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Exquisite Karma by Ann Mayburn
Exquisite Karma
Ann Mayburn
Iron Horse MC Series, Book 4
Published April 21st 2016 by Honey Mountain Publishing
~Author’s Note-Exquisite Karma is part 2 of Beach and Sarah’s story. Part 1, Exquisite Redemption, should be read first for the most enjoyment.~
Sarah
Life as the old lady of Carlos ‘Beach’ Rodriguez, National President of the Iron Horse MC, was everything I never knew I wanted. Not only did I have a good man who treated me like a queen and loved me like crazy, I also had a vast-extended family of rough and tumble bikers who accepted and welcomed me into their world without judgement. Unfortunately, good things don’t last for a girl like me and just when I finally felt like I’d found my happily ever after my psychopath of a mother had to show up and destroy it. She betrayed me, betrayed the club, and put everyone I’ve ever loved in mortal danger. Our only chance of surviving this is for me to find her and recover the weapons that Iron Horse was moving for the Russian and Israeli mafia that she helped steal. I can only hope that Beach can forgive me for her sins.
Beach
I should have known Sarah would never betray me, would never work with her junkie mom to steal from the club, but I let my temper run my mouth and now my woman’s gone. Normally I’d go after her, but the Russian and Israeli mafias want their merchandise back and if we don’t find it they’ll wipe us off the face of the earth. To make matters worse, there are traitors in the Iron Horse MC that are feeding our every move to our enemies, kidnapping our women and children, and killing our men. I have to stay here in Austin and try to save our people while Sarah is out there, somewhere, alone, hunting down some of the most dangerous men in the world. I can only pray that God takes mercy on my wicked soul and protects my baby girl from those seeking to cash in on the massive bounty on her head before I can find her. ‘Cause if they find her first death would be a mercy compared to the nightmare her life will become.
4.5 Stars
Jaw dropping, aggressive and raw.
Ann Mayburn’s Exquisite Karma continues the eccentric dynamics of what Sarah and Beach’s relationship is. MC life is gritty, dirty and insane. Talking issues into her own hands Sarah puts herself on on the line for those she loves. A woman of strength, cunning and beauty. As the danger builds Sarah outsmarts the men behind, righting the wrong.
Beach reacts without thinking in a total man way. Forcing the one he can’t live with right out the door. Powerful, dominant and egotistical Beach put himself into his worst nightmare. Sitting back is not his game, however he learns his woman is more than he thought she was. Sarah maybe his submissive in the bedroom, but he just got schooled that she is his partner on all levels.
Tying together the loose ends for both Swan/Smoke and Beach/Sarah in a way that show Ann’s amazing writing talent. Sarah and Beach push the edge and make the reads want more. Seeing a different side adds insight, depth and an emotional edge that pulls together the story together fabulously. Ann Mayburn gives readers dark and raw passion with heart pounding action that has the pages flying.
Copy provided for honest review.
Cover Reveal: The Dagon Series by Lani Lynn Vale
Cover Design By: Cover Me Darling
Keifer Vassago, The Prince of Dragons, has enough on his plate without adding a brunette with a bad attitude to the mix
Nikolai Vassago has a plan.
I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.
Release Day: PAIGE’S WARRIORS by Ann Mayburn
Can Tren and Rell work together and overcome Paige’s fears in an effort to save all their battered souls? Find out in PAIGE’S WARRIORS, a Bondmates novel, from Ann Mayburn!
Synopsis:
After a lifetime of war, Commander Trenzent has left behind the bloody battlefields of the Bel’Tan galaxy and traveled to Earth in the hopes of finding his bondmate. He can only pray that the one woman in the universe who can save his battered soul can look past his scarred exterior to the man within. Unfortunately for Tren, his potential bride is terrified of men thanks to years of abuse at the hands of her father and won’t be easy to seduce.
Paige Grant is pretty sure she’s losing her mind obsessing about a man who doesn’t exist. Ever since the night a wormhole opened up next to Jupiter she’s had these intense dreams about a terrifying, damaged man who awakens a passion inside of her she never knew existed. Despite his grim exterior, he makes her feel safe, something she desperately needs in the real world as she fights off the advances of a man who will not take no for an answer.
But Trenzent isn’t the only Kadothian warrior who believes Paige is his bondmate. An old political enemy of Tren’s, Rell Thantos, also believes the sweet and shy young Earth woman holds the missing part of his soul. He will do whatever it takes to win her heart, even if it means becoming bloodbrothers with a man he hates.
The men will have to find a way to get past their anger and work together to protect Paige against an unknown enemy who is determined to keep the women of Earth out of the Bel’Tan Galaxy forever.
Warning– This story is set in the Bel’Tan galaxy where polyamorous relationships are the norm and love in all of its forms is accepted including M/M, M/M/F, M/M/M/F sexual situations. Basically if you don’t like hot dudes kissing hot dudes, this may not be the series for you.
Available at: Amazon | Other favorite ebook retailers
Add PAIGE’S WARRIORS to your Goodreads TBR pile!
About Ann Mayburn
With over forty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.
From a young Ann has had a love affair with books would read everything she could get her hands on. As Ann grew older, and her hormones kicked in, she discovered bodice ripping Fabio-esque romance novels. They were great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back.
Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.
Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she’s weird, and that sarcasm doesn’t translate well via text.
Connect with Ann: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest |Goodreads| Amazon Author Page
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Cover Reveal: Callie by Jennifer Foor
Coming June 15 is the next book in Mitchell/ Healy series. We are excited to bring you the cover for Callie by Jennifer Foor.
Last year my sister came home and fell hopelessly in love with the man I thought I’d have a future with. Now they’re parents to a beautiful baby, and as much as I want to be a part of their lives, I can’t be around them without feeling betrayed, so I moved to Kentucky to start over fresh. I never anticipated seeing someone from my past, or being thrown into an affair neither of us are able to break away from.
He’s dangerous, but loyal. He’s powerful; someone who has the ability to take something dear from my family.
He also wants a future with me, even though we both agree it’s a bad idea.
Now I have to make another huge decision. I can run home and forget we ever crossed paths, or I can let my heart lead me in a direction I’m afraid of going.
I’m Callie Healy, and this is my story.
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A Maryland native who spends most of her time devising a plan to live off the land on some remote island, where no one will ever find her.
She is a married mother of two kids, who may or may not drive her completely bonkers. In her spare time she enjoys shooting pool, camping and spending time with friends and family.
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Release Blast: PROWLED DARKNESS by Carrie Ann Ryan
The last book in Carrie Ann Ryan’s bestselling Dante’s Circle series is here – PROWLED DARKNESS is available now! Be sure to get your hands on Eliana and Malik’s incredible story now.
About PROWLED DARKNESS
Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?
Eliana Sawyer’s life was rocked from its foundation twice in as many years. She risked her heart and had it shattered into a thousand pieces when Malik left her with no warning. While she’d normally raise her chin and ignore the pain, she can’t forget what he gave her before he disappeared from her life.
Malik Ward is a prince amongst the lion shifters and knows that one day he will have to take a mate. Only, his people can never mate with humans. Under the mistaken impression that Eliana was only human, he forced himself to leave before they’d crossed a line and he broke his vow to his people. Now that he knows the truth about Eliana, however, it will take more than groveling to win back the one woman fated to be his.
While Eliana and Malik embark on a new sensuous path that might lead to disaster, the realms aren’t ready to allow the final lightning-struck human to be enveloped into their fold. The couple will have to combat those plotting against them, as well as the broken promises and heated emotions they share.
Warning: Contains a Leo with a bite that’s worse than his roar, a woman with one last chance at the life she’s always dreamt of, a flame that could extinguish with the wrong sacrifice, and the final journey in the bestselling Dante’s Circle series.
Add it to your Goodreads list here!
Get your hands on PROWLED DARKNESS:
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Get a Quick Peek at PROWLED DARKNESS:
When he pulled into her driveway behind her beat up old truck, he barely had time to turn off the engine before she had her seatbelt off and was trying to wedge herself out of the Rover.
“Wait a minute,” he snapped. “Let me help you before you get hurt.”
“Too late,” she whispered, and he cursed. “I’ve been getting out of cars on my own for a long time, Malik.”
“But you don’t have to do it alone now,” he said, hoping she understood he meant more than just the vehicle.
She shook her head. “It’s never as easy as that.” But she waited for him to help her out of the Rover. That had to count for something.
His hands shook as she slid down his body, her belly protruding and scaring the shit out of him. When he felt a slight push at his own stomach, he froze.
Eliana blushed and tried to pull away from him. “That’s just little squirt making his or her presence known. Just a kick. You don’t have to freak out.”
Malik’s tongue went dry. He swallowed hard so he could speak. “It’s my first kick,” he whispered. Something else she’d said triggered his mind. “You don’t know the sex of the baby?”
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” she answered. “I don’t know why now that I’m trying to figure out the nursery and everything. But I just went green and yellow.” She shrugged. “And as for the kick? You could have felt them all if you’d been here, but you weren’t.” With that parting shot, she slowly made her way to the front door.
Get your hands on PROWLED DARKNESS:
Amazon | iBooks | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Google Play
Have you always wanted to know what kind of paranormal you’d be from Carrie Ann Ryan’s Dante’s Circle series? Now you can find out! Take the quiz here – we’d love to see your results!
About Carrie Ann Ryan
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born.
Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.
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ARC Review: Going Down by Jayne Rylon
Going Down
Jayne Rylon
Divemasters Series, Book 1
Archer Banks relishes his carefree lifestyle. Together with friends and fellow divemasters Miguel Torrez and Tosin Ellis, he travels the world, SCUBA diving by day, entertaining lonely female tourists by night. Until his father dies, instantly transforming Archer from a beach bum to a billionaire by shackling him with an enormous, undesired inheritance.
With the help of his family’s longtime butler, Archer is determined to turn his new golden handcuffs into a golden opportunity. He prays Miguel and Tosin will come along for the ride when he repurposes his family’s mega-yacht into a vessel well-suited for both work and hardcore play.
Never in his worst nightmares does he expect their maiden voyage to be such rough sailing. Not only is Archer’s old crush, Waverly Adams, among their passengers, but the men have also stumbled upon a vast sunken treasure—one worth killing for.
Waverly surprises Archer with an alluring naughtiness he never got the chance to experience in their younger days. Busy accepting the challenge she issues his dominant side in The Divemaster’s onboard club every night, he might be distracted and short on sleep. But could he also be blind to more dangerous facets of her personality?
When the divemasters can no longer deny there’s foul play at hand, will Archer be going down with the ship, cursed by his family’s fortune, or will Waverly turn out to be the woman of his most wicked dreams?
Archer Banks is living the life. Has a job he loves, getting the ladies and has seen some of the most beautiful places in the world. He also hold a secret, that comes to light and changes the lives of many people. Archer is good man with a conscience and soul. He’s got those alpha tendencies that I love however he feels deeply and cares. He’s likable and complex, making me very much enjoy his character.
Waverly Adams is sassy, fun and quite adventurous. former military and accomplished helicopter pilot, Waverly has become a person that she is proud of. Hard on the surface, she can stand with the best of men. As she relaxes and let’s go of the past, a soft feminine side emerges from a brave and strong woman.
Where do I begin. I really enjoyed Going Down. Mad props to Ms. Rylon for rich and engaging details of the settling. I have never experienced the pristine water of the Caribbean. Through words with research and self experience Ms. Rylon was able to take this reader to an amazingly beautiful, tropical adventure that I hope I to one day see with my own eye. From the way the water moved to the view of the stars, it’s truly amazing.
The amount of depth and feeling within Going Down stood out to me as well. Perception is different to everyone. Archer and Waverly perceive events from the past differently, when all of views are on the table, it changes the game completely. Sensuality played a big key with the eroticism in this book.
The secondary characters stand out and add charisma and pizzazz. Ms. Rylon set up the series and gives reader a little bit of it all. Beautiful scenery, lots of steamy hotness and a few twists. I thoroughly enjoyed Going Down! Can’t wait to see how the remaining Divemasters fall.
Cover Reveal: Oxygen Deprived by Lani Lynn Vale
I slammed my fingers down on the keyboard, insanely annoyed that I now had to tell how fun the product was, despite the fact that the person I’d had the fun with was a douche bag.A knock sounded at my door and I turned to glare at it.
“Who is it?” I yelled.
“You know damn well who it is. It’s the same person that’s been knocking at your door for the last twelve hours,” Drew growled.
I shrugged.
“Go away,” I ordered him.
I could hear him sigh through the door.
“In my eyes, the marriage Constance and I had was over,” he started.
I picked up the nearest thing to me, which happened to be a half finished water bottle, and then launched it at the door.
“Go away!”
He left, but not without one last parting comment.
“I still have a few things left in that box that I want to try on you. When you’re ready, let me know.”
I glared at the box he’d just spoken about, and went back to my review.
If you’re looking for a fun, awesome thing to do with your significant other, this is the thing for you. It offers many benefits; but most importantly, it gives you time with your significant other. And, might I add, it’s totally fucking worth it. I’ve used it three times in the last two days. It’s like he’s here.
On a side note, the vibrator is not very proficient. It offers about two hours of battery life before they need replaced.
Not that I used it for two hours or anything.
Oh, who am I kidding?
I would’ve used it longer if I hadn’t run out of batteries.
I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.
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ARC Review: Dare to Take by Carly Phillips
Dare to Take by Carly Phillips
Date of Publication: May 3, 2016
Blurb
She was off limits,
But he couldn’t resist.
There are just some guys you don’t touch–even someone as innocent and inexperienced as Ella Shaw knows that. But when her brother’s best friend is up for grabs and willing, she can’t resist. After all, she’s wanted him for years…
On leave from the army, Tyler Dare WAS just looking for a little fun, but his best friend’s sister is off limits. Yet unable to deny how sexy and alluring she is, he finds it all too easy to succumb to a night of passion and heat that ends the next morning in the worst way possible.
Now years later, Ella is stranded on a tropical island with a hurricane bearing down, and only Tyler can save her. It’s his chance to make amends for the past and show the woman he’s never forgotten that he’s coming after her . . . in more ways than one.
Available From
About Carly Phillips
After a successful fifteen year career with various New York publishing houses, and over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels published, N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips is now an Indie author who writes to her own expectations and that of her readers. She continues the tradition of hot men and strong women and plans to publish many more sizzling stories. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at http://www.carlyphillips.com.
Find Carly Phillips Online
Teaser
The sun shone overhead, the temperature neared ninety, and the humidity was hair-curlingly high on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, making it hard to believe a hurricane was coming soon. Ella Shaw glanced up at the blue sky, knowing it wouldn’t remain pristine for long.
The calm before the storm.
She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and headed out of her hotel, determined to hit the local gift shop she’d caught sight of on her way to the photo shoot yesterday. She’d seen long, draping, blue-beaded necklaces from the storefront window, but she hadn’t had time to stop. Her boss was a stickler for getting the right shot in the exact light, and they’d worked well past dark. By the time they’d wrapped for the day, the store had been closed.
As an assistant for Angie Crighton, a fashion designer based in Miami, Ella was responsible for the little details involved in a photo shoot. And though Angie, the photographer, and models had left the island this morning, Ella had stayed to make sure the shooting site was clean, the hotel pleased enough to allow them back another time. And if she were honest with herself, she liked the downtime after the craziness of a photo shoot, the rushing around of the crew, the bossiness of some of the models and, of course, of Angie herself.
Ella appreciated the fact that she had time to souvenir shop for her best friend, Avery Dare. How ironic was it that the two girls from very different worlds had met at all? But they had. And it was Avery who’d introduced Ella to the finer things in life, leading her to seek out a job with an haute-couture designer. Whereas Avery came from a wealthy family, Ella had been raised firmly middle class, but the two girls had bonded instantly. They’d even shared an apartment until recently, when her best friend had moved in with her rock star boyfriend, Grey Kingston.
Yep, two different worlds, even now, Ella thought wryly. But their friendship was solid. Which reminded her, she needed to let Avery know she might not make it back to the States tomorrow as planned.
When Ella had heard about the storm changing course, she’d tried to book an earlier flight out, without success. She shivered at the possibility of being stranded here alone during a hurricane and knew Avery would like the news even less. Her best friend suffered from severe anxiety, and Ella didn’t like to make her worry.
She’d just buy Avery an extra gift to make up for it, she thought, walking into the shop. She immediately headed to the turquoise-blue beads she’d seen through the window. The shopkeeper claimed they were Larimar beads. Even if they were fake, the beads, popular in the Caribbean, were said to have healing powers. Ella purchased two dozen, a mix of bracelets and necklaces, so she could share with the children at the cancer treatment center where she and Avery volunteered.
Avery had been nine, Ella ten years old when they’d met at a Miami hospital, both donating bone marrow, both there at the behest of a parent. Neither of them really understanding what was happening. All Ella had known was that she was doing a favor for her father, helping the stepmother Ella didn’t like all that much to begin with. Even at a young age, Ella had been a good judge of character, a better one than her father, obviously, because shortly after Janice had gotten well, she’d left Ella’s dad. And both her father and Ella’s life had gone downhill from there. Ella shook off the thoughts of her past before she could go deeper and darker, and focused on the pretty jewelry.
She spent some time choosing a thick turquoise bracelet for Avery and a similar one for herself before paying for everything and waiting for the shopkeeper to wrap things up.
Bag in hand, she started back to the hotel, cutting through side streets and looking into the windows of the stores, soaking up the culture along the cobblestone streets before heading back to Miami tomorrow. At least, she still hoped she’d be home. Knowing she couldn’t change the outcome, she pushed her worrisome thoughts aside. She’d deal with the situation as it came.
Sweat dampened her neck from the humidity of the island, and she contemplated taking a cab back to the hotel. She reached into her straw bag and pulled out her cell phone to make the call, when, without warning, she felt a hard jerk on her purse.
“What the—?” She spun around, but whomever wanted her purse was quicker.
She barely caught a glimpse of a tall guy with dark hair as he yanked harder, nearly pulling her shoulder out of its socket before slamming her against the nearby building with his other hand.
Her head hit the concrete wall, and spots immediately appeared behind her eyes from the impact. As she struggled not to pass out, the man grabbed her purse, along with her cell phone that had fallen to the ground.
She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Her legs collapsed beneath her, and she fell to the ground, her head smacking the sidewalk before everything went black.
4 Stars
Carly Phillips concludes the Dare to Love series with Dare to Take, a second chance story with the raw emotion and intense passion that the series is known and loved for.
Tyler and Ella are both complex and likable characters. Both suffer from deeds of their fathers that have left them both with issues that plague them to the present day. Tyler and Ella also share a history of only their knowledge. Their chemistry and mixed up emotions towards one another created a foundation to something neither one saw coming. Grab your tissues, the emotions hit hard.
Emotional, passionate and real. Carly Phillips gives readers a story to get lost in, feel with and raise your body temperature. Tyler and Ella confront the past while learning that sometimes it ok to lean on someone else. Learning to love when your heart has been broken too many times. Visiting with the Dare family is always a treat. See the siblings living their lives and their happiness that was so earned was bitter sweet. I love the HEA, I don’t like endings. As they say all good things must come to an end, Ms. Phillips does it with passion and beauty.
ARC Review: Big Easy Temptation By Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
Big Easy Temptation
Perfect Gentlemen Book 3
By Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
Coming May 3, 2016
Print ISBN 978-0425275344
The New York Times bestselling authors of the Masters of Ménage series present the
third scintillating novel featuring the privileged, wealthy, wild men of Creighton
Academy—the Perfect Gentlemen.
Years ago, Naval officer Dax Spencer and NCIS agent Holland Kirk indulged in a
steamy affair—until she betrayed him in the wake of his father’s death. Dax tried to put
her behind him with a payback of his own. But he never forgot Holland…
Now, as Dax and his fellow Perfect Gentlemen unravel a web of lies, he discovers
his family’s tragedy is part of a much larger conspiracy. Soon, all clues point him back to
New Orleans…where Holland waits, protecting her deadly secret and holding a torch for
Once reunited, they can’t fight the passion flaring hot and wild. But something
sinister lurks around every corner, from the elegance of the Garden district to the beauty
of the bayou. Dax and Holland may find their way back to each other—if they survive…
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Excerpt:
“I’m going to kiss you now and I won’t stop unless you tell me to.”
“I won’t say a word,” she breathed.
He lifted his free hand to her hair, sliding out the elastic band holding the low
ponytail she typically wore. He gripped the strands. “Soft as silk. Just like you.”
“I’m not soft, Dax.” She didn’t want him to think she was like the other women he’d
been with. They likely had been sweet, feminine creatures. Holland couldn’t afford to be.
“Yes, you are. You can be strong and soft and silky all at the same time. That’s who
you are and one of the reasons I find you interesting. I want to know every single facet of
Holland Kirk. I want to be the man you explore with, experiment with, be true with.”
She had the feeling he wasn’t merely talking about sex. This was why she’d always
hesitated. Dax wanted all of her, even the parts of herself she’d shut down and hidden and
told herself didn’t matter. He wouldn’t accept anything less than the whole of her soul.
But if he gave her back the whole of his, wasn’t that worth it? If they were both
vulnerable, they could learn to trust.
She leaned in and his lips finally met hers. Slow and steady. He took her mouth like
a man indulging in decadence, as though knowing they would share the pleasure of sex
made him willing to stretch this moment out to something rich and sinful.
Gently, he fisted a hand in her hair, lighting up her scalp with sensation as he took
her lips more fully, clasping her body against his own. She softened, giving in to the
demand of his mouth, his hands. And when his tongue slid over her lower lip, demanding
entry, she couldn’t stop herself from flowering open for him.
Dax pulled her up and onto his lap. She clasped her arms around his neck, bringing
him closer. She could feel his erection pressing against her, thick and hard. So big. She
couldn’t help but wriggle a little, trying to get closer to him.
His arms tightened on her. “Stop it, sweetheart, or we’re going to have a problem. I
want this to last. After waiting this long, I want to savor tonight.”
But she was already on the edge, dying for him to be on top of her, inside of her.
“We should set some ground rules first,” he growled against her neck. “Holland, I’m
crazy about you, but you’re going to let me control sex. I’m not foolish enough to think I
could control anything else in our relationship but I need you to let me handle this.”
“Why does anyone have to be in control?” She’d always been in the power position
with the men in her bed. Ceding it to Dax both excited and scared her.
“Because, as you pointed out, I have more experience. And I’m wired to take
control. We’re not going to go at it like two teenagers. Not this first time. Maybe later,
when I know exactly how to touch you to get you hot.” Heat melted his dark eyes like
chocolate. “But right now I have to figure out how to handle you, how to steer you the
“Aren’t you?” He brushed a big hand over one of her breasts, cupping her flesh in his
broad palm and making her gasp. “Everything that’s worth doing is worth doing right.
Making love to you is definitely worth my best effort. See, this little nipple is begging for
attention.” He dragged his thumb across the sensitive bud so slowly she bit her lip to hold
in a moan. “Take off your shirt and your bra so I can give it the proper attention.”
His voice had dropped an octave and gone velvety. Holland found herself obeying
him. Her fingers shook as she reached for the buttons of her shirt, twisting each and
releasing it before moving to the next. She didn’t leave the comfort of his lap, but he sat
back like a king watching the show, mentally undressing her with those eyes. There was
something a bit forbidden about baring herself while his erection pressed so intimately
Holland unfastened the last button and let her shirt fall away before she unhooked
the front clasp of her bra. Her breasts were nothing special. She hit the gym three or four
times a week to stay in shape. She considered herself more athletic than sexy, but the way
Dax’s breath hitched and he affixed his stare to her bare mounds, as if he’d never seen
anything sexier, made her rethink all that.
He dragged his heated palm down the valley between her breasts. “Sweetheart . . . I
always knew you would be gorgeous without all those clothes. So beautiful.”
Until him, she hadn’t felt that way. Her body had been a tool to use in service of her
job, a way to move about each day. When she’d had sex, she preferred to go to the
bedroom, get the deed done, and get to sleep. Her few longer-term boyfriends hadn’t
seemed to mind, but she got the feeling Dax would take exception to that routine.
With him, it meant far more to her than a rote activity, too.
He kissed her again, their tongues tangling as he explored her breasts, caressing her
nipples, plying them with his touch. Fire licked through her system. She could feel
“Lean back for me. I’ll hold you and keep you safe.” His words rumbled over the
sensitive flesh of her neck as he gently leaned her back, resting her over his arm until she
arched and thrust her chest up to him like an offering.
“Yes, these little pearls need affection.” He tongued one, laving and sucking it.
She had to bite her lip to hold in a cry. She’d never thought her nipples were
particularly sensitive, but that was because they’d never experienced Dax’s clever mouth.
She heard herself whimper as he sucked one bud deeper between his lips. He didn’t
satisfy himself with a little lick, a short few seconds of suckling. Not Captain Dax
Spencer. He indulged. He reveled. He caressed her with his tongue, tracing her areola
before he sucked the tip back into his mouth and gave her the bare edge of his teeth. A
tiny bite of pain flared before he soothed the bud with a soft laving. Her body balled into
an ache, her sex throbbed as he shifted his attention to her left breast and gave it the same
“I want to kiss and lick and taste every inch of you, Holland. Do you know how
long I’ve waited to be here? Years. Fuck, sweetheart, even before I met you, I dreamed
about you. I’ve always known you’re the one woman who could make me feel, make me
want forever.” He nuzzled her, the stubble of his hard jaw gently abrading her skin.
“Stand up and take off your pants. I don’t want anything to stop me from touching you.”
4.5 Stars
The third book of the Perfect Gentleman series, Big Easy Temptation is sensational from beginning to end. Shayla Black and Lexi Blake entice readers with explosive passion while keeping them on the edge of their seats with scandalous suspense.
Chemistry, second chances, betrayal and bonds deeper than blood. The Perfect Gentleman return with a fast paced, emotional and jaw dropping suspense filled read that reads like you watching it. Passion laces every emotion within the story. From beginning to end Shayla and Lexi keep reader thinking while tempting them.
Dax and Holland are explosive together. A history of longing and passion have created an intense sexual tension. Intimacy and seduction that Dax and Holland dance around and share is the stuff of stories. The two complement each other so well. Their chemistry is off the carts but drunken actions cut pretty deep. Leaving
Big Easy Temptation was a one sit, I can’t put this down read. I became so enthralled with the story I had to know. Long buried secrets begin to surface and caught in the web are the Perfect Gentlemen. Highly scandalous and extremely sexy Ms. Black and Ms.Blake truly give readers everything in this book. A great plot, amazing characters and story that had you holding on for every bit of the magic that this fabulous writing duo creates.
Review copy provided by netgalley.
ABOUT SHAYLA BLACK:
Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than
forty novels. For over fifteen years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and
historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books
have sold well over a million copies and been published in a dozen languages.
Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the
chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she
could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she
graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate
America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that
she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past seven years.
Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her
teenage daughter, and a very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV,
reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.
Visit Shayla’s website: http://shaylablack.com/
Visit Shayla on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShaylaBlackAuthor/?fref=ts
Visit her Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Shayla-
Black/e/B001IOFJQM/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1451315186&sr=8-2- ent
ABOUT LEXI BLAKE:
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.
Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are six more books available in the series: Their Virgin’s Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess, Their Virgin Hostage, Their Virgin Secretary, and Their Virgin Mistress. In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. The first nine novels, The Dom Who Loved Me, The Men with the Golden Cuffs, A Dom is Forever, On Her Master’s Secret Service, Love and Let Die, Dungeon Royale, A View to a Thrill, You Only Love Twice, and Master No are available now, along with the novellas Sanctum, Unconditional, Dungeon Games, Cherished, Luscious, Adored, and Just One Taste. The tenth novel, From Sanctum with Love, is coming February 23, 2016, along with a new novella, Devoted, on April 12, 2016.In 2013, Lexi also began releasing her urban fantasy series, Thieves.The full series, Steal the Light, Steal the Day, Steal the Moon, Steal the Sun, and Steal the Night,are available now on Amazon. The first two books in a spin-off of the series, Ripper and Addict, were released in 2015. Look for Sleeper, the next book in the spin-off series, to be released in Lexi again collaborated with Shayla Black in a new series The Perfect Gentlemen. The first book, Scandal Never Sleeps, is now available. Book two, Seduction in Session, willrelease on January 5, 2016, followed by book three, Big Easy Temptation, on May 3,Sign up for Lexi’s FREE newsletter at http://lexiblake.net .
For more information about her books, her appearances and her wacky life visit her
Facebook page (http://goo.gl/q2IHnJ) or her website (http://www.lexiblake.net) .
Release Day: Dare to Take by Carly Phillips
Dare to Take by Carly Phillips
Date of Publication: May 3, 2016
Blurb
She was off limits,
But he couldn’t resist.
There are just some guys you don’t touch–even someone as innocent and inexperienced as Ella Shaw knows that. But when her brother’s best friend is up for grabs and willing, she can’t resist. After all, she’s wanted him for years…
On leave from the army, Tyler Dare WAS just looking for a little fun, but his best friend’s sister is off limits. Yet unable to deny how sexy and alluring she is, he finds it all too easy to succumb to a night of passion and heat that ends the next morning in the worst way possible.
Now years later, Ella is stranded on a tropical island with a hurricane bearing down, and only Tyler can save her. It’s his chance to make amends for the past and show the woman he’s never forgotten that he’s coming after her . . . in more ways than one.
Available From
About Carly Phillips
After a successful fifteen year career with various New York publishing houses, and over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels published, N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips is now an Indie author who writes to her own expectations and that of her readers. She continues the tradition of hot men and strong women and plans to publish many more sizzling stories. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at http://www.carlyphillips.com.
Find Carly Phillips Online
Teaser
The sun shone overhead, the temperature neared ninety, and the humidity was hair-curlingly high on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, making it hard to believe a hurricane was coming soon. Ella Shaw glanced up at the blue sky, knowing it wouldn’t remain pristine for long.
The calm before the storm.
She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and headed out of her hotel, determined to hit the local gift shop she’d caught sight of on her way to the photo shoot yesterday. She’d seen long, draping, blue-beaded necklaces from the storefront window, but she hadn’t had time to stop. Her boss was a stickler for getting the right shot in the exact light, and they’d worked well past dark. By the time they’d wrapped for the day, the store had been closed.
As an assistant for Angie Crighton, a fashion designer based in Miami, Ella was responsible for the little details involved in a photo shoot. And though Angie, the photographer, and models had left the island this morning, Ella had stayed to make sure the shooting site was clean, the hotel pleased enough to allow them back another time. And if she were honest with herself, she liked the downtime after the craziness of a photo shoot, the rushing around of the crew, the bossiness of some of the models and, of course, of Angie herself.
Ella appreciated the fact that she had time to souvenir shop for her best friend, Avery Dare. How ironic was it that the two girls from very different worlds had met at all? But they had. And it was Avery who’d introduced Ella to the finer things in life, leading her to seek out a job with an haute-couture designer. Whereas Avery came from a wealthy family, Ella had been raised firmly middle class, but the two girls had bonded instantly. They’d even shared an apartment until recently, when her best friend had moved in with her rock star boyfriend, Grey Kingston.
Yep, two different worlds, even now, Ella thought wryly. But their friendship was solid. Which reminded her, she needed to let Avery know she might not make it back to the States tomorrow as planned.
When Ella had heard about the storm changing course, she’d tried to book an earlier flight out, without success. She shivered at the possibility of being stranded here alone during a hurricane and knew Avery would like the news even less. Her best friend suffered from severe anxiety, and Ella didn’t like to make her worry.
She’d just buy Avery an extra gift to make up for it, she thought, walking into the shop. She immediately headed to the turquoise-blue beads she’d seen through the window. The shopkeeper claimed they were Larimar beads. Even if they were fake, the beads, popular in the Caribbean, were said to have healing powers. Ella purchased two dozen, a mix of bracelets and necklaces, so she could share with the children at the cancer treatment center where she and Avery volunteered.
Avery had been nine, Ella ten years old when they’d met at a Miami hospital, both donating bone marrow, both there at the behest of a parent. Neither of them really understanding what was happening. All Ella had known was that she was doing a favor for her father, helping the stepmother Ella didn’t like all that much to begin with. Even at a young age, Ella had been a good judge of character, a better one than her father, obviously, because shortly after Janice had gotten well, she’d left Ella’s dad. And both her father and Ella’s life had gone downhill from there. Ella shook off the thoughts of her past before she could go deeper and darker, and focused on the pretty jewelry.
She spent some time choosing a thick turquoise bracelet for Avery and a similar one for herself before paying for everything and waiting for the shopkeeper to wrap things up.
Bag in hand, she started back to the hotel, cutting through side streets and looking into the windows of the stores, soaking up the culture along the cobblestone streets before heading back to Miami tomorrow. At least, she still hoped she’d be home. Knowing she couldn’t change the outcome, she pushed her worrisome thoughts aside. She’d deal with the situation as it came.
Sweat dampened her neck from the humidity of the island, and she contemplated taking a cab back to the hotel. She reached into her straw bag and pulled out her cell phone to make the call, when, without warning, she felt a hard jerk on her purse.
“What the—?” She spun around, but whomever wanted her purse was quicker.
She barely caught a glimpse of a tall guy with dark hair as he yanked harder, nearly pulling her shoulder out of its socket before slamming her against the nearby building with his other hand.
Her head hit the concrete wall, and spots immediately appeared behind her eyes from the impact. As she struggled not to pass out, the man grabbed her purse, along with her cell phone that had fallen to the ground.
She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Her legs collapsed beneath her, and she fell to the ground, her head smacking the sidewalk before everything went black.
Coffee Books Life 