The Dare

(The Chronicles of Katrina #1)

by: Karin Tabke

Publisher: Season Publishing

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Source: Netgalley

Description:

THE DARE is a contemporary erotic romance with the signature Tabke hot cop. 

THE DARE 

I dare you… 

Dr. Katrina Winslow has always known who she is; an elite scientist, a certifiable genius and ultra-reserved when it comes to love and relationships. So when a simple game of truth or dare offers the cool doctor the opportunity to shed her lab coat and glasses and put on a pair of sexy stilettos, she accepts the dare. But will shedding her inhibitions fulfill her every desire and help her discover if she can be truly daring or will it cost her everything? 

Two men, one a sexy stranger, and a night of no holds barred passion… 

What would you dare to do?  

***Author’s Note: This is book one of a four part series.***

My Review:

Karin Tabke has blown me away once again when it comes to sucking me into the story and leaving me hanging at the very end.  I am still in shock at that ending and I'm definitely itching for the next book already. I need some more of the sexy copy named Simon.  Please...can I have some more of him.  He can handcuff me any day.  

If you have never read of Karin Tabke's books, shame on you, the woman is brilliant when it comes to writing romance books.  She throws in an amazing storyline with two characters (even when The Dare is a shorter length book then I am used to from Karin), and also throws in some freaking hot sex scenes between those characters. (I still cannot stop thinking about those scenes...) Although, be prepared for some really kinky stuff in The Dare.  A threesome...maybe...and maybe even more kinky stuff that will make you want to slap around the dirtbag that the female character, Katrina was with at first...and then you may want to slap her around at the very end....BECAUSE how in the heck did she just do that at the very end with a certain character...I have no clue.  

Since The Dare is such a short book, I will not spoil anything about this book because I do not want to give anything away.  I will say this...I highly recommend this book for the contemporary romance and erotica readers out there.  You will not be disappointed.  You may be mad by the cliffhanger, but you will begging for more after you read the last sentence in the book. I am definitely intrigued after that last sentence.  =)  

This book involves a very intellectual, brilliant, and beautiful female character named Katrina, who is about to write off men completely...until that one scene between a certain character, who carries a gun and a badge.  He did things to her and she did things with him, she never would have done.  

I give this book 5 full moons and here is hoping Karin Tabke brings out the next installment soon.  I need some more of Simon and Katrina.  Katrina deserves some happiness and I believe Simon can change her mind about men.  =)  

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Claim Me

(The Stark Trilogy, #2)

by: J. Kenner

Publishing Date: 4/23/13

Publisher: Bantam

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-million | IndieBound | Random House

Description:

For Damien, our obsession is a game. For me, it is fiercely, blindingly, real. 

Damien Stark’s need is palpable—his need for pleasure, his need for control, his need for me. Beautiful and brilliant yet tortured at his core, he is in every way my match. 

I have agreed to be his alone, and now I want him to be fully mine. I want us to possess each other beyond the sweetest edge of our ecstasy, into the deepest desires of our souls. To let the fire that burns between us consume us both. 

But there are dark places within Damien that not even our wildest passion can touch. I yearn to know his secrets, yearn for him to surrender to me as I have surrendered to him. But our troubled pasts will either bind us close . . . or shatter us completely.

My Review:
"Claim Me" is the second installment to J. Kenner's Stark Trilogy and it definitely answered a few questions that I had from the first book.  The second book picks up from where the first book left off at, so if you have not read the first book, I definitely recommend it.

Nikki Fairchild is obsessed with Damien Stark and in the second installment the obsession has become even worst for her.  In fact, Damien has now become her pain reliever and Nikki has become his source to let out some stress.  They both are amazing together though.  Damien is finally opening up on what is going on in his life in "Claim Me" and Nikki is proving to be the strongest of the two.  I have come to admire Nikki even more in this book.  Here the woman is put through a whole lot of mess and she overcomes it all.  She almost stumbles, but she has proven she can overcome anything thrown at her.

If you have read "Release Me", you probably had a lot of questions on what was happening in Damien's head and what made him have so many secrets.  Slowly, but surely he begins to open up in the second installment.
He showed his possessive side more in this book as well, which could be found to be annoying to some people, but his motive behind it all will make your realize his intentions are for the greater good.
I loved everything in the second installment and now I look forward to even more the final book.  J. Kenner leaves you hanging at the end which makes me wonder what is going to happen next.  Are the characters going to ever have a happily ever after?
I want to know who is causing all the issues and I have a funny feeling I know who it is.
Poor Nikki not only goes through so much in this book, but her best friend, Jamie did as well.
Her other best friend, Ollie, I cannot figure him out, but in this book I did not like him.  I feel he is up to no good.
I loved how J. Kenner made Nikki stronger though in this book and made me hate Damien at points in the book where I wanted to hurt him for Nikki.  Damien though is nothing like Gideon Cross from the Cross novels by Sylvia Day.  In fact, Damien, is not one who plays games, he admires and loves Nikki.   He just has a very particular way of showing it.  I cannot compare him to Christian since I have not read the FSoG books and really tend not to read them anytime soon so I will not compare Damien to him.

J. Kenner's writing style is definitely different from other contemporary authors I have read, which makes me adore her even more.  She has a way of describing in detail that will make you feel you are there. She also makes you feel the emotions of the characters.  That is one writing style that makes it more appealing for me to read since I feel like the characters are real.

This book has a lot of angst, friendship blow ups, and lots, lots of HOT sexual scenes between Nikki and Damien.  The purple scarf on the cover of the book plays a very significant role in the book.  =)

I give this book 4.5 full moons and highly recommend it to contemporary romance and erotica readers out there.  This book is intended for 18+ mature audience though...just to warn you.
There is anal play, mild bdsm, and a lot of sexual escapades in this book that will have you taking a cold shower afterwards.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thrill Ride

(Black Knights Inc #4)

by: Julie Ann Walker

Publishing Date: 4/2/13

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GooglePlay | IndieBound | Chapters/Indigo | Discover a New Love | Sourcebooks

Description:

He's Gone Rogue 

Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux’s job is to get information, and he’s one of the best in the business. Until something goes horribly wrong and he’s being hunted by his own government. Even his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc. aren’t sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all, but his former partner—a curvy bombshell who knows just how to drive him wild—refuses to cut him loose. 

She Won't Back Down 

Vanessa Cordova hasn’t been the team’s communication specialist very long, but she knows how to read people—no way is Rock guilty of murder. And she’ll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun has his secrets, but there’s no one in the world she’d rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good, because they’re about to get very tight…

My Review:
Excuse me while I squee like a little girl after reading "Thrill Ride".  =)
Julie Ann Walker definitely takes you for a "Thrill Ride" literally in the fourth installment to the Black Knights Inc Series.

You will fall in love with Rock Babineaux and if you have ever met a person with a Louisiana accent (like I have), you'll be reading Rock's part with a Cajun accent because that is exactly what I was doing while reading this book.  I could not help it.  (Think of the show Swamp People)
Rock is stubborn, but loyal, and downright the best person to be with when all crap hits the fan because he knows how to get you out of it.
I friggin' loved him in "Thrill Ride" and was excited to read his book and see if he would get his butt whooped by Vanessa for being so stubborn.

Vanessa definitely became a fave female character in the series after I read "Thrill Ride.  She is stubborn as well because she will do anything to find Rock and prove his innocence.

Rock is in hiding due to what he was assigned to do (although he finds out the truth on who actually assigned him the interrogations) and now he is being framed for killing the people who interrogated.  Of course, he knows the truth that is why he is trying to stay in hiding and keep the Black Knights safe...but the Black Knights are all about finding Rock and proving his innocence with or without Rock's permission.  They will do anything for each other.  ANYTHING! =)

"Thrill Ride" will take you on a ride through Costa Rica and you will literally feel like you are trying to outrun the CIA and the people who are trying to capture and kill Rock.  Julie Ann Walker does a bang up job on Rock's and Vanessa's story.  You will get adventure, suspense, LOTS of hot romance, and of course a lot of sexual tension between Rock and Vanessa...because ROCK is so friggin' stubborn.
I loved the story behind this book and you even get a taste of the next couple's book...Wild Bill and Eve.  (*sigh*...I want their book already because those two seriously have a LOT of tension between each other)

I give this book 5 full moons and highly recommend it to romantic suspense fans out there.  If you are a diehard fan like I am when it comes to Julie Ann Walker and her Black Knights, you will devour this book within a day or two .

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Close Enough to Touch

Hell on Wheels

(Black Knights, Inc #1)

by: Julie Ann Walker

Publishing Date: 8/7/12

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Source: Netgalley

Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Description:

He’s the bad boy she’s always wanted...
Nate “Ghost” Weller has loved Ali Morgan nearly half his life. But he’s done something so heinous he’s convinced she’ll never forgive him if she discovers the truth, so he keeps his feelings and his secrets to himself. Then she blows into town with a mother lode of bad guys on her tail and Nate can’t deny she’s in serious trouble. Unfortunately, he’s the only one who can help her.
She’s the good girl he’s kept at arm’s length...
Ali knows Nate as the most solemn, aloof man on the planet. Sadly, he’s also the sexiest. For years she’s avoided him, unable to stomach his dark scowls and brooding silences… especially when she secretly yearns for his touch. Now she must rely on him to save her from the malevolent shadows ghosting her every move. When the bullets explode, so does their passion. But can love really conquer all? Or are some things just too terrible to forgive?

My Review: 

I received a complimentary copy of "Hell on Wheels" from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

And oh...was I excited to read "Hell on Wheels"...when I was approved for it.  Sourcebooks has some amazing authors...and I could not wait to read Julie Ann Walker's first book to the Black Knights, Inc Series.  

Let me just get this out before hand...Julie Ann Walker definitely knows how to write a book where I had hard time choosing what should take priority first...either I would read "Hell on Wheels" and finish it...or I would work on college assignments.  Which do you think won?  =)  

Nate Weller, otherwise known as "Ghost" has gone through so much.  He used to be in the Marines, but he's working for the government doing work that someone has to do.  He's now apart of the Black Knights which looks to be a motorcycle shop at first...but it's not really.  He just lost his best friend and is forced to deliver the news to his best friend's family...and be faced with Ali...who he can not get out of his head.  His best friend always told him never to mess with his little sister...but it's kind of hard when she tempts him every time.

Ali has always had feelings for Nate, but he has always shut himself off from her.  A week or so after finding out her brother, she feels like she's being followed.  Then one day, she's mugged out in plain daylight.  She has two saviors who help her..but now she knows someone is out to get her so she finds Nate to help her.  

Nate of course is not really up for it...but once everyone in his team sits down to find out who may be after Ali, they all know it has something to do with her brother, but why?

This is the first book in the series to Black Knights, Inc...and it definitely is a great start to the series.  Julie Ann Walker introduces you to other characters and she sets up the world of Black Knights...perfectly!  She even throws you on a roller coaster ride of emotions.  I loved how she got me to laugh and cry at the same time.  When I found out the truth on what happened to Ali's brother...let's just say the waterworks started falling.  

And of course I adored Nate and Ali.  They had chemistry from beginning to end.  Nate was stubborn though, but I knew why he was stubborn when I found out the truth.

What can I say about Ali?  I clicked with her the minute Julie introduced her.  She is one chick who could hold her own.  She also knew how to put Nate on a stand still.  =)  Although...she did have a weak stomach.  Poor girl...she got herself into sticky situations...but she did manage after awhile to get through it all.

Oh...and the sexual tension and of course the sex scenes...were mind blowing!  Ali is one lucky woman.  

I look forward to reading the second installment now because its about two other characters who were introduced in "Hell on Wheels".

I recommend this book to any reader out there who enjoys an amazing romantic suspense book, loves the first book to a new series that will keep you turning the page (or in my case, clicking the Kindle), and of  course anyone who loves sexy men who ride motorcycles.  (who doesn't love a man on a custom bike)  =)

This book is definitely a book where I will be re-reading it again because I already miss Nate and Ali.  =)

I look forward to the second installment in September.  Julie Ann Walker has a fan for life.  =)

The Immortal Rules

(Blood of Eden #1)

by: Julie Kagawa

Publishing Date: 4/24/12

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: YA

Source: Netgalley

Buy: Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Description:

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Review:
 I have wanted to read Julie Kagawa books for awhile and jumped at the chance when I saw "The Immortal Rules" on Netgalley.  I have all of the Iron Fey books on my Kindle...but other books have taken precedence, but I plan on reading them this year.
I'm glad I put other books on hold to read "The Immortal Rules" so I can find out what kind of writing style Julie Kagawa has.  At the end of the book, Julie Kagawa said that she really never thought of jumping on the "Vampire" wagon.  I'm glad she did though.  =)  I love reading books that Vampires are not the mushy, romantic, and sparkly kind...instead they are the feared, hated, killing monsters that we are used to reading them as. 

Julie creates a world where the Vampires run the Humans.  Humans are either registered (give blood - they are given food, etc.) or they are unregistered (fend for themselves for food, etc.).  Vampires live in the "Inner City" and humans live in the "Fringe".  City Walls protect the fringe from the outside world which harbors rabids (which are souless creatures just like Vampires...but even Vampires fear them because they're a abomination of the Vampires).  It's a crazy world where no one is safe from dying.  I like how Julie just automatically puts the characters into danger and of course if you're close to certain characters already...just let's say you won't be after a few chapters.   The main character, Allie is the focus of the book, and I definitely adored her character.  She is strong, determined, and definitely fights back (emotionally and physically.  She defies pretty much everything as human and a vampire.  

I won't get into the description of the book because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is thinking about reading this book.  

Let's just say...be prepared for anything to happen.  Reminder...do not get too attached to characters.  Also...don't expect happy beginnings or endings for Allie. Allie was put through a lot in this book and I definitely will be reading the next installment.  

I did find that the book dragged in some parts and Julie did spend too much time in certain areas of the book, but in the end I loved this book. 
Recommend this book to anyone out there who has read Julie Kagawa before, loves the Paranormal YA Genre, who loves dystopian fiction, and loves MONSTERS that Vampires are supposed to be (not the Edward Cullen kind...)

Touch Me

by: Callie Croix

Publishing Date: 1/2/12

Publisher: Carina Press

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Erotica

Buy: Amazon or All Romance EBooks or Barnes and Noble

Description:

Arriving home on leave from his tour of duty, Army Captain Alex Montoya knows there's a beautiful woman waiting for him-his best friend's sister. She's always been off limits...until now. He fully intends to move them out of being "just friends" and encourage her to release the sexual needs he senses she's buried deep.
Tianna McIntyre is starting over after her marriage ended. Her ex-husband weakened her self-esteem and caused her to deny her true sexual desires. But being around Alex brings all her dormant fantasies to the surface, and now Tianna feels the stirrings of her secret, submissive wishes.
Determined to help repair the damage Tianna's ex did to her self-worth, Alex will use whatever means necessary to convince her they're meant for each other, including tying her down to make sure he has her full attention while he takes her to the heights of pleasure she's always dreamed of..

My Review :

I love reading books that have some terrific endings to them and also has a lesson learned to it.  The character Tia, is going through a divorce with her husband, David (who by the way I want to go into the book and punch him)  What a friggin' jerk.  I can't stand man that belittles a woman's self esteem.  Tia just wants a fresh start to a new life and she wants to forget her ex-husband (but he makes it difficult for her).  She has been living at Alex's house while he was on tour of duty.  He is sent home after being injured.  He wants to do everything in his power to make Tia realize how much he cares about her.  He wants to help her through her ordeals.  Alex is definitely a REAL Man in my eyes.  

I love how the Author goes back and forth into Tia and Alex's heads.  We found out exactly what Alex and Tia wants.  Alex brings out out Tia's fantasies of being submissive.  Something her ex never understood or even liked.  Once Tia realizes what Alex's intentions are with her, she finally realizes there are Men out there that care about a Woman's feelings.  The best part was the ending of the book, where she gets over her fears with her Ex and moves on finally.  It took awhile for it to lead up to that, and sometimes I was a little upset with Tia's character.  How she wanted to push even Alex out of her life to save him.  How come she didn't realize in the beginning this Man loved her, I just didn't get it. He even tried to tell her in the beginning, but she was clueless.  

I recommend this read for anyone who loves a happy ending and wants to learn what some Women actually go through.  Alex caters to Tia's feelings and loves her for what she fantasizes.  Some Men don't understand that.  Sometimes you have to let the Woman decide what she wants...believe me, not all Women like to be the dominated kind...they prefer to be submissive.  

I look forward to reading more books from Callie Croix soon.  I also thoroughly enjoyed this book because it takes you into a world of actual circumstances that could happen when someone returns from War and such.