Something Sparked (Sparks in Texas #3) by Mari Carr

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

What a sexy, short read this turned out to be! I haven't read any of the previous books in the Sparks in Texas series, but you can be sure that I'm going to remedy that real soon. I just love Mari's books, and this one is another great example of how she can write a steamy but yet adorably sweet books.

Jeannette has a deep secret she is hiding from everyone, especially her family, that has crippled her ability to engage in relationships. Despite this, Luc and Diego are on a mission 2 years in the making to make her theirs. These guys...seriously I have no words for how sweet they were while taking their time with Jeannette all while trying to help her reclaim her life. They were quite wonderful, and I just loved them to pieces. Jeannette, on the other hand, stole the show for me. She is such a strong character, and you can't help but admire her inner strength and determination to overcome her past. I loved the bit of suspense we get with the book as well, so overall it was a great read that I'm definitely going to suggest to you all.  

If you'd like to check out more about this series or other books by Mari, please head over to her website.

 

http://maricarr.com/

 

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Wicked Lies (Men of Summer #2) by Lora Leigh

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

So I’ve been waiting for this book for what seems like forever. The first book in this series, Loving Lies, released back in 2006 and it has been a long time coming to get this next book. Now I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t exactly been overly fond of Leigh’s more recent releases. That being said though, Wicked Lies was exactly what I’ve come to expect from her books and I really enjoyed it. She follows her typical pattern, but I love how she writes amazing Alpha males with feisty heroines that challenge them every step of the way. 

Wicked Lies had the perfect amount of mystery, suspense, and sexual tensions between the two main characters. Seriously…it was sizzling hot. Jazz and Kenni were perfectly matched, and I loved how he had built his life in the way that Kenni had always dreamed for them. I'm not going to say anymore so I don't give details away, but it was really good overall aside from a few cheesy lines and some rather glaring inconsistencies. Now while this series does feel kind of reminiscent of the Nauti series, I find myself loving it regardless and I want stories for all of the secondary men as well. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

If you'd like to check out more about this or other books by Lora, please head over to her website.

http://www.loraleigh.com 

 

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Deeper In Sin (The Wicked Dukes #2) by Sharon Page

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

I've got to hand it to Sharon Page. Her books are always well-plotted and the intrigue is masterful all while still maintaining the romance elements of the story. I had several notes to myself saying "well I didn't see that coming," and that really seems to be a rarity for me these days. Now although this is a typical Page story, the romance seems to take the backseat to the mystery in this one given Caradon's intimacy issues. I felt for the guy, I really did, but the back and fourth between these two gave me whiplash. First he wanted a mistress...then he didn't...then he did but just not her...then he wanted her but not sex with her. You see what I'm talking about? I will admit that it was irksome at times, but I also understood how conflicted Cary was too.

Now despite there being very little actual sex between them going on for the majority of the book, these two did manage to still steam up the pages in their own way. I was quite impressed with Cary's ingenuity in the bedroom, and I loved that they were both passionate equals. Unfortunately, he had quite a bit to get over emotionally to make their relationship work, but you could feel the attraction and love growing between them as well.

"But you're unhappy, and I wanted to heal you."

Although I loved both of these characters, I have to admit that I didn't love them equally. Somehow Sophie managed to steal the show for me with her calm acceptance and generally positive outlook in all things. She strived to figure out the best course of action in any situation, and rarely did she take no for an answer. It was quite admirable, so I adored her even when she was being naïve. I think these two were so passionate because Sophie allowed Cary to be the man he wanted so desperately to be for her.

"You helped me face my demons, love. You never judged me. You never condemned me. Even when you were dragged into danger, because of me, you only wanted to help me."

I was overly pleased with Deeper in Sin. It had a great balance of mystery and romance that kept me hooked from page one. I eagerly anticipate the other Wicked Dukes falling into the clutches of love, and I'm especially excited for Sin's book because I just know it is going to be devilishly delicious given his penchant for outlandish parties.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

If you'd like to check out more about this or other books by Sharon, please head over to her website.

http://www.sharonpage.com

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The Arrangement by Nicolette Hugo

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

I really felt like this read more like a diary than a novel with how fragmented it was. I found myself constantly saying "show me don't tell me," and the story overall lacked any real emotion between the characters. We are told how she feels, but not shown what made her feel this way. How are we to believe that they fell in love over the course of these six months when we miss out on key relationship building moments? We barely even skim the surface of their relationship. It starts out with Nell about to sign her first contract with Vincent for six months, but then it skips all the way to month six in the first chapter. Unfortunately, that's a huge chunk of their relationship building we don't get to see. Now I'm not saying we need a daily play by play or anything, but it would have been nice to watch the slow build of their relationship instead of just being told that Nell is in love with him after five months.

""Give up control and trust you.' The devil makes it sound so reasonable."

Given that we don't see much in the way of their relationship actually building, it made the story seem very surface level when the characters are more complex than that. I thought they were both interesting, so I think a dual point of view would have helped make this better. Maybe the lack of connection between the characters was intentional by the author given Vincent's edict that things stick strictly to the agreement, but we as the readers like to hear what isn't being said by both characters with internal dialogue.

"When there is no pleasure for me...when he gives pain just for him...that's when I steal my pleasure from him. I have my own darkness."

Now I'm not saying this book was bad. I was just frustrated a lot of the time, because I felt like I was missing key parts I felt were necessary. Like I said, I liked both characters and the bits we get of their intimate times together were incredibly hot. That breath play scene was...intense and I loved it. It made me want to see more complete scenes with them than the fragmented ones we got. Overall, I'd say that this story has real potential. I wanted it to be longer, but I really wanted it to be from both points of view so we understand more about their relationship. The characters were complex, and they have an intensity in the bedroom that I found intriguing. I'm definitely going to give Nicolette another try in the future.

"I like his simple commands, submitting to them is easy, free from the struggle between the desire for his domination and the guilt of wanting it."

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

If you'd like to check out more about this series or other books by Nicolette, please head over to her website.

 

http://nicolettehugowriter.com

 

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Switching it On: A Love Story (Stimulated Book 3) by Lexxie Couper

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

Mike and Lena have been separated for 7 months after 5 blissful and happy years of marriage. It is clear and undeniable these two are still very much in love, but moving past the hurt of betrayal on both their sides is proving to be very difficult. Mike feels he is being falsely accused of cheating, meanwhile Lena has some pretty incriminating evidence to support her claims to the contrary. What these two both don't realize, is that someone is playing them for their own personal gain.

Now when these two come together for one passionate night of reconnecting, it's almost like an explosion of love and lust. Seriously, the intensity of the connection makes it so obvious that they deeply love one another. The makeup sex is off the charts hot, but I loved that there is still some residual conflict that sexual compatibility in bedroom just can't fix.

Overall, I loved this reunion of lovers story. I had a hard time choosing sides, because I truly believed that love would prevail in the end for these two. You could tell from page one that the connection between them was still very much there, so I'm happy they were able to make things work for them in the end. On another note, OMG do I want Mike's sister RG's story. She nearly stole the show for me, because I think she is one character I can really connect with just from what I saw in this story. Lexxie is the queen of short and sexy stories, so I hope to see RG's story soon!

*I received a review copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.*

If you'd like to check out more about this series or other books by Lexxie, please head over to her website.

http://www.lexxiecouper.com

 

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