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ARC Review: DEVOTED by Lexi Blake
Devoted
Lexi Blake
Masters and Mercenaries Series, Book 10.5
1001 Dark Nights Series
Evil Eye Concepts
A woman’s work
Amy Slaten has devoted her life to Slaten Industries. After ousting her corrupt father and taking over the CEO role, she thought she could relax and enjoy taking her company to the next level. But an old business rivalry rears its ugly head. The only thing that can possibly take her mind off business is the training class at Sanctum…and her training partner, the gorgeous and funny Flynn Adler. If she can just manage to best her mysterious business rival, life might be perfect.
A man’s commitment
Flynn Adler never thought he would fall for the enemy. Business is war, or so his father always claimed. He was raised to be ruthless when it came to the family company, and now he’s raising his brother to one day work with him. The first order of business? The hostile takeover of Slaten Industries. It’s a stressful job so when his brother offers him a spot in Sanctum’s training program, Flynn jumps at the chance.
A lifetime of devotion….
When Flynn realizes the woman he’s falling for is none other than the CEO of the firm he needs to take down, he has to make a choice. Does he take care of the woman he’s falling in love with or the business he’s worked a lifetime to build? And when Amy finally understands the man she’s come to trust is none other than the enemy, will she walk away from him or fight for the love she’s come to depend on?
Excerpt
What the hell had she done? Amy managed to walk sedately up the stairs. She was pretty sure he was still watching her.
Him. Flynn.
God, she was blushing at the very thought of him. He was some kind of actor or model. He had to be because that man was flipping gorgeous. He was tall and broad and she’d kissed him.
I would rather have a kiss.
Her heart had threatened to flatline then and there. He’d said it in a low growl that had gone straight past her ears to her female parts, and she’d found herself doing something crazy. She’d gone up on her toes and kissed him but not before she’d really looked at him. There was something about the man, something in his eyes. Something that called to her.
Flynn.
Flynn.
She liked Flynn better than John. Way better. She already had one too many Johns in her world.
What was she doing? She’d already kissed a Dom, and one who was in her training class. How was she going to feel when he got paired up with another sub?
She looked up ahead at the dungeon space they’d designated as the classroom for the night. It looked like there were four women and three men up ahead. She’d known it was a small class, but then Sanctum was pretty selective from what she understood. They tended to take in new members by referral only. She was here because of her sister.
Who did Flynn know?
Maybe he worked for McKay-Taggart. The club had founded around a group of ex-military men who formed a security company. It had been completely private for years, but now they were taking new members since they had a much bigger space.
Apparently the last space had blown up.
Maybe she didn’t want him working for McKay-Taggart. They had dangerous jobs. Maybe he was someone’s brother and he had a perfectly normal, didn’t get shot on a regular basis job.
She didn’t want him to get shot. She kind of wanted to kiss him again.
Focus. She needed to focus on the task at hand and that was not making a complete idiot of herself in front of the class.
4 Stars
Corporate rivals Amy and Flynn take enemies to lovers to a whole new level. Lexi Blake heats the pages with sexiness, heart and humor in Devoted.
Amy has taken the family company from her hard ass father. A woman who has to be in control to the world around her. I loved her. Strong, but yet caring, smart and has a huge heart. A damn fine woman who more than hold her own in the “mans” world she’s in.
An incredibly smart coder, Flynn has taken over his family’s company as well. A Dom in training, who’s commanding, confidant and playing a dangerous game. Flynn learn what the true meaning of keeping your enemies closer really means.
Two people, both lonely in the big game of the world they live in seeking a breath of fresh air. Sanctum should be the release and relief they both need. Opening more doors than just passion and escape, Flynn and Amy discovered themselves and each other. Passionate dominance, humor, bratty sub behavior and excellent banter entertain readers from the first page to the last. I love that Lexi Blake allowed Flynn to have all the information. It made him work twice as hard. The moment it went from wanting to know, to have to have is what makes romance readers read!
About Lexi:
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.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlexiblake/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlexiblake
Website: http://www.lexiblake.net/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Lexi-Blake
/e/B005JVSDJ0/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1450204047&sr=8-2-ent
Review: Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey
Rough Rhythm
Tessa Bailey
Made in Jersey Series, Book 1.5
God help the woman I take home tonight.
Band manager James Brandon never expected to find the elusive satisfaction he’d been chasing, let alone stumble upon it in some sleezy Hollywood meat market. Yet the girl’s quiet pride spoke to him from across the bar, louder than a shout. Troubled, hungry and homeless, she’d placed her trust in him. But after losing the grip on his dark desires that one fateful night, James has spent the last four years atoning for letting her down.
This time I’ll finally crack him.
Rock band drummer Lita Regina has had enough of James’s guilt. She wants the explosive man she met that night in Hollywood. The man who held nothing back and took no prisoners—save Lita. And she’ll stop at nothing to revive him. Even if it means throwing herself into peril at every turn, just to get a reaction from her stoic manager. But when Lita takes her quest one step too far, James disappears from her life, thinking his absence will keep her safe.
Now it’s up to Lita to bring James back…and ignite an inferno of passion in the process.
Reader Advisory: ROUGH RHYTHM contains fantasies of nonconsensual sex, acted upon by consenting characters. Readers with sensitivity to portrayals of nonconsensual sex should be advised.
4.5 Stars
James has two sides. One that is so protective it’s almost to the point of obsession. The other that is dark, dangerous and addictive. He battles within himself constantly. A past, dark desires and guilt hold James back from knowing true bliss.
Lita is bold, loud and fun. A talented woman who will go after what she wants. No matter the cost or danger. James left a taste for a desire that only he can give the night the two met. Lita continuously puts herself on the line hoping, wanting something but doesn’t quite expect.
Tessa Bailey is my Queen of dirty talking men. OMG, Raw and gritty with a dark edge. I loved every word. Rough Rhythm is a fast, leaving you breathing hard, hits you where it counts novella. Raw desires, intense passion and deep emotions, Tessa Bailey seduces readers with her dirty words and charismatic characters.
For the lovers of a hands down dirty book, Rough Rhythm is the read for you!
Release Day: Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey
BUY LINK:
http://amzn.com/B014V99DW6
SYNOPSIS:
God help the woman I take home tonight.
Band manager James Brandon never expected to find the elusive satisfaction he’d been chasing, let alone stumble upon it in some sleezy Hollywood meat market. Yet the girl’s quiet pride spoke to him from across the bar, louder than a shout. Troubled, hungry and homeless, she’d placed her trust in him. But after losing the grip on his dark desires that one fateful night, James has spent the last four years atoning for letting her down.
This time I’ll finally crack him.
Rock band drummer Lita Regina has had enough of James’s guilt. She wants the explosive man she met that night in Hollywood. The man who held nothing back and took no prisoners—save Lita. And she’ll stop at nothing to revive him. Even if it means throwing herself into peril at every turn, just to get a reaction from her stoic manager. But when Lita takes her quest one step too far, James disappears from her life, thinking his absence will keep her safe.
Now it’s up to Lita to bring James back…and ignite an inferno of passion in the process.
Reader Advisory: ROUGH RHYTHM contains fantasies of nonconsensual sex, acted upon by consenting characters. Readers with sensitivity to portrayals of nonconsensual sex should be advised.
EXCERPT:
This time she would finally crack him.
Ignoring stares from her cellmates, Lita jogged in place, preparing for the confrontation with James, her band manager. This was her ritual before shows, too. It loosened the limbs, shook out the demons. She took her role as drummer for Old News seriously, same way she considered riling up James a form of art. For four freaking years, they’d been repeating this song and dance—and Lita was over it. Today was the day James lost his cool. The way he’d lost it the night they met.
Remembering the state she’d been in when James found her, Lita jogged a little faster. At twenty-three, she wasn’t that scrawny, starving girl now. Not in most ways, anyway. The memory of what took place that night still had the ability to steal her breath, make her restless. But unlike the girl she’d been at nineteen, Lita didn’t wait for fate to wave its magical hand. No. She grabbed fate’s wrist and shook, shook, until the pieces fell into an acceptable pattern. That modus operandi is what had landed her inside a musky, Wilshire division holding cell of LA County’s jail system.
Lita didn’t have a head for numbers, but was pretty damn sure today would mark the twenty-first time James had bailed her out of a jail-type situation. Looking after the interests of Old News’s members was his job. Their relationship, however, fell outside the parameters of a typical musician-manager arrangement. Not that he would ever admit it. No, James simply continued to show up when Lita got into trouble, lecturing her about proper behavior on the way to dropping her off. And leaving. He left every time, that distinguished jaw of his firmly set, sunglasses hiding the guilt she knew lurked in his eyes four years later.
Not this time. Last night, Lita had gone above and beyond to ensure this morning wrought one of two outcomes: James quitting, giving up on her like everyone else did eventually, or his control finally slipped. One way or another, she wouldn’t be in limbo come tonight. She’d been there too long.
Lita stopped jogging when she heard the jingling of the guard’s keys. James was right on time, as usual. Her cellmates craned their necks, some coming to their feet in the hopes they were being released. Lita stowed a pang of sympathy and whipped her hair into a quick ponytail. The guard cast a tired-eyed glance in her direction and unlocked the door. “Lita Regina, your bail has been posted.”
ABOUT TESSA BAILEY
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention. She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
Publishing Credits
Baiting the Maid of Honor, Entangled Brazen, June 2014
Unfixable (New Adult), Entangled Embrace, April 2014
Protecting What’s Theirs (novella), Entangled Brazen, March 2014
Staking His Claim, Entangled Brazen, February 2014
Asking For Trouble, Entangled Brazen, November 2013
Officer Off Limits, Entangled Brazen, June 2013
His Risk to Take, Entangled Brazen, May 2013
Protecting What’s His, Entangled Brazen, February 2013
Owned by Fate, Entangled Brazen, September 2014
Exposed by Fate, Entangled Brazen, October 2014
Riskier Business, Entangled Brazen, December 2014
Risking It All (Crossing the Line 1), Entangled Select, January 2015
Driven by Fate, Entangled Brazen, February 2015
Chase Me (Broke & Beautiful 1), Avon Impulse, March 2015
Need Me (Broke & Beautiful 2), Avon Impulse, April 2015
Off Base (novella) self-published, May 2015
Up in Smoke (Crossing the Line 2), Entangled Select, June 2015
Make Me (Broke & Beautiful 3), Avon Impulse, August 2015
Crashed Out (Made in Jersey 1), Entangled Brazen, December 2015
Boiling Point (Crossing the Line 3), Entangled Select, January 2016
Rough Rhythm, 1001 Dark Nights Project, March 2016
Thrown Down (Made in Jersey 2), Entangled Brazen, April 2016
Raw Redemption (Crossing the Line 4), Entangled Select, June 2016
Worked Up (Made in Jersey 3), Entangled Brazen, August 2016
Wound Tight (Made in Jersey 4), Entangled Brazen, December 2016
ARC Review: Trouble Maker by Liliana Hart
Trouble Maker
Liliana Hart
Marnie Whitlock has never known what it’s like to be normal. She and her family moved from place to place, hiding from reporters and psychologists, all because of her gift. A curse was more like it. Seeing a victim, feeling his pain as the last of his life ebbed away, and being helpless to save him. It was torture. And then one day it disappeared and she was free. Until those who hunted her for her gift tried to kill her. And then the gift came back with a vengeance.
Beckett Hamilton leads a simple life. His ranch is profitable and a legacy he’ll be proud to pass onto his children one day, work fills his time from sunup to sundown, and his romances are short and sweet. He wouldn’t have it any other way. And then he runs into quiet and reserved Marnie Whitlock just after she moves to town. She intrigues him like no woman ever has. And she’s hiding something. His hope is that she begins to trust him before it’s too late.
Oh my goodness, holy hot cowboy!
Marnie has seen and experienced enough hurt to last many lifetimes. Yet she finds courage within herself to continue on. A special gift give Marnie an extra insight to thing around her. A bless and a curse both in her eyes. Trust misplaced has Marnie starting over in her hometown. Holding her head high, proud of watch she can do, Marnie takes on her life with all she has. An extraordinary character.
Beckett made me fall for a cowboy. A man who’s proud of who he is, what he does and the legacy he puts his soul into. A good hearted man, who loyal, trustworthy, and good to his word. Sexy and built, with the patience of a saint. Beckett work his cowboy way into my heart.
Trouble Maker is my first sampling of Liliana Hart’s work and will not be my last. Heartbreaking and warning all in one. Power packed with emotion and lingering passion that spans over a decade. A second chance romance that was only ignited before it was torn apart. A novella that hits you hard in all the right ways. Hang on for a one emotional and sexy ride.
And complementary copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher for an honest review. Receiving a complimentary copy does not affect the outcome of this review.
ARC Review: Rush by Robin Covington
Rush
Robin Covington
A MacKenzie Family Novel
From Liliana Hart’s New York Times bestselling MacKenzie family comes a new story by USA Today bestselling author Robin Covington…
Atticus Rush doesn’t really like people. Years in Special Ops and law enforcement showed him the worst of humanity, making his mountain hideaway the ideal place to live. But when his colleagues at MacKenzie Security need him to save the kidnapped young daughter of a U.S. Senator, he’ll do it, even if it means working with the woman who broke his heart …his ex-wife.
Lady Olivia Rutledge-Cairn likes to steal things. Raised with a silver spoon and the glass slipper she spent years cultivating a cadre of acquaintances in the highest places. She parlayed her natural gift for theft into a career of locating and illegally retrieving hard-to-find items of value for the ridiculously wealthy. Rush was the one man who tempted her to change her ways…until he caught her and threatened to turn her in.
MacKenzie Security has vowed to save the girl. Olivia can find anything or anyone. Rush can get anyone out. As the clock winds down on the girl’s life, can they fight the past, a ruthless madman and their explosive passion to get the job done?
5 Stars
Atticus Rush is a jaded, ex special forces turned mercenary and security contractor. Hes is a hard, take no prisoners, push you to the edge type of man. All alpha and is able to get what he wants, how he want it. A man not to be messed with. His personal demons weigh heavily on his psyche. His exquisite body, quick tongue and no nonsense ways leave readers in thrall of Atticus.
Olivia -Livvy- Rutledge-Cairn is one kick ass lady. Born a princess Livvy found within herself a skill set make her a Master Thief. There is nothing this woman can’t track down and fine. She’s as beautiful and sexy as she is cunning and dangerous. This sensual woman can more than handle herself.
Robin Covington’s contribution to the MacKenzie family will have your pulse racing and breathless with desire. Livvy and Atticus have a history with some up and down and ton of combustible chemistry. A tortured, broken hero and woman that’s just as strong as he is. Both alphas and commanding in their own right. And both get to each other like no other.
Rush is a fast paced novella that hit you in all the right spots. Action, suspense, and intense passion. Robin Covington gave readers an intense hit to the romance pallets with Rush!
Review copy was provided by the author/publisher for an honest review. Receiving a complimentary copy of this title does not affect the outcome of the review.
ARC Review: Pure Wicked by Shayla Black
Pure Wicked
Shayla Black
Wicked Lovers Series, Book 9.5
1001 Dark Nights Series, Book 24
100 pages, EBOOK
Publish Date: September 8, 2015
Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
During his decade as an international pop star, Jesse McCall has lived every day in the fast lane. A committed hedonist reveling in amazing highs, globetrotting, and nameless encounters, he refuses to think about his loneliness or empty future. Then tragedy strikes.
Shocked and grieving, he sheds his identity and walks away, searching for peace. Instead, he finds Bristol Reese, a no-nonsense beauty scraping to keep her family’s business afloat while struggling with her own demons. He’s intent on seducing her, but other than a pleasure-filled night, she’s not interested in a player, especially after her boyfriend recently proposed to her sister. In order to claim Bristol, Jesse has to prove he’s not the kind of man he’s always been. But when she learns his identity and his past comes back to haunt him, how will he convince her that he’s a changed man who wants nothing more than to make her his forever?
4.5 Stars
Pure Wicked is a treat for the fans of the Wicked Lovers Series.
Jesse McCall was introduced to readers in Decadent, book two of the Wicked Lovers Series. A Rockstar, bad boy with the reputation to go with. A man who got what he wanted, when he wanted. Fully indulging in his lifestyle, Jessie’s life was on a dangerous path. Fast forward 10 years, tragedy strikes very close to his heart. While cleaning up his own act, his friend and band mate, continued to walk a fine line between life and death, and lost.
In a moment of unexpected chivalry, while laying low, Jesse’s eyes open to what he wants and truly needs in life. A changed man, Jesse learns what love and real passion truly are. Like all men of the Wicked Lovers series, they fall hard and fast. The chemistry is intense and off the charts. The passion is wickedly sexy and scorches the pages. I loved seeing how some time and growing up made a bad boy into a wickedly good man. Shayla Black knows how to raise the temperature and cause a reader’s heart to race.
An ecopy of this title was provided for an honest review!
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