Indigo Nights (Nights, #3) by Louise Bay

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Reviewed by Tabatha

"Cake and orgasams-life doesn't get much better than that."

I've been processing how I wanted to go about my review for this one for awhile now. It wasn't because it was a bad read, far from it actually, it was just that I felt kind of ambivalent about it really. I liked it, but I had some issues with it as well that were minor so I didn't know how I was going to go about explaining myself. LOL

We have a dynamic male lead and a interesting enough female lead, but I wanted to see a bit more development with them beyond just the sex. I felt like so much of the time they spend together was having sex, that not much relationship building went on between them. I noticed several opportunities that were there, but sadly they were missed. In the end, I felt that these two actually knew very little about one another to fall in more than lust with one another in my honest opinion.

Now on the flip side of that, the sexy times were indeed page turners for me, and I found myself needing to fan myself off it was so hot. Louise just has a way of writing fantastic love scenes where you can actually feel the heat coming off of the pages. The story itself was intriguing, and I really did enjoy it overall. It was a tad on the predictable side, but I chalk that up to just how much I read these days. It's hard for me to be surprised anymore.  I do look forward to reading more from Louise in the future though. I think she has a great voice and she writes compelling story lines that definitely keep a reader engaged. Given that, I'd definitely suggest this one guys. I think you'll enjoy it.

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

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

 

http://www.louisebay.com

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Bought by Nicolette Hugo

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

 I really needed to take my time to process this book in order to review it. Quite simply, I just wanted to do it justice because it was a remarkable read. Nicolette is really making her mark when it comes to BDSM romances, and she is fast becoming one of my favorites. Her writing style is impeccable and her stories have a way of absorbing you into them to the point where you just can't stop reading. I look forward to each new release from her, and somehow she is able to make each book better than the last. She is exceedingly talented at her craft.

"The sin in her smile was enough to send a man to any of the hells he believed in."

Bought was a complete package. It had an engaging plot that kept me guessing while seamlessly balancing the suspense with the intense chemistry of the characters. It was a complex tale that I couldn't put down. Each character was well developed and you could feel the intense chemistry between them all pouring off of the pages. Jerricho was the stand-out character for me though. He was an enigma and I loved everything we learned about him. I think Scarlett and Killian definitely met their match in him, and the only thing I would have loved to have explored more was the dynamics with all three of them together. I think there is more to tell story wise between Jerricho and Killian, but Scarlett is definitely the bridge to exploring their relationship more.

"Whoever said you couldn't break somebody with pleasure hadn't really been trying."

Overall, this was a fantastic read and I can't recommend it enough to you all. If you love BDSM reads with a bit of suspense mixed in, this is definitely going to be the book for you. I do believe it is going to be one of those books I come back to when I'm in a reading funk, because it was just that well written and enjoyable. I am eagerly anticipating what Nicolette has in store for us in the future!

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

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

 

http://nicolettehugo.com

Amazon  

A Wild Ride (Thompson & Sons, #4) by Vivian Arend

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

Troy has always been seen as the happy-go-lucky type just rolling through life and not serious about much of anything, even to his own family. His secret fling with his best friend's sister is no different until it suddenly is...and he wants forever. Nicole wants to get more serious about life and get on what she feels is the right track into adulthood. She feels Troy was a great time, but not long-term quality material. She goes into dating Troy never expecting that he could end up being perfect for her, but Troy has unexpected depths to him that truly make him everything she has always dreamed.

I enjoyed this one, but I wasn't blown away by it either. These two have plenty of chemistry, but I think the characters lacked sufficient development to really allow me to connect with them fully. I was expecting more from Troy's secrets, and we don't really get to know much about Nicole at all beyond her wanting what her sister's have and that she went to college. I just wanted more I guess. It wasn't a bad read, and it was quite steamy and sweet. I love how this series weaves into the Rocky Mountain House and Six Pack Ranch series, so maybe these characters will make an appearance in the future so we can see what happens. I kind of figured since she was so baby hungry that we'd find out she was pregnant by the end, but alas we were left with that lingering. It seemed kind of central to the plot, so I was a bit surprised by that.  Anyhoo, overall definitely a book worth reading to wrap up the series with a bow and I did enjoy it despite a few issues I had. I really do hope we get to revisit these guys down the road though.

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

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

 

http://vivianarend.com/

Amazon  ~ Barnes & Noble

Hunks, Hammers, and Happily Ever Afters by: Jodi Redford, Cari Quinn, Cathy Clamp, Anna J. Stewart, Amie Stuart, Leah Braemel, Chudney Thomas

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

KNOCKOUT – Cari Quinn (4 stars)
I liked this one enough, but I wouldn't really consider this a blue collar story. Yes, one character did construction, but the primary focus of the entire story was on the fighter Emerson. Yeah, Emerson mowed lawns as a side job, but the entire focus was on his fighting career. I did notice some inconsistencies throughout the story, but I did enjoy the heat level between the characters. On the flip side, the interaction between JC and Emerson was just awkward and too fast. I seriously do not believe those two fell in love that fast.

HOT SUMMER NIGHTS – Cathy Clamp (3 stars)
This one was a cute story. I found quite a few errors throughout it that were distracting, but beyond that I did enjoy the story.

MARKED FOR LOVE - Anna J. Stewart (3 1/2 stars)
This was a cute, sweet romance. The story had good bones and I loved the whole family vibe, but it fell together a bit too neatly when it came to the conflict in the story.

KNOTTY MAGIC – Jodi Redford (3 stars)
While I thought this story was cute, the whole paranormal matchmaking tree just didn't work for me.

AGAINST THE WALL – Amie Stuart (1 1/2 stars)
I admired the heroine of this story at first. She had a strong commanding personality in a profession where women are looked down on and treated unfairly. Unfortunately, the author made me dislike her quite fast. I'm all for women embracing their sexuality, but she made the heroine look far too slutty for my liking. It felt kind of like Sex in the City gone completely wrong. The one aspect that I did enjoy was the sexual tension that unfortunately build up to some very lackluster love scenes. I honestly didn't like much about this story in he end.

UNASHAMED — Leah Braemel (4 1/2 stars)
This story was the surprise of this bundle. It was well plotted and paced out well. I enjoyed the dynamics between the three characters, and even though it is a novella it felt complete. The love scenes were scorching hot, and the sexual tension was great. I would have liked to read a bit more of what happened while the trio was separated and the reunion, but I'm sure word count was an issue when it came to that. I always love it when a novella leaves me craving more in a good way. :)

LOVE IN AN ELEVATOR – Chudney Thomas (1 star)
This was a DNF for me. It needed an editor in the worst way possible to the point where I just couldn't read it anymore and gave up. It was far more than just minor errors and, from what I read of the story, it just didn't flow well either.

Overall impressions: There were some cute stories in this bundle and some great steamy ones. I found a definite mixture of heat levels, which I didn't exactly like but dealt with all the same. I also hazard to guess that each author was responsible for handling the editing of their own stories, because there was definitely no consistency. That was rather disappointing to me for the bundle as a whole, because some stories glaring errors overshadowed the others more clean copies. There were some authors I'd love to read again, and some that I'm hesitant to give another chance. I guess that's the way it goes though, but I enjoy how bundles allow me to sample the writing of new to me authors.  

Better with You (Outback Skies #4) by Lexxie Couper

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

Better with You is the fourth and last installment in the Outback Skies series, and I've been eagerly awaiting Charlie's story for what seems like forever. He's always had this mysterious quality to him and he always seemed to know a bit much for a cop out in Whoop Whoop, if you know what I mean? Anyhoo, I knew his story was going to be great, but Lexxie definitely impressed me with Better with You. Now I'm not going to try to get into too much detail about the story, because that would give away key elements that I'd rather you read. Instead, I'm just going to tell you that this book was not only sexy as all get out, but it was packed with action and so much sexual tension your e-reader is going to go up in flames. Seriously, it's that hot! Lexxie has this uncanny ability to weave so much sexual tension into her books all while seamlessly maintaining the story line. It's quite impressive, and if you haven't given this series a read yet, I definitely suggest you do so. Not only are they great reads, but you might find hidden cameos of other characters from her books as well in there. That's what I've come to love about Lex's contemporary books. She has her own world of characters and you never know when one from a previous book will pop in or a secondary character might just get their own book down the line in a different series. It's all so fun, and I just love it. Anyhoo, back to Better with You. I was hooked from page one with the action/suspense going on and the sexy times made it that much better. Seriously, it is great so go grab it!

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

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

http://www.lexxiecouper.com

 

Amazon  ~ Barnes & Noble

Champagne Kisses by Lynda Aicher

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

Needless to say, I'm a big Lynda Aicher fan since I've loved all of her books, and Champagne Kisses was no exception. This was a light-hearted Christmas read with a bit of sexiness thrown in for two guys were definitely opposite sides of the same coin. Their differences were at first a source of contention, but their chemistry was undeniable leading them into the start of a great relationship. It was a short read, but I liked that we also got a bit of an epilogue to show where things led from there. I very much enjoyed this and, as always, I'm looking forward to what else Lynda has in store for us in the future.

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

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

 

http://lyndaaicher.com 

 

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Not Safe For Work by L.A. Witt

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Reviewed by Tabatha

 

L.A. Witt has become one of my go-to authors so I knew going into this book that it was going to be pretty hot, but I've got to say that it exceeded all of my expectations because it was one deliciously, sexy read. You could just feel the heat between Jon and Rick coming from the pages. And as much as I loved that aspect, it wasn't just all of those steamy scenes that I enjoyed. I seriously loved that these two had very real-life type issues, and that they were just two guys trying to sort out their lives the best way they could. The highlight was, of course, their very intimate and intensely emotional BDSM play moments that really made this book special. Now I could see how some might consider this book to be a bit oversexed, and I may agree to some extent, but it really fit the characters. They each had equally healthy sex drives, but I can't say that it detracted from the story at all in my opinion. Not Safe for Work was a refreshing spin on the whole boss/employee trope, and I've got to say that I enjoyed every moment of it.

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

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

 

http://www.loriawitt.com/

Amazon  ~ Barnes & Noble