Wallflowers Don't Wilt by Raven McAllan

WALLFLOWERS DON'T WILT BY RAVEN MCALLAN

Word Count: 19,700

Heat Level: Smoky

Genre: M/F/F Historical Romance

Publisher: Breathless Press

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Two women on the verge of freedom. One man looking for adventure. Can he persuade them that freedom comes in many forms, including three bodies entwined?

Ivo Daranton is bored. What he sees in a busy ballroom soon removes the boredom and replaces it with the thrill of the chase. His quarry? Serena and Arabella—Sappho-following, pinkie-linking, more than just friends.

Although they had not thought they were inclined to include a man in their lives, Ivo decides they are wrong: a man is needed, and that man is him. How he persuades them to give him and his idea a chance—or rather, how the ladies encourage him to persuade them—is as unconventional as the life they intend to lead.

***

This sultry m/f/f short erotika story takes you back into Regency Era England. The author did a great job of putting you directly into the setting, in this case a ball. The author paints a vivid picture of the ladies and their beautiful dresses, the looks and stares of those gossiping and those being gossiped about. The leading ladies: Serena and Arabella are strong willed; they don't care what others think, they have their future together planned. Then they meet Ivo. The story heat up as they determine if Ivo and his teachings will be included in these plans.

B-

Zakia and the Cowboy by Lorraine Nelson

ZAKIA AND THE COWBOY BY LORRAINE NELSON

Word Count: 60,770

Heat Level: Flirty

Genre: Western Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

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Thunder Creek Ranch Series Book 1

With a stalker following her every move Zakia has no choice but to flee the city. With her options limited she runs to the only place she's ever felt safe...the Thunder Creek Ranch and her ex-husband, Lucas.

Will he protect Zakia from the stalker? And if he does will either of them be able to ignore the feelings that have simmered for so long, ready to explode... before danger either draws them together or pulls them apart.
***

Ah from the first line I was hooked. Ms Nelson writes in a brilliant style, and I just sat and read this in one sitting, oblivious to what I should have been doing.

I find writing a review hard, because I don't want to give any of the story away!

But, I love Zakia, and her attitude and how she copes.

She's being stalked, and goes to her ex-husband for help. That's all of the plot I'm sharing, but, I will say, the sex is hot!

What is great is yes, hot sex, yes tingly hot sex, but it's not all the book is about. This book has a story. It kept me on tenterhooks, even when you know who the stalker is, well you don't know who he is, and it's great.

So you might say, why no A?

Because I would have liked more of the stalkers reasons. Yeah we find out why, and they are oh so plausible, but the little insights into his mind weren't enough for me.

I will definitely be reading more of Ms. Nelson's work.

B+

The Price to Pay by Raven McAllan

THE PRICE TO PAY BY RAVEN MCALLAN

Word Count: 55300

Heat Level: Flirty

Genre: Romance, contemporary, cougar

Publisher: Breathless Press

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Do a friend a favor? Easy. Persuade the woman she's your soul mate? Not so easy. Does this cougar romance stand a chance?

Raig was only doing a favor for a friend. Who'd have thought the mum he was "babysitting" would turn out to be the woman of his dreams?

Raig could see their future; Vairi could only see the age difference. He may say "you are only as old as the man you feel," but she couldn't do the forever he wanted. Too many obstacles stood in their way, especially when she finds out Raig has not been telling her the truth, even though she too has secrets she's not willing to share. Can they open up and put their doubts behind them to discover how satisfying a cougar romance can be?

***

Oooh, a cougar story. How fun, I thought, and it has a good looking couple on the cover. Those two things were the main reasons why I chose to read this book.

First let me start with the mechanics. If I had to grade only this part of the work, it'd end up in the low C range. It took me a little while to get into the story as I grew used to the style of writing and learning to overlook all the telling words/phrases (i.e.: he felt, he could hear, he let, etc). For my taste, I would have liked the story to have been in the heroine's POV at times and not just spoon fed through how the hero thinks she's feeling/thinking, but the story did work just in the hero's POV. There were other small errors, too, that should have been caught during the proofing (spelling, missed words, etc) and which drew me out of the story.

As for the story, whew, talk about sexy! Who wouldn't want a man treating her like a queen and lavishing gobs of affection on her, even though he's a randy one and struck with the love bug right from the start? The hero explained his quick descent into loving her from his angle, and I did appreciate the fact that the heroine addressed the "falling in love fast." I'd been wondering the same since they didn't know each other yet. I liked how humor/wit is laced throughout the story along with the fun bantering between the couple. The first radio show was quite enjoyable as was the texting back and forth later on. I also found myself trying really hard to guess what the issue was Raig was keeping from Vairi. It was built up to be this huge issue/obstacle that they needed to overcome. Yet, when it came down to it, it seemed to be quickly resolved...probably because of how Vairi felt by the end. And, no, I wasn't able to guess his issue so it came as a nice surprise. If I had to grade the story separate from the mechanics, it would have received a high B.

All in all, The Price to Pay was a good read and decent story, and with the two grades combined, it came out with a weak B-.

B-

Forbidden Desires by Kelly Yeakle

FORBIDDEN DESIRES BY KELLY YEAKLE

Word Count: 43,730

Heat Level: Flirty

Genre: Contemporary f/f Romance

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

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When Dani meets the delicate beauty that is Carmen she knows instantly that she wants her—in her life and in her bed. But can Miss. Commitment-phobic look beyond the sex to see the woman beneath?

To Carmen, the wildly beautiful Dani is a new and exciting friend. What she hadn't counted on is the simmering desire she feels when in Dani's presence. As her relationship with her boyfriend sours, Carmen begins to wonder if there is more to Dani than she realizes.

Should she give in to this, the most forbidden of desires?

***

There is a LOT I LOVE about this book.

1. The writing style is superb, engaging, and shows great talent. 

2. In the end, it has a moral: that a woman CAN leave a long-term relationship, CAN stand on her own two feet, and does not need a man in her life to be happy. 

3. Through the heroine, readers feel the emotional turmoil as Carmen is torn between her long time love and boyfriend and what could be and her new sexy friend, Dani and the forbidden desires and (for her) unchartered territory of loving another woman. 

4. It raises the question and the conflicts around: "Is it cheating?" 

5. The sex was amazing.

Do I recommend this read? Absolutely. My only quibble with this book is at times, I did not like Dani. She came across as really pushy. When Carmen said "no" or "I'm not ready for this" or "I need to think," Dani SAID she'd give her space or whatever, but would continue kissing her and driving Carmen mad. I feel Dani pushed Carmen and didn't respect her need for space.

But I loved Carmen and enjoyed her story very much. I was engrossed and understood the turmoil she was feeling. Loved the issues raised. This was a very good read.

B+

The Ghost of Vampire Present by Seleste deLaney

THE GHOST OF VAMPIRE PRESENT BY SELESTE DELANEY

Word Count: 15,000

Heat Level: Smoky

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Decadent

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Jocelyn has finally found her knight in shining armor in Chad, and ghosts are the last thing on her mind. Even when one shows up in her bedroom on Christmas Eve, Jocelyn's a bit more concerned about the other guests on the agenda. She'd prefer to never see another vampire, and the ghost tells her to expect not one, but three.

When the one from her past shows up even though he's supposed to be dead, she decides she's dreaming and suffers through the night. By the time dawn breaks, she's not so sure anymore.

But if it's not a dream that means her nightmare is far from over.

***

This is the sequel to 'Of Course I try' and shows Jocelyn happily settled with Chad, who readers will have met briefly in 'Of Course I Try'. I was really looking forward to reading this, and I did enjoy it, but not as much as I thought I would. 

Let me explain why. I still love Ms. deLaney's descriptive writing style, the sex scenes are hot and beautifully written and there are some brilliant action scenes in this story, but I found it confusing. 

I know it is supposed to be confusing because you see the story through Jocelyn's eyes, and with everything that happens to her in one night, no wonder the poor girl is confused, but to me the author didn't give a satisfactory ending. I literally went "What? That's it?" out loud at the end and actually felt cheated at the open ending. Of course it made me wonder what really happened. Did she dream the night or did the events really take place? Is Chad really Mr Nice Guy or are there far more sinister things at play here? No doubt this was the author's intention, but for me personally, it took some of the joy out of the story. 

I believe a longer story is due to be released soon, and I shall look out for it. I would certainly be interested in seeing how it all works out for Jocelyn and Chad, and I liked Jocelyn's no nonsense friend too. 

A solid B from me. It would have been higher with a more satisfactory ending. Of course this may not bother other readers.

B

The Alphas Anthology

THE ALPHAS - A 4 AUTHOR ANTHOLOGY

Word Count: 43,400

Heat Level: Smoky

Genre: Paranormal, Erotic Romance

Publisher: Breathless Press

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When the Wicked Ladies of Fiction meet up in a Scottish bar they don’t expect a night filled with danger, lust and hot supernatural men…
Perfect Timing by Arya Grey

David Malm had given up on love, but on a trip through time he meets Josie. She reignites a lost fire in his soul.

Josie McNair may be all fire on the outside, but her lack of self-confidence has her insides twisted over meeting her writing group. She begins to realize there are more creatures in the world than she first suspected and finds herself thrown into a life where time has no meaning.

Time-traveling peace-keeper David Malm could never believe in love again. When Henri instructed him in 3042 to look in at the Blood Bar on this particular night in 2011, he didn't envision it turning into a supernatural disaster, let alone be in the throws of passion with a beautiful stranger. Josie reignited something in him he'd thought he'd lost forever, and he would do anything to keep her safe.
Alpha’s Vixen by Cherie Nicholls

From IT geek to Mystical Beacon in one night; not the usual WLF meeting it has to be said.

Dora "Dizzy" Williamson is a busy lady, but she finally makes time to meet some of her writing group in a new bar. Surely a couple of hours with the ladies wouldn't be too bad, right?

Xander de Rista is CEO and alpha to his pack, so being drawn to a new bar that prickled his fur doesn't sit too well with him. Tonight feels different; there are too many supernaturals in one place, but one human stands out to him. One he intends to claim and protect, because hell isn't just breaking loose, it is coming to town.
Saving Hope by Doris O’Connor

Fate cannot be denied. When an ancient vampire finds time catching up with him, can he protect the only woman capable of thawing his heart?

Noelle has only one thing on her mind: how to save her sick daughter from a mysterious illness. A night out with the girls ought to be a distraction, but it turns out to change her life forever.

Fate is not something Henri, a two-thousand-year-old vampire, takes lightly. When he steps into the bar teeming with supernaturals, there is only one scent he finds—Noelle, the one woman he’d never forgotten—and she holds a secret that could cause a war. With time finally ticking in his ear, there is only one decision he can make—he has to protect her or die trying.
In Her Element by Jorja Lovett

When quiet Ana Chapman meets Fire Elemental, Zanaan, at the Blood Bar, a night of hot sex makes her realize just what she's been missing.

For the first time in her life, Ana Chapman is ready for a little excitement. Escaping her mother's tyranny in Belfast for one weekend in Edinburgh to meet her online writers' group seems more than enough to cope with. But her visit to the Blood Bar changes everything. Spontaneous public orgasms, supernatural beings, and teleportation weren't on her agenda for the trip. Neither was losing her virginity.

Zanaan is a Fire Elemental, who most humans can't see. When the shy Irish lass locks eyes with him in the bar, he's drawn to her, and this time it isn't the Salamander legend spurring his chase to bed a mortal. After a night of passion with Ana, he feels the effects immediately—he's losing his powers and becoming human. It's what he always wanted. Isn't it?

***

The Blood Bar Chronicles: The Alphas is a tale of friends: Ana, Noelle, Dizzy, Josie, Arielle and Kyla. Members of the Wicked Ladies of Fiction, a group of erotic novelists based in the UK, the women decide to meet up for a night on the town. Little do they know that they’re about to become enmeshed in a series of sexy, supernatural adventures.

Ana, the newest member of the group, meets a fiery Fire Elemental who calls himself Zane and soon, sparks begin to fly. Dizzy hooks up with a hot, horny shifter by the name of Xander, while Josie’s life literally spins out of control due to David’s time-traveling proclivity. Each of the women rally around to help their friend Noelle, a young mother whose six-year old daughter’s life hangs in the balance. Doctors are baffled by her sensitivity to light and the rare qualities in her blood. That is, until the true identity of the child’s father is revealed.

The concept of The Blood Bar is interesting – one of a supernatural portal where humans and otherwordlings mix and mingle. I liked how the storylines of all four authors (Jorja Lovett, Cherie Nicholls, Doris O’Connor, and Arya Grey) intertwined. In particular, I thought Ms. O’Connor’s depiction of Noelle, the forlorn lover left alone with a child to rear was both believable and compelling. However, at times the dialogue in the other tales seemed a bit stilted.

The Blood Bar Chronicles was a wild ride that’d I’d be obliged to recommend to fans of vampires and shape shifters alike.

B

Unscripted by J.S. Marlo

UNSCRIPTED BY J.S. MARLO

Word Count: 86,784

Heat Level: Flirty

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Breathless Press

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"Shaped by fire. Bound by duty. Driven by love." Riley's tumultuous life rivals the television scripts she writes for Wild Rescue.

After a bullet shatters his world, actor Blythe Huxley befriends Riley Kendrick, a new writer on the television show Wild Rescue, never expecting to discover a kindred spirit.

No stranger to tragedy, Riley lends a compassionate ear to Blythe's difficulties and soon becomes entangled in a web of illicit affairs and deadly intrigue.

When an arsonist and a killer both strike, Riley's fate intertwines with Blythe's, and her life and her heart hang in the balance. Will they be able to protect their past? And save their future? 

***

I was dreading the end of this book because I knew that it would leave a huge hole in my heart. I didn't want to say goodbye to Blythe or Riley. I wanted to stay wrapped in their story for much longer than I thought was possible, such is the amazing talent of this writer.

J.S. Marlo has an incredible knack of drawing you into the world that she has created - and created very cleverly I might add. I read a lot of books and most of them are very good but I would honestly have to say that this is an excellent read. Well worth your time and money.

I cried (more than once), I got annoyed (okay really pissed off) at a couple of the characters and frustrated as well. All indicators that I was totally immersed in the plot and the people involved.

A well deserved B plus from me.

B+

Forever Summer by Seleste DeLaney

FOREVER SUMMER BY SELESTE DELANEY

Word Count: 7,000

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: Smoky

Publisher: Self-Published

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Her dreams of a career by the sea shattered, Katya's trying to be happy with two weeks in the Florida Keys. But when her rental ends up infested, she's ready to go home. At least until Jay, the handyman next door, comes to her rescue.

Sweet, talented & sexy, he's all she ever wanted in a man. Too bad he's only hanging out with her because he's such a nice guy.

Or is he?

 ***

Looking for that perfect story to escape reality and take a mini vacation? Forever Summer is it! This hot little story is short and sweet, and will whisk you away to the warmth of the Florida Keys. The characters were easy to like, I only wished the story had been longer! This is definitely a wonderful read for that rainy afternoon, or something to pass the time while laying out in the sun.

B

A Facebook Affair by Tara Chevrestt

A FACEBOOK AFFAIR BY TARA CHEVRESTT

Word Count: 38,221 

Heat Level: Flirty

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Breathless Press

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When Kelly and Brandon rediscover each other on Facebook after twenty years apart, it sparks an attraction that even distance can't extinguish. Do they truly have a future, or is this just a Facebook affair?

Kelly Littleton takes the plunge and finally joins Facebook to socialize without the limits that her hearing impairment gives her. On a whim, she looks up a childhood friend. In sending him that first message, she ignites the memories of a crush from twenty years ago. But will they turn into the flames of romance, or end up the ashes of a Facebook affair?

Brandon Hopkins has a lot on his plate. A recent divorce, a pregnant sister, and now, he realizes he's in love with a woman who lives states away. Can he overcome the boundaries of internet romance to make this desire turn into something real, or will adversity and distance be their undoing?

***

A Facebook Affair centers on the rekindling of a friendship between a young hearing impaired woman and a sweet man who knew each other in elementary school. The tale seamlessly transitions from the past the the present. The element of having a deaf heroine brought a sense of realism to the world of erotica, which can sometimes be a bit far-fetched. There were many funny one-liners, and I found myself smiling while reading several times. The heroine is a strong woman, something I love to see in romance, and the hero is quite the gentleman. There was hot build-up and delivery of sex scenes, and non-awkward discussions about using condoms. The one thing I didn't like about the book was that there was head hopping, most notably during one of the sex scenes. I found myself distracted and wondering "Wasn't this just in her point of view?". Regardless, I enjoyed this story and look forward to more from the author.

B

BadLands by Seleste DeLaney

BADLANDS BY SELESTE DELANEY

Heat Level: Smoky

Word Count: 33,000

Genre: Steampunk Romance

Publisher: Carina Press

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After a brutal Civil War, America is a land divided. As commander of her nation's border guards, Ever is a warrior sworn to protect her country and her queen. When an airship attacks and kills the monarch, Ever must infiltrate enemy territory to bring home the heir to the throne, and the dirigible Dark Hawk is her fastest way to the Union.

Captain Spencer Pierce just wants to pay off the debt he owes on the Dark Hawk and make a life for himself trading across the border. When the queen's assassination puts the shipping routes at risk, he finds himself Ever's reluctant ally.

As they fly into danger, Ever and Spencer must battle not only the enemy but also their growing attraction. She refuses to place her heart before duty, and he has always put the needs of his ship and crew above his own desires. Once the princess is rescued, perhaps they can find love in the Badlands—if death doesn't find them first...

***

First of all, major thumbs up for uniqueness. I can honestly say this book is nothing like anything else I have read.

What I loved: The role reversal and the tough heroine.

In this story, Ever, the heroine, is the tough one, the one with weapons, the fighter, the one who has sex with who she wants when she feels like. The hero, Spencer, while not a wuss, is the more passive character, the forgiver, the lover.

I love how this was done. Ever's country, the Badlands (and this appears to take place around the Civil War but with lots of clockwork stuff and ships) has been taken over by prisoners and the queen murdered. It's like a country full of bad ass, tattooed women. Ever has to get the next in line to the throne from Philly. Just when she's on death's door, Spencer sees her from his ship.

There's a jealous woman doctor, a temporary bedmate (see above comment about role reversal), sexual tension, crazy mechanical birds, manipulation, lies, a bad man...

Will Ever be able to use Spencer's ship to get the princess safely back to the Badlands? Or will others stand in their way? And then there is the rising feelings between Spencer and Ever.

I found the name Ever a bit irritating. Especially in those instances where there was "for Ever." I had to do double a take sometimes. I think it was an annoying name choice and I felt at times, the characters were slightly robotic...lack of emotion. However, Ever wasn't exactly a typical emotional female...

B