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Review: Black Dagger Brotherhood Series

6/28/2017

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Dark Lover
​by J.R. Ward

Synopsis

The only purebred vampire left on the planet and the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who killed his parents centuries ago. But when his most trusted fighter is killed—orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate—Wrath must put down his dagger and usher the beautiful female into another world.


Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn’t there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of the Brotherhood and blood frighten her. Yet his touch ignites a dawning new hunger—one that threatens to consume them both...

Review

I am a sucker for series books. I am a sucker for vampires. So, of course, J.R. Ward's The Black Dagger Brotherhood series was just the thing for me. I don't like to give away spoilers, but I do like to give enough information so that you, the reader, will be encouraged to read the book in question. So, here it goes. 

Dark Lover is the first book in Brotherhood series, and it concerns Beth who is your average woman who happens to come in contact with the neighborhood master (purebred) vampire, Wrath. There is a whole...background to these books so hopefully I do it justice without telling you everything (that's part of the fun!). 


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Okay, so - what I love about this series so far (I have only read the first three books in the series) is that each book is about a different vampire in the Brotherhood. The first book Dark Lover is about Wrath, the head of the Brotherhood and the only purebred vampire left, and Beth, the human woman he ends up falling in love with. The second book Lover Eternal is about Rhage, the member with the, um, biggest appetite. It's also about Mary, the human woman who also happens to be used to being on her own, and has no interest in looking for love. The third book Lover Awakened is about Zsadist, the most terrifying member of the Brotherhood, and the fellow vampire, Bella.

As far as I understand, the series continues this way. As someone who absolutely loves learning about characters, their backgrounds, fears, loves, etc., I LOVED this arrangement. I've heard people give Ward flack for the names of each member, and I was also surprised at how simple each name came to be. However, Ward does not skimp on each member's backgrounds. They are often horrible and excruciatingly sad. What's lovely, however, is how the women of these stories also have their backgrounds that helped shaped them, and their joining is one of two individuals. This isn't one where the female disappears and it's all about the male. I appreciated that.

There is a lot of information about the Brotherhood, and characters from previous books show up (another major plus!) in later stories. It was easy for me to keep up with the characters, and personal stories because I grew to love each of these vampires and the women who help them. Well, as much as one can love a fictional vampire. Ha.

Also, just learned that Lover Awakened is, at least in some ways, based on Beauty and the Beast (Bella, anyone?) - and I love Beauty and the Beast :D

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Review: The Stubborn Billionaire

2/22/2017

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The Stubborn Billionaire
A Muse Novel
by Lexxie Couper

Synopsis

He had a plan for her. Her getting under his skin wasn't it.


I’ll stop at nothing to get what I want. It’s the Dyson way.
Ruthless? Maybe. But it’s what’s put me on top. And it’s what’s going to help me get revenge on the woman who put my family through hell.

I’m going to ruin Sienna Roberts.

My plan has been in play for months. She has no idea I’m the mysterious benefactor commissioning her artwork, or that the downfall in store for her will be the end of her career.


But there’s something I didn’t plan for—the way her smile and touch starts to make me forget all I blame her for…

Review

I am usually a big fan of this line of romance books, but this one left me feeling nothing. Mostly, I just finished reading it because I wanted to know what happened, but not necessarily because I cared about the characters. The story was written fine, it just didn't grab me enough to care about what happened to these two. Which is a shame. 

I was mostly surprised by how fast the guy (I don't even care to look up his name) ended up getting over his "anger". I'm not against reading a vengeful story, but he did not hold up to his convictions lol. The story was definitely steamy, sexy, and all that. If that is what you're looking for, look no further. I guess I just like to care about my characters AND have sexy times. 


​
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Review: The Billionaire's Virgin

2/21/2017

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The Billionaire's Virgin
A Billionaire Fairytale
​by Jackie Ashenden

Synopsis
Dark, tortured, and intimidating, these dominant billionaires will steal their innocent heroines' breath away. Overwhelmed by their desire to control their world, they push their heroines to explore their deepest desires. But even the most unworldly of heroines can unlock these billionaires' secrets.


Xavier De Santis: Disgraced. Ruinous. Playboy. 

The headlines are always shouting about Xavier’s various excesses, and he’s everything they say he is. But now he’s gone too far, and the black sheep of the De Santis family has been ordered to clean up his image. Volunteering at a homeless shelter, he sees a bright light amidst all the bleakness. An angel whose luminous face and tragic beauty call to him in ways he can’t explain. 
​
Mia: Vulnerable. Homeless. Virgin. 

When the shelter Mia calls home closes, she is left with nowhere to go - nowhere except for the luxurious, glorious palace of a home that Xavier De Santis has invited her to stay. This too-handsome billionaire is dark, dangerous - and also too good to be true. But surely Mia can indulge in her fantasies and escape the drudges of her daily life for just one night?


As one night turns into two, Mia knows that eventually, the magic will end and she will have to return to her life of hardship. She can't keep the beautiful clothes. She can't keep the soft bed. And most of all, she can't keep the hard, handsome, brutal man who makes her crave his touch with every breath she takes. Mia doesn't belong in his world. But as Xavier tempts his rags-to-riches heroine with exquisite pleasure and heady desire, Mia doesn't stand a chance but to surrender completely to him.

Review

Caution - this may be a bit spoilery.

I'm at a little bit of a loss for this story, readers. On the one hand, I enjoyed Ashenden's writing, and felt she was able to adapt a fairy tale into modern times while also giving a voice to a population we don't get to hear about often, the homeless. On the other hand, as much as I appreciated that Xavier was supportive of Mia, I didn't enjoy the whole "virgin" aspect of the situation. 

In so many stories, especially romance, The Virgin is this almost-holy being that is innocent, untouchable, and therefore still able to be saved. I found this a difficult contrast with what we had been shown already - Mia as a homeless young woman who had made decisions she thought best for herself. That is something to be appreciated, and I felt the introduction of her being a virgin made everything trickle down to that. It seemed that all of a sudden it didn't matter that Mia was a fighter, and a survivor - no, it mattered that she had never been sexually touched and oh, isn't that special. 


I truly commend the author for introducing a new population to her readers. It is definitely the first time I see it in romance fiction. But I want romance authors (all authors, really) to remember is that we are shaped by our experiences, the good and the bad, and I don't mind my heroines having a background. I don't mind them knowing what they like or don't like. Don't get me wrong, I do love a good virgin trope. But when you're already doing something special (and yes, I think introducing the homeless population as ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE with WANTS, NEEDS, ETC. is special) , just go for it.
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Review: The Billionaire's Bet

1/2/2017

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The Billionaire's Bet
by Victoria Davies

Release Date: January 23, 2017

Synopsis

Hailey Mitchel wants one thing. Her boss. The only problem is he’s never looked at her as more than a loyal employee. At least, not until his charming business rival, Caleb, drops into her life with an offer she can’t refuse. He’s willing to bet he can make her fall in love with him in a month, and if he’s wrong, he’ll help her find the keys to her boss’s heart.

Caleb Langston wants one thing. Revenge. Hailey is his ticket to finally evening the score with his old adversary. There’s just one problem. The more time he spends with her, the less he cares about his grand plans for payback. But love is always a gamble, and soon he’ll have to choose between his past and his future. And pray Hailey never discovers the secret he’s been hiding from her.

Review

In one of my previous reviews, I mentioned that I was getting sick of the insta-love and was taking a break from romance books. Well, THIS is not one of the books that got me sick of the genre right now. I wish....WISH I could find more books like this one.

I don't know why I love the billionaire bad boy (with a heart of gold) trope so much...maybe it's because they are like unicorns. They don't exist, but they're pretty to look at. 

This book has everything that I like - billionaire bad boys, kick ass and smart heroine, secrets, misunderstandings....etc. Basically, Hailey has it bad for her boss who doesn't see her romantically. Caleb, her boss's nemesis and ex-best friend sees this and offers Hailey a deal: give Caleb a month to have his ex friend fall in love with her, or Hailey will fall in love with Caleb. Hailey, believing there is no way she could fall for him, agrees to the deal so Caleb could help her with winning over her boss. Caleb, as much as he is actually attracted to Hailey, has an ulterior motive - to make his ex friend hurt they way Caleb did so many years ago. Thats all I'm going to say about that. 

Hailey is likeable because she's logical in her thoughts. She isn't stubborn or whiney and doesn't take advantage of being a "lowly worker" in a billionaire's playground. I admire that about her character. And Caleb *dreamy sigh* I really love Caleb's character. He's totally not boring or misogynist in thinking he has to protect and possess Hailey. He realizes she's strong enough to take care of herself. He also encourages her to be more of herself instead of hiding who she is. I love that. 

If you don't like billionaire boy romances - you're not going to like this one. But if you want to give it a chance, I think you'll be surprised to find so much heart in a billionaire love story. Definitely watch out for this book later on this month!
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Review: The 12 Dares of Christmas

12/31/2016

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The 12 Dares of Christmas
by Leigh W. Stuart

Synopsis

Lauren Hall has one wish for Christmas this year—raise money to build a new, no-kill animal shelter for the town of Sycamore Cove. And she is prepared to do anything to make it happen. Even dare a man she just met to perform a strip tease for the local knitting society.

Gabe Nicholson has one wish too—obtain the job of a lifetime to launch his career. Only his wishes get snowballed when his best friend's little sister hands him a pair of stripper pants and a bottle of eggnog-flavored body oil.

It’s all sugar plums and mistletoe until a scandal caused by Lauren’s fundraiser threatens to ruin it all. With Gabe's work opportunities disappearing before his eyes and Lauren's fundraising efforts tanking, their game of dares stands to burn them both. Unless it ignites a spark of Christmas magic.

Review

Yes, technically the Christmas season is over - but as long as my Christmas tree is up (usually until January 6), I'm counting it!

As any reader of the site should know by now, I am a sucker for a holiday romance. 12 Dares definitely had its moments where it was hot and steamy, and others when it was funny, but it still left a lot to be desired. 

Lauren is a sweet heroine - working her butt off to help the local animal shelter (even though...well, I'll let you read that part). Gabe is lovely for helping her out, even though he wasn't sure what he was going to do in order to help her (bless him). And together they make a cute couple. Add in the problem that Gabe is Lauren's older brother's close friends - and you have your friction. But, even with all that, I still could not fully muster enough energy to care about these two characters. Not really. They left me feeling a bit bland about it.

To be honest, the insta-love is really getting to me. This may be why I'm taking a little break from the romance genre. Not for long, mind you, because I love it.

Back to the book - if you want a HEA (happily ever after) steamy romance surrounding Christmas, you'll like this.
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