´`★.¸¸¸. •°´♡ BOOK REVIEW ¸.★*´♡¸.★*´♡

Forbidden (House of Sin #1) by Elisabeth Naughton

A captivating opener to the House of Sin series

This is a deliciously steamy and angst inducing read, though I wouldn't describe book #1 as dark. I loved Ms Naughton's Eternal Guardians series, a fantasy/mythological romance blend, but haven't tried any of her contemporary romance stuff yet. The blurb and genre description totally called my name and whilst, as I've already stated, for me this isn't yet 'dark' it IS very powerful in its psychological elements but is more romantic suspense in my eyes. (For me dark is dubious or non-con, violence, sex slavery, torture or mutilation of one of the main characters.)

I wasn't sure what to expect, though from reading the EG series I know the author is a very talented writer, able to convey emotions and feeling extremely well. In regards to the 'dark' aspect, unless I have previously read dark work by that author, I rarely allow my hopes to build up. That said, this had me so twitchy and anxious at times that I was still totally entranced by it.


Natalie is investigating the death of her best friend. The friend she knows would never have taken drugs at all, never mind overdosed on them. The friend whose emails had caused Natalie to become worried. The friend whose apartment was so neat and tidy it triggered massive alarm bells in Natalie's head, enough to know that someone is hiding the truth. Her searches lead her to the Salvatici brothers, Luc and Gio, but who can she trust and who is keeping secrets? What will happen if she trusts the wrong man?

I was utterly mesmerised by the first part of this story, which will conclude over the next two books in the series. I literally did not want to put the book down, I read it in any 5 minute break I had and I read it far into the night. Despite being part of a trilogy its well on its way to being a 5 hour read and, whilst I personally could have lived without a couple of the sex scenes, none of it felt like filler. The first part of the book had me permanently on tenterhooks, with its ever present edge of danger and Natalie's frequent feelings of unease or down right fear.

A tiny little part of me felt that at times she could almost fall into the TSTL (too stupid to live) category. You suspect your best friend has been murdered and you run straight towards the people you believe are responsible. However it didn't bother me in the slightest because (a) it was vital to the story and (b) she didn't come across as stupid at any other point. Both main characters come across well and are likeable. It did want to smack Luc upside the head for never actually explaining to Natalie just why he told her to do things, or why she was in danger. However I get that he thought he was protecting her by doing this.

The middle of the book becomes more of an erotic romance, with Natalie discovering Luc's hidden desires and his need to dominate. Whilst this section is very steamy, it did feel an integral part of developing both Luc and Natalie's characters, as well as forging a believable connection between them. I loved Natalie's strength of character throughout this section. We then get to the last part of the book, where events take a more sinister turn and the tension level rises again and we get a very dramatic, cliffhanger conclusion to the story. Whether events will turn darker from this point obviously remains to be seen but what is without doubt is that I will be continuing to read this series of books until the end.

Given the very sexual and erotic nature of the books it's definitely an 18+ read, but it's also a book that I am very happy to recommend to friends, family and fellow book lovers.

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Synopsis
She has no idea what lurks behind the forbidden doors of the House of Sin…

He is temptation. Forbidden fruit. A craving I can’t seem to resist.

I went after him in search of answers, certain he had blood on his hands. Now I’ve fallen prey to his seductive looks and commanding charisma.

I know he is a threat. He’s entwined in a dangerous world I don’t understand. But that doesn’t stop me from aching for his touch, for the taste of his wicked lips.

Before I can truly surrender to the fire smoldering between us, I need to know more. I have to see behind the doors he keeps firmly locked.

I need to discover what he’s hiding in the shadowy world known as the House of Sin…

**WARNING!**
This book is very sexy, very dark, and very addictive! Contains consensual kink and a dark and dominant hero with a dangerous secret. This is a big story that can’t be told in only one book so there is a cliffhanger – but never fear, book two releases three weeks later.

Take Me Down (Riggs Brothers Book 2) by Julie Kriss

A misunderstood not-so-bad bad boy and the woman who wants to know all about him 

This is a tale of uptown girl meets boy from the wrong side of the tracks (literally). Having read and enjoyed a lot of her previous work, including the first book in this series, I couldn't miss reading Jace's story in Take Me Down. The book can be read as a stand alone, though it contains characters from a previous book there is sufficient background given to follow this story, without too many spoilers either. There was something special about Jace in Drive Me Wild, and his story certainly didn't disappoint.

Tara is a counsellor who often works with those the courts deem to require her services. Jace is one such client, ordered to attend his sessions as part of his parole conditions. Their first meeting is fiery, with some less than professional behaviour and plenty of provocation. Go two isn't any better, but then Tara discovers something about Jace that puts the situation in a whole new light. She meets with him to apologies, and since they are no longer client and counsellor, the fire between them threatens to turn into an inferno. However someone in Tara's past is not going to like her having a relationship with a Rigg's and it is enough to put Jace at a huge risk.

I loved Jace, he had such hidden depths and wasn't afraid to be who he wanted to be. I didn't quite 'get' Tara in the same way but I still really believed in them as a couple. They had amazing chemistry and I'm sure my kindle was on the verge of melting on more than one occasion. The pace of the story is really good and there are several very unexpected and surprising plot twist. If I had a criticism of the book it was that the ending felt a little rushed. There was quite a lot of different things packed into only a few chapters. Despite some quite twisty plot lines, everything worked and the story did feel believable.

One of the parts I really liked was that whilst Tara's parents weren't the best, she accepted them for who they were and there wasn't a huge 'I disown you' scene or a 'come to Jesus' moment where all sins were forgiven. They weren't that good at showing their love but they were the only parents Tara had, and much better than Jace's had ever been, so it was a case of 'live with it'.

The Riggs are down-to-earth rough and ready boys, so there is quite a lot of bad language in this. Although it starts of fairly slow burn there are also several very detailed and steamy scenes too, so this is very much an 18+ read. If you want a well written, entertaining, steamy read where the hero is very much a blue collar guy then this is one to try.

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A buttoned-up counsellor. A hot ex-con with secrets. One session that changes everything.

It was supposed to be simple: Let Jace Riggs walk into my counseling office, tell me how he’s adjusting to post-prison life, and let him walk out again. But the first thing I've learned is that nothing is simple with Jace.

He’s tall, muscled, bearded and tatted. He’s smarter than anyone else in the room and ten times more guarded. He’s hiding things that would break any other man to pieces. He’s a loner, a bad boy, and an infamous Riggs brother from the wrong side of the tracks.

He’s a hundred kinds of wrong for me. And even when I’m not his counsellor anymore, I still want to break down his defenses.

Jace has never trusted anyone - until me. He says I’m the only woman he wants close to him. The only woman he’s wanted in his bed - ever. And when he looks at me with that look of white-hot fire, I believe everything he says.

My own secrets could get Jace sent back to prison - or get him killed. And he doesn’t care.

We had so little time. We might not have until morning. But with the fire ignited between Jace and me, forever wouldn’t be long enough…

COMING SOON .....

Despite trying to cut back on arc commitments this has turned out to be a really busy reading week, luckily I really enjoyed most of the books I read.

☆❤️THIS WEEKS BOOK REVIEWS ❤️☆

#1 Take Me Down by Julie Kriss

A bad-boy contemporary romance

#2 Forbidden (House of Sin #1) by Elisabeth Naughton 

A darkly romantic suspense

#3 Hunter's Mark by Wendy Smith 

A warm and wonderful contemporary romance

 #4 Fools Rush In by Lilliana Anderson

A fun, fast paced contemporary romance

#5 El Malo by K Webster 

A dark erotic romance

   

#6 The Prophet by Celia Aaron

Book 2 in a dark and twisty trilogy

  

See you soon :D

(¸.•´(¸.•´ (¸.•¨¯`* BOOK REVIEW - UNFORGIVABLE by Isabel Love ¸.•´(¸.•´ (¸.•¨¯`* ღ

Unforgivable by Isabel Love

MY REVIEW 5 Stars simply isn't enough to do this book justice.

(PS keep a box of tissues to hand whilst reading this book.)

A heartrending tale of how youthful mistakes can have lasting consequences.

Hope is a stupid, cruel emotion.

In my early days of reading, reviewing and blogging arc books I took a chance on a new author. Her name was Isabel Love. She wrote a book called Untouchable, that book blew me away. She then released another book called Unconventional, out of over 400 books I read last year that was in my top ten most favourite. So when I saw she was releasing Anna's book (she feature's only briefly in Unconventional but had a huge impact on Charlie's life) I was hoping for another good read. Actually I was hoping for a book that would touch my heart in the same way that Unconventional had. I got everything I wanted and then some more. I got another top ten read, and maybe not just for the year but probably the decade.

Wesley was the new boy at school, fostered by an indifferent couple and the victim of bullies. Anna, and her brother John, rescued him from those bullies and thus begins a lifelong friendship. Puberty turns childish feelings into something more, but Wes believes he isn't good enough for a girl like Anna and eventually she finds love in the arms of another. If you've read Unconventional you will know what happened between Charlie and Anna, how a rash decision of a naive teenager changed both their lives. (Don't worry, you find it all out in this book too, so it can be read as a standalone.) You will know how their love not only came to a crashing end, but made Charlie hate Anna almost as much as Anna hated herself. At the same time Wes makes his own foolish choices, which also have severe consequences.

Eventually Wes and Anna find their way back to each other, but both are so broken by their pasts will they ever be able to find their future?

Quinn's self loathing and deep hurt in Unconventional made me cry. However in Unforgivable we have TWO damaged and hurting characters. BOTH Anna and Wes made me cry, great huge ugly tears of the very best kind. They tore my heart from my chest, squeezed it, pummelled it, slapped it around and then stuffed it back in, leaving it feeling bruised and vulnerable. Yet they also filled it with great joy and hope.

The scenes from their teenage years were so packed with emotion. There was Anna's desperation and longing for Wes to notice her and love her. There was Wes with all his pent up feelings for Anna and his deep sense of lacking any worth. I also totally believed in their connection, their feelings and their love. There was the clear love that Anna's parents had for Wes, not that he could ever see it.

"Ever since you brought him home that day from school, with his nose broken and untrusting eyes, I've wanted to give that boy everything the world has failed to give....."

And the unfairness of so much of what happens, that left me wanting to stamp my feet and demand justice for a fictional character, but a character who so wove his way into my heart that he felt real. Then we get the 'later' scenes, when Anna is living in a deep hole of self-loathing and recrimination. Where Wes despairs that his life will ever hold anything good or joyous. Anna and Wes are such wonderful characters that you are desperate for them to have a HEA, though life (or should I say the author!) doesn't want to make things too easy. This book repeatedly broke me and then remade me, it was quite simply an amazing read.

"I could never forget. The real challenge is to remember my past mistakes, accept them, and move on."

There wasn't a single page of this that I was tempted to skim. I devoured every individual page, sentence, word and letter. I just wished I hadn't started reading it at 10 pm, as in the early hours I had to force myself to put it down and get some sleep. Not that sleep was ready to come with Anna, Wes and their battles spinning around in my head.

For quite a long story (between 4 and 5 hours to read) there are only a few 'bedroom scenes'. They are pretty steamy but very much an integral part of the story, both feeling a very natural part of it, as well as enhancing it.

This is such a wonderful book I don't want to limit my recommendation to one group or type of reader. It is so good I would recommend it to everyone, this author is one of the few whose books I will automatically one-click, no questions asked.

Blurb

There are certain things that are unforgivable…

Falling for your brother’s best friend is one of them.

That isn’t the worst thing I’ve done, though.

Not even close.

Shame and guilt follow me everywhere.

Except when I’m with him.

With him, I can breathe again.

Smile again. Love again.

But he has no idea what I've done...

ADD TO GOODREADS

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Excerpt

“Would you mind keeping this piece steady while I attach it?” he asks, interrupting my reverie.

“No problem.” I take my position opposite him, holding the piece of trim in place against the dresser as he drills screws into the underside so that they remain hidden from view. It’s like magic.

I study him as he works.

He tilts his head this way and that to make sure the piece is level before he starts. Then, he lifts the drill, and taut muscles shine with sweat as he drives each screw into the boards with purpose. His forearms flex and jump with every movement. And his tattoo calls my eye to follow the bumps and dips of his biceps and triceps.

Wesley Scott is a perfectly sculpted specimen of man. He’s strong. Confident. Capable.

He catches me staring and winks, rewarding me with his rare, crooked grin. I feel myself flush as I quickly look away, totally busted.
No, I don’t mind helping him one bit.

Author Bio

Isabel Love is a hopeless romantic. She loves reading about two people falling in love, overcoming whatever obstacles they may face, and finding their happily ever after. A husband, two kids, and a full-time job keep her busy by day, but by night, she can be found with her Kindle in hand, reading “just one more chapter”.

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(¸.•´ (¸.• BOOK REVIEW - Love at Last by Claudia Connors ¸.• '¨) ¸.• '¨)

LOVE AT LAST by Claudia Connors

Two lost souls, not looking for love, gain more than they bargained for whilst in a paradise setting.

This is an unusual contemporary romance, fraught with separation and events that don't really happen in the expected order. I've only read one other book by Claudia Connor (Worth the Wait), which I really enjoyed, so after reading the blurb for this I was intrigued enough to give it a try. I was hoping to enjoy this as much as W.T.W., thankfully I wasn't disappointed. It is an engaging and captivating story.

Clare is in her wedding dress, ready to walk down the aisle, when her fiance tells her he has met someone else. She decides to enjoy what should have been her honeymoon and contemplates whether love and a HEA is just not on the cards for her. Whilst there, Clare literally falls into the arms of a hot and sexy vet. Deacon and Clare stirs emotions in the other that they have never felt before. Just as things seem to be going somewhere life gets in the way, suddenly Clare and Deacon wish they'd shared more than a few days and nights....

Overall I really enjoyed this story, I struggled with the beginning but I think this was because I knew the paradise holiday was temporary and I wanted to get to the 'real life' part! The writing is really good, I never struggled with who was speaking, the prose is easy to read and the book really held my attention. I really liked both Deacon and Clare, they felt very natural, were totally believable and I did feel a connection to them. There was one big decision Clare made that I sort of didn't agree with BUT I could understand why she made that choice. Her understanding of the situation did put her somewhat between a rock and a hard place!

This took the contemporary romance mould and threw it away, instead forging its own unique path. The plot was a breath of fresh air, I was never quite sure where the story would take me or what would happen next. It has a few love scenes, enough to had heat and depth but without being too much. If you want a well written, unusual and wonderful contemporary romance then I do recommend this as one to try.

BLURB
All new romance from New York Times Bestselling Author Claudia Connor…

How many times can you be unlucky in love before you decide it’s not luck, it’s you?

With her ex-groom's words, I’m in love with someone else, still ringing in her ears, Clare Franklin flies off alone to her would-be honeymoon. Forced to accept not everyone gets that happily ever after she’s always dreamed of, she’s done with men. Until she gets tangled up, quite literally, with one sexy veterinarian.

The only thing Dr Deacon Montgomery wants is to share his surgical expertise and get back to his two year old twin daughters. But, the connection he feels with Clare highlights just how alone he really is and makes him wonder if he can be more than doctor and daddy.

Long talks and moonlit walks under the rustle of palms has Clare thinking maybe she gave up on love too soon. Until one phone call from home changes everything.

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(¸.•´ (¸.•★ BOOK REVIEW ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)

HOT BOY by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

My Review - I really enjoyed this story

A hot, sexy firefighter and the nerdy doctor he foolishly sent away 

Hot boy is a wonderful and well written second chance rom-com by the awesome talent that is Cassie-Ann L. Miller. Having read and loved the Dirty Suburbs series, I knew that this would be an enjoyable, easy to read and engaging story. Some of the stories really tear at my emotions and others are like coming home and being wrapped in a warm and loving hug. This was more of the hug type, though it certainly had it's angst and issues to work through too.

Ben and Angie were high school sweethearts, set on the white picket fence, the gaggle of kids and the happily ever after. Until Ben broke Angie's heart and she ran as far and as fast from Copper Heights as she could manage. She was determined to stay away, until a work place faux-pas with the boss's boss's boss's not yet ex-husband made that impossible. The first day of her new job she bumps into the very last person she ever wanted to see, sexy firefighter Ben Riggs.

What follows is a wonderful tale of battling broken hearts, unrestrained lust, second chances and love. Angie and Ben are just so down to earth and goddamn normal, which is what I love about Ms Miller's books. Her characters could be neighbours or friends, they're just normal people bogged down with the minutiae of real life. The story just drew me in and I didn't want to put the book down until it was finished. 

There are some wonderful side characters that add depth and extra interest to the book. Angie's sister Sophie has appeared in a few of the other books. The epilogue gives me great hope for at least two more amazing books, one for Sophie and another for Ben's brother Madden.

There are only a couple of s*x scenes, they are quite full on though not crude. Other than this the story is very inoffensive and is one I am happy to recommend to family and friends.

SYNOPSIS

Save a fire truck. Ride a firefighter. Isn't that what they say?

Ben Riggs says he loves me. He says he hasn't stopped thinking about me since he broke my heart and chased me out of town all those years ago...

I say liar liar pants on fire.

And boy, do those bright yellow, flame-resistant fireman pants look good on him. I'm aching to feel those big, rough hands clenching on my hips and to collect on the illicit promises burning in his dark blue eyes.

Self-control goes up in flames every time he flashes that arrogant smile. So I give in—because a woman has needs. (Am I right, ladies?) He can have my body but my heart is off-limits. I've worked hard over the past few years to prove to myself that I can be successful without him in my life.

But Ben says he won't stop until he wins me back—mind, body and heart. He says I'd better stop trying to resist him. He may be a fireman but I'm the one fighting like hell against the inferno of lust and nostalgia closing in on us.

And it's a fight I can't afford to lose...

Hot Boy is a steamy, laugh-out-loud second chance, firefighter romance set in small town Illinois. It is book 4 in the Blue Collar Bachelors series.

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AMAZON UK LINK: http://amzn.eu/a1kL2MF

(¸.•★ (¸.•★ BOOK REVIEW ¸.★•*´¨) ¸.★•*¨)

¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) 

(¸.•´ (¸.•★ Kenan's Mate: A Dark Sci-Fi Alien Romance 

(Kleaxian Warriors Book 1) by Sue Lyndon

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¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) My Review - I loved this book

No way to return home, claimed by an alien prince and enslaved in a way that her mind can not accept.

An alien 'slave world' romance that breaks free from the typical 'erotica' mould and offers something a little better. I saw the second book advertised somewhere and since it was in kindle unlimited gave it a go. I enjoyed it enough to go back and read book #1 in the series. Whilst I know I enjoy this authors writing I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy this story. Sometimes these alien books are virtually interchangeable with the 'same' plot, different names. I'm pleased to report that this felt very different to so many others of the genre.

Laylah has just travelled through a worm-hole in space to reach the beautiful tropical planet Tallia. Unfortunately she arrives just as the Kleaxian's decide to overthrow the humans and take back their planet. The human men are killed and the women taken as slaves or mates. However Kleaxian males 'own' their mates and not cooperating with your male results in a punishment. Laylah's mate, Kenan, is half human so he should understand Laylah's feelings about this. However he fully embraces his Kleaxian culture that believes a man dishonours his mate if he doesn't punish her 'bad' behaviour.

The blurb sounds like this could be one of those ten-a-penny alien romances where there are lots of sex scenes, lots of spanking and a girl who suddenly discovers she's submissive (having never had the slightest inclination in the past) and who loses all sense of self any time she is within 10 yards of the hero. 

WELL LET ME STATE RIGHT NOW THAT IT ISN'T.

I loved Laylah's conflict, she truly felt like a naive 18 year old, yet she wasn't annoying either. Her tears, her terror, her reactions felt so very real. Her determination to be 'good' in order to avoid the punishments that terrified her down to her soul. That just made my heart ache. It was wonderful how she tried to convey her emotions and concerns to Kenan. How she tried to enlighten him to the fact that human upbringing and expectations made it very difficult to adapt to Kleaxian ways. Near the end, when she questioned whether she would ever be happy, when she knew love would never be enough, I just wanted to cheer. At last an alien capture book where the humans reactions and emotions that felt real and believable.

There were times when Kenan showed potential, and other times I truly wanted to take a baseball bat to him. Thankfully he redeemed himself and by the end had earnt both Laylah's and my respect.

The book really held my attention, I didn't feel the need to skim any of this. Whilst it is quite steamy, there is still plenty of plot and action OUTSIDE of the bedroom, so to speak. It wasn't full of spanking/punishment scenes either. This was very much a genuine romance and was a delight to read. I am only too happy to recommend this book.

Synopsis

I've been taken by a fierce alien warrior, and my life is no longer my own.

My name is Laylah. On my eighteenth birthday, the Kleaxians attacked and killed all the human males aboard the Stargazer. The females were kept as mates or slaves. I was taken as a mate. Lucky me.

The huge alien who claimed me is called Prince Kenan. He says he'll never let me go--that we are bonded for life. When I defy him, he punishes me in the most humiliating ways imaginable. But sometimes he's tender and loving. I try to be good so he doesn't hurt me.

I don't know what scares me more--that I'll never escape Prince Kenan...or that I'm starting to fall for my captor.

Publisher's Note: Kenan's Mate is a DARK sci-fi alien romance, containing explicit scenes and themes of power exchange, as well as scenes some readers may find triggering or disturbing. If such dark subject matter offends you, please do not buy this book. This title originally appeared in the Human Surrender box set, however this version has been *significantly* expanded to include several new chapters.