Category: "soft" S&M

Review: The Billionaire's Deal: Complete

8/13/2016

The Billionaire's Deal: Complete
by Crystal Kaswell

Synopsis

She's broke and out of options. He's willing to dig her out of debt... if she submits to his terms.

Kat Wilder is totally screwed. At only twenty-one, she's resigned to one seriously bleak future. Waiting tables barely supports her only family, her sister, and she's got no luck finding a better job. With no money or time for school, she has no chance at a better life.

Then she meets Blake. The billionaire tech CEO is a lifeline. An arrogant, controlling, impossible to read lifeline. He wants something from Kat and he'll do whatever it takes to get it.

He offers Kat a deal-- a few months of her life for a few hundred thousand dollars. All she has to do is play his girlfriend and convince everyone that she's madly in love with him.

It's Blake's way, Blake's terms, Blake utterly in control.

She tells herself it's only business. But the part between them that matters-- the two of them alone, her giving in to everything he wants-- that part is strictly personal.

The Billionaire's Deal is a new adult romance featuring an inexperienced yet feisty heroine and a protective alpha billionaire hero. The Billionaire's Deal is a full-length, standalone novel. It was previously published as a four part serial.

Review

Okay - I'm gonna gush because I really loved reading this. I read it in a day. I feel that I need to prepare you for when I do that because I tend to go on tangents. Also - spoilers.

If you're a frequent visitor to this blog, you may have caught my previous review for Crystal Kaswell's other book, The Billionaire's Intern. Now, if you read that review, you would know that I did not like it, and could not bother to finish it. Well, I am happy to say that this book was a whole different experience for me.

Kat is a hard working 21 year old woman who lost her parents in a car accident when she was a teenager. She has been taking care of her younger sister Lizzy since that horrific day. That day was also the end of Kat's dreams of going on to college and living her life. Now, her goals are to pay the mortgage, and send her sister to the university she wants. Unfortunately, without a college education, she's stuck finding quick waitressing jobs to make ends meet.

Until the day she, literally, bumps into Blake - self made billionaire. A spark between strangers turns into something more when Blake makes Kat a deal she finds hard to pass up: pretend to be Blake's girlfriend for at least 6 months in exchange for Blake paying her full mortgage and Lizzy's tuition.

Okay - so there was quite a bit that I loved about this story. Before I get started with the gushing, I do want to say that I think billionaire love stories get a bad rep. I'm not saying they're ALL good because they aren't. I, personally, enjoy the billionaire story when told the "right way" (i.e. the way I like it).

I truly enjoyed Blake's character in this story. Yes, he's a billionaire, but I hesitate calling him a bad boy. His previous partners aren't really spoken about, and if anything what's talked about is that he often ignored women in college in order to focus on programming (he's a tech mogul). He cares a lot about his mother (be still, my heart), and he doesn't push Kat to agree with anything. All she needs to say is their safe word and he will stop. This goes for anything - during sex or not. He takes his time taking care of Kat, and constantly stops her deprecating herself and her achievements.

Then there's Kat. I liked Kat. She never forgets how insane the deal with the billionaire is, but after years of struggling and doing it alone for her sister have her bend her thoughts for some help. Kat holds onto who she is throughout the story - and even has the freedom to remember the bits of her that were long forgotten after her parent's accident. I admire that. She also doesn't shy away from what she wants - Blake.

I don't want to give away so much information, but know that this story had a strong plot and characters to see it through. There were times where I was afraid we were going into 50 Shades territory, but then I'd be welcomed with a sensible Kat comeback. There is some very VERY light S&M in this story - but it's consensual and not too heavy for the relationship at all. I didn't like that Kat was a virgin, what I'm used to the woman being a virgin in some of these stories. I also saw that some phrases were repeated quite a bit. Now, this story was originally published in parts, so maybe that's why it wasn't noticed. Also, some sentences could have used some editing. The plot and characters though - I cared about all of them. It was quite detailed. The only thing that would have made it even better for me would have been if we were given some POV chapters from Blake. I wanted to know what that guy was thinking! I knew Kat was making him happy, and there were little telltale behaviors in what Kat saw, but as you probably know by now, I am a sucker for a hero's POV.

All in all - this story has me looking forward to Kaswell's work in the future. It is also up there in top favorite billionaire stories.

Do you like billionaire love stories? Why or why not? Leave me your recommendations if you do!

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Review: The Seduction of Kinley Foster

8/10/2016

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The Seduction of Kinley Foster
A What Happens in Vegas Story
by Lisa Wells

Synopsis

She needs an erotic education. And he’s just the one to teach her…
Librarian Kinley Foster wants to write erotic romance—the steamy, sexy, curl-your-toes kind of stuff. The problem? She desperately needs a little erotic inspiration. And at a romance convention in Vegas, she finds it…or rather him. The sizzlingly sexy guy who refused Kinley—and her virginity—when she was sixteen.

Now it’s time for a little payback.
Literary agent Ian Thompson is a professional. Mentoring an aspiring author is one thing. Giving her a thorough and thoroughly satisfying sexy education is quite another. Especially when she’s as stunning and deliciously curvaceous as Kinley. Yet Ian can’t help himself when Kinley makes him a wager he can’t resist. A wager that will tempt Ian to cross every professional—and every sensual—boundary in the book…

Hell yeah it is!

Review

I'm totally confused and in love with this book. You know how I get with the books I really enjoy - spoilers...possibly.

I'm in love with it because it has all the tropes and catnip that I adore: kinda friends-enemies-to-lovers, possessive/jealous on both sides, both POVs, the story takes place at a romance book convention (meta!), sassy-geeky heroine, hot-sweet hero, misunderstandings galore, etc. This book was long, well-written, and it made have so many feels.

Thisis why I'm also confused by it. The story of Kinley and Ian brought about a sense of nostalgia for me which is the STRANGEST feeling I have EVER gotten from a romance read.

In Seduction, Ian is Kinley's big brother's best friend. Kinley has known Ian since she was a kid (he is 6 years older than her) and has harbored much love for him since then. However, due to some misunderstandings, Kinley has hated him since she was 16 and has tried (and failed) to forget about Ian.

I'm gonna tell you what happened because I need to process it. No worries, skip this part if you want to be surprised, I'll start a new paragraph to continue after this. So, apparently when Kinley was 16 years old, she arrived at Ian's place and promptly tripped into his arms, kissed him, and asked him to be her first. Ian, never forgetting their ages, and that she's his best friend's little sister, tells her "no." Kinley is understandably stung at the rejection, but to make matters worse, a naked girl comes out of Ian's bedroom. I won't tell you who the naked girl is - she's pretty important to the story.

So - why the nostalgia? Obviously, to me anyway, I did not do what Kinley did, BUT I do remember that age when it wasn't difficult to put yourself out there. Of wearing your feelings on your sleeve, and the decision of placing all your expectations, dreams, wishes, and love in this one person in the sheer hope that the person, who has your heart in their hand, will tell you that they love and want you too. It also brought about the crushing reality that is rejection - in the only way a 16 year old can really understand.

So this story really took my feelings for a whirl - it's the ultimate kinda-revenge fantasy where everything that wasn't or couldn't be said as teenagers/kids is fair game as adults. It's the ultimate, what if. It also did not hurt that I loved our heroine and hero. Kinley is the perfect amount of sass and romance geek. She is someone who takes her dreams seriously and looks to be better and better with each experience. Ian is sweet, hot, sometimes an arrogant jerk (but not really) who decided to forge his own career path than to fall into the family business. And he's good at it. Their banter is fun, and even their jabs at hurting the other with memories was interesting to read.

I loved this story about two people who are oblivious and afraid of their feelings. It's such a human thing to read about. This book kind of broke my rules for what I usually enjoy in romance reads (I don't want to tell you - just think really hard about the stuff that I usually hate in romance books...).

If you like stories like this, pick this book up. It has skyrocketed to my number one fave for romance reads. I looked into other Lisa Wells books, but did not really come up with any :( Let me know if you find one I missed!

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Review: Boiling Point

1/26/2016

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Boiling Point
A Crossing the Line novel
by Tessa Bailey

Synopsis
Falling for a con man is the most dangerous game of all...
Con artist Austin Shaw's been in disguise so long he's not sure where his fake identities end and he begins. Now that he's been strong-armed into working for a specialized undercover unit working with the Chicago police—criminals with unique “skills”—the last thing he needs is to risk his iron control. Especially when it comes to a certain stunningly sexy hacker who tempts him with every look of disdain.
Polly Banks will never, ever trust a con man. On the trail of a ruthless crook who destroyed the only family she's ever known, Polly is unnerved by the shadow who follows her every move. The one who makes her pulse pound and breath short with lust. Austin. He's infuriating, enigmatic, and pure sex appeal, and she's determined to resist him.
But an untrustworthy man of disguise can become anyone he wants...including a man that Polly must trust if she's to escape their dangerous game alive.

Review
I want to thank Entangled Publishing for letting me get a review ebook copy of this from NetGalley. I agreed to write an honest review - but I always write honest reviews, dear readers.

There are a lot of things I loved about Boiling Point and some things that irked me a little. Let's start with the love. I had never read a book about crime or con men or anything like that, so it was really fun to experience this type of ex-criminal squad - still tough, but working for the good guys. Austin, who I imagine has a sexy British accent, is lovable as a tough as nails, but sweet guy. Polly is a sweet woman who can outwit most people - plus, she sounds GORGEOUS. The more I read romance/erotica, the more I realize that I am a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope...which is what you get with Boiling Point. These two start off hating each other - or, seemingly so as we learn that the only thing Austin seems to hate about Polly is the fact that he can't have her. There's quite a bit of action - both in the bedroom and out. I was not disappointed in the slightest with those scenes. I really came to care about Austin and Polly as characters even though it felt like I read the book super fast.

Now, the things that irk me. Keep in mind - these aspects may irk me, but they do not, in any way, take away from the core of the story. For one, I was really lost at the beginning. Like, super lost. This may have been because this is the 3rd book from the Crossing the Line series, but I feel like that could have been a way to bridge it for those readers who haven't read the first and second books. Also, Polly is a hacker, but rarely do we have any scenes where she hacks. I get that it's a solitary activity, but all I kept hearing was about what an awesome hacker she is. That may be so and it might have been described in the other two books, but I wish I could have read a bit more about it here. I love hacker girls - hacker girls are not only hot, but awesome. Also, there is a section at the end, in which, I'm pretty sure, the author wants to bridge this book with her next book and...it just kind bored me. I don't care enough about THAT character (I don't like spoilers readers, so just try to follow me) right now because I'm still with Polly and Austin. It didn't feel smooth enough for me. I was too impatient to keep reading about this lovely couple.

Oh! How can I forget the best thing ever!? What I absolutely loved about this book was that it