy theory about their father and him not being the man she thought he was. Now she's in a tattoo parlor looking for a man named Rixey, from the last email she'd received from her brother. But when she finds Nick Rixey, he's not too willing to help and sends her away.

Nick Rixey has had enough of the Rixey family with their father. He doesn't want to get involved with the children of his old commander who'd betrayed him and his squad, leaving six men dead and the rest of them with various injuries and their military careers in tatters. But something about Becca calls to Nick and he can't let it go.

When things go sideways, Nick calls in his old team to help out the Merritt children, which just may help them figure out how to get their honor and their good names back. But first they have to find and rescue Becca's brother.

I liked this book. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. It sort of felt like a set up book. Getting to know the characters and why they are where they are in life and how their coming together will affect their futures. I liked the push pull of the relationship bet between Nick and Becca. You can understand why Nick feels the way he does when he first hears Becca's full name. But he can't fight his attraction to her. And his sometime surly demeanor confuses her, but she just believes it's because she's infiltrated his life with danger. Once she knows the real reason, it take her only a short time to understand why Nick and the other guys from his team have treated her the way they did in the beginning. But her bravery and willingness to not crumble when things go bad, cause them to have respect for her. She also pledges to make amends, if she can, for the things her father did to cause problems in their lives.

I though Jeremy was a hoot. He's completely different than Nick, but stands by his brother and his brother's decision to help Becca, even if it puts them in danger.

I like Laura's writing and would read more from her.

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HIS WICKED GAMES (His Wicked Games, #1) by Ember Casey

His Wicked Games by Ember Casey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


ARC provided by author for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

The author did a good job with this book. It's difficult to write an entire book which mostly entails the event that happen with only two characters. There were times when Lily called her father and when her crazy ex showed up, but for the most part this story is about Lily and Calder.

Lily is determined to get Billionaire playboy Calder Cunninham to keep to the word of his deceased father in providing the funding pledgee to her father's Art Center. In her determination and single minded goal, she misses a lot of clues that would give her insight into what's happening with Calder. Calder in his pride keeps his position to himself, which reinforces Lily's thought he's selfish.

During a weekend long thunder storm, Lily is stuck in the Cunningham mansion where she and Calder play a few sexy games, telling each other its just sex. And it is HOT! But is that all it is. Is Lilly getting closer to what's really going on with Calder and is Calder right about what Lily is hiding from.



There were a really funny parts to this story and even more sexy parts. Although I understood Lily's desire to reach her goal, I thought she was the selfish one who only thought of things from her point of view. She had a lot of preconceptions about Calder and his stubbornness reinforced it, although he didn't realize it. He did have moments where he showed he was deeper than Lily thought. But it would only take her a moments thought about the Center to sweep her changing mind aside.

I would definitely like to read the sequel Truth or Dare to see if the author can keep up or improve on this first outing.

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A NIGHT TO FORGET (Emma's Story, #1) by Jessica Wood

A Night To Forget by Jessica Wood


DNF I just couldn't.

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TAKE A BREATH (Take, #1) by Jaimie Roberts

Take a Breath by Jaimie Roberts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



ARC provided by author for an honest review.

2.5 Stars

Jake and Ana are into each other, but she's his fiance's daughter? I get what the author was trying to do, but yikes! Once you get past that initial cringe factor, the story takes off. Jake and Ana seem right for each other, other than the fact that she's a mess. She cries at the drop of a hat and she doesn't know how to actually speak up for herself. She jumps to a log of conclusions and covers for the wrong people, which leads to her getting into a lot of trouble.

Also, the author really needs to either get Beta Reader to an editor before she releases the next book. I found myself distracted by sentence structure, and wording. I could tell that the author was a Brit because even her slang was European. Like the kid, Matthew, calling his friends "mates" just as an example. There were so many places where words were misspelled or using the European version, i.e. "realize" vs. "realise."

But, I liked it. Something about the story worked for me. I knew who the villain was right off and new what was going to happen at the end, but liked how the author got there. She definitely has potential, but needs help with structure, not making things so obvious and keeping out protagonist from being so whinny. I liked the mystery in the story and how Jake was so 'Caveman' Alpha, but in a way that makes you feel, as Ana's friend Jessie says, every woman would actually want even if it makes her crazy.

I would definitely give the sequel a try, but again encourage the author to use Beta Readers or pay an editor to work things out a bit more.



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LEXI'S FIRST TIME (Borrowed Billionaire 0.5) by Mimi Strong

Lexie's First Time by Mimi Strong
My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I hate giving bad ratings and reviews because I respect all writers for putting themselves out there. Maybe it's because it was a prequel. But the entire story was told through introspections with little dialogue. There was some, but what was there, was kinda silly. I don't know. I didn't like it.

Well, hopefully that wasn't the way the rest of it will go, because I think I bought the first book in the series. At least this one was free.

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ME, CINDERELLA? by Aubrey Rose

Me, Cinderella? by Aubrey Rose
My rating: 2 of 5 stars



ARC provided by author for a honest review.

I wanted to like this book much more than I did. I liked the idea behind it. There were some glaring issues I had with the structure, which could have just been a formatting issue, but the way around it was to make clear breaks. What I mean by this, is that there would be time when one moment would end and then the author would jump to a future event in the next paragraph. There was no spacing at times to delineate that this wasn't something that was happening just after the previous paragraph accept that you knew the character couldn't have been doing what they were doing unless it was some time in the future. Or the author would be writing from one persons perspective then the other without some spacing or chapter change, a symbol, line or something to show a change in the storytelling. That was an issue for me.

Brynn has has some hard knocks in her life. I think I identified with her relationship with her father, as it's similar to mine. Although she gets called much more often than I do. She's been raised by her grandmother after something horrible happened to her mother and she was basically expelled from her father's home.

Now in this are some issues for me as well. What happened to her mother? She doesn't know and we never really know either. It's explained that something horrible happened, her father went to take care of things and then came back and never spoke of it again, accept in these strange cryptic statements that he makes to her, which she feels he should apologize for and never does. I'm never clear on what any of that means.

I'm also unclear as to the timeline of her father's marriage to his current wife. It doesn't seem that her step-siblings are much older than she is. Are they half-siblings, since her father seems to dote on them?

Brynn's Grandmother has raised her to be nice, and to basically pay it forward. When she offers Dr. Eliot Herceg a cup of coffee, events culminate in her telling him a fake name. There's never any indication of where this name came from. Was it her Grandmother's name, did she just pull it out of thin air? There really isn't a real reason that she gave for using the fake name other than for the author to have him not be able to find her when he needs to inform her of something.

The author did do a good job of the emotional turmoil that Eliot and Brynn go through because of their respective pasts. Eliot has held onto ten years of guilt for something that wasn't his fault. And Brynn has seen herself as the chubby unwanted girl who has had many instances where other people's treatment of her has reinforced the idea that she's unloveable. I also felt Brynn's despair over her belief that Eliot didn't feel the same way she felt for him and trying let her friend Mark down, knowing how it feels when someone doesn't want the same thing from a relationship that you do. Brynn does some specific things with food that happens when a child grows up starving. But, the author misses the chance to have her connect with Eliot and explain this. He notices her idiosyncrasy with food, but it never goes anywhere.

Eliot's sister-in-law, Marta, was sweet to Brynn and I liked how sisterly and loving she was to Eliot. As his bother's wife, she was great in trying to get him to move on with his life. Otto was a great bother as well, giving Eliot good advice, even when he didn't ask for it.

I felt for Eliot when he basically has a post traumatic event at the dinner with Brynn. Once it's all explained, you kind of get it. But the event used felt like it was too easy. Basically mimicking an actual event that has happened and placing it in this story.

This was a sweet enough story, but it felt like a lot of pieces placed in for effect, but when no real resolutions to some of the things that happened.

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