Release Day Review: Bind Me Before You Go by Harper Kincaid

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Bind Me Before You Go by Joya Ryan
Series: Serve #8 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 21st 2015
Links: Ebook • Gooodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

His heart is bound tighter than the bondage he craves…

Determined to put her past behind her, Cassidy Peyton moves to the Big Apple. But New York has a few dark secrets of its own, including Serve, an exclusive BDSM club. It’s a place she isn’t sure she’s ready for, until she sees him watching her. Hot. Intent. Knowing. With eyes that leave her stomach tied in knots, because the loneliness he’s trying to hide matches her own.

Security expert David Cavill has more secrets than any man should. Secrets that forever shut down any possibility of love, marriage, or family. Yet Cassidy draws him in, an intoxicating combination of strength, candor, and sensuality that David can’t resist. But as their bond deepens, Cassidy must decide if she can love a man whose heart is bound tighter than the form of bondage he craves…

Bind Me Before You Go is the latest addition to the Serve series, which I’m a big fan of. Though it’s a fairly good, enjoyable read, I wouldn’t say it’s my new favorite of the series. It was too short for my liking, but the characters were likable and the writing was solid. Harper Kincaid is a new author for me, but I would definitely read more from her if she wrote something a little longer.

Cassidy Peyton moves to New York looking for a fresh start. She feels like she’s missing something in life, so she agrees to go to Serve, a BDSM club, with her roommate. There, she meets David Cavill, an expert in the art of Shibari, Japanese rope bondage. They instantly feel a connection to one another, and they agree to have a two week affair where they learn to trust and explore each other with their bodies. Harper Kincaid can certainly write some hot, steamy scenes, and I was really intrigued by David’s rope kink.

The romance felt a bit lacking. It’s not exactly instalove, but the book is so short that they fall in love too quickly and unbelievably. Both have demons haunting their pasts, which I would’ve liked to be more developed, but again, the book was too short for the story development to be solid enough. Still, Cassidy and David really made a sweet couple, and I enjoyed their book for the most part. If you’re in the mood for a short, quick, steamy read, I’d recommend Bind Me Before You Go. The good writing and hot kink made this a worthwhile read.

Reading Order: Serve series

#1 ~ Owned by Fate (Tessa Bailey): Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Exposed by Fate (Tessa Bailey): Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Mistaken by Fate (Katee Robert): Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Betting on Fate (Katee Robert): Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Driven by Fate (Tessa Bailey): Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#6 ~ Protecting Fate (Katee Robert): Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#7 ~ Rules of Seduction (Joya Ryan): My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#8 ~ Bind Me Before You Go (Harper Kincaid): Ebook • Gooodreads

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7Jul2015

Release Day Review: Taming Lily by Monica Murphy

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Taming Lily by Monica Murphy
Series: The Fowler Sisters #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 7th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren, Emma Chase, and Maya Banks, the anticipated finale in New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy’s sexy contemporary romance series about three fiery and determined sisters with their own ideas about life and love.

I’m in trouble. Again. And instead of facing my problems head on, I’ve run away. Far away this time, and no one can catch me—not my two younger sisters, Violet and Rose, not my father, my grandmother, or that witch Pilar who wants to take control of my family’s cosmetics company. Now I’m in Hawaii, enjoying the sun and the sand and water, where nobody knows the hot mess known as Lily Fowler. And I’m loving every minute of it.

But someone is watching me. Following me. He’s gorgeous. And soon we’re talking, and against all my instincts, I reveal bits and pieces of myself to Max. It feels good, though I know he can’t be the man for me. These sudden feelings we share are way too complicated, too fraught, too intense.

Then everything explodes and I’m forced to return home. My intentions have always been true, but now everyone’s mad at me. I don’t know who to turn to anymore . . . except to Max. He’s who I want to trust. But I’m not so sure I should. Maybe it’s worth the risk—and what-ifs be damned. . . .

I was a huge fan of the first book in The Fowler Sisters series, Owning Violet, but the second book, Stealing Rose, was a let down. I was hoping Taming Lily would renew my love for the series, but sadly, it was only an okay read. I liked it more than Stealing Rose, but not by much. I just didn’t connect with the characters, and the book was too full of sex with little substance to the story. I really wanted to like Lily’s book – while it’s not a bad read, it just wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it would be.

Lily Fowler is the oldest and wildest of the three Fowler sisters. She’s the last of the sisters to fall in love, and Monica Murphy certainly doesn’t make Lily’s journey to love easy. Lily is in Hawaii, on the run from Pillar, Lily’s father’s girlfriend, who is also a total bitch. Lily is a woman with a whole mess of Daddy issues, and she acted out in her earlier years by becoming what everyone thought she was – a spoiled, rich, party girl. Deep down, she’s hurt by her family, who has no faith in her. While I tried to empathize with Lily and her issues, it was hard to – I couldn’t connect with her character, and I found myself annoyed when she never spoke up for herself.

Unfortunately, Lily’s getaway to Hawaii doesn’t go as well as she plans. She nearly drowns in the ocean, but a mysterious man comes out of nowhere and saves her life. She recognizes him as the sexy man who’s been watching her – she’s suspicious of him, but she can’t help feeling attracted to him.

I’m drawn to her, and not just because she’s my assignment. Feeling like this … letting my attraction to her distract me is risky. Stupid.
But I can’t seem to help it.

Max has been hired by Pillar to steal Lily’s laptop, so he follows her on her trip to Hawaii, but he never expects to end up wanting her. There’s a strong chemistry between them they can’t ignore, and once they fall into bed with each other, it becomes explosive. Monica Murphy is fantastic at writing hot, steamy scenes, and Taming Lily didn’t disappoint. There’s good sex in this book, but there was also too much of it – the majority of the time Lily and Max are together is spent in bed. I couldn’t really see how they fell for each other, especially when Max sometimes came off as a little creepy, stalker-wise.

My heart is beating like crazy, pounding to a rhythm that suspiciously sounds like her name. Li-ly. Li-ly. It’s fucking crazy. I’m crazy.
Crazy for her.

Max keeps the reason why he’s in Hawaii a secret from Lily, of course, but secrets can’t stay quiet for long. Max now has to fight for the woman he’s fallen for, all the while protecting her from Pillar.

“I feel like you were made for me, Lily. That we were made for each other.”

There’s no doubt Monica Murphy can write hot chemistry, but the story and characters in Taming Lily felt lacking. I was less than impressed with the way things played out, and I just couldn’t for the life of me connect with the hero or heroine. I was really hoping to like Taming Lily, since I’d been excited for Lily’s book since Owning Violet, but the book ended up only being okay. It’s not necessarily a bad read, but it wasn’t as good as I was expecting.

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: The Fowler Sisters series

#1 ~ Owning Violet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stealing Rose: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Taming Lily: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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30Jun2015

Release Day Review: Caught by Clare James

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Caught by Clare James
Series: Elite PR #1
Publication Date: June 30th 2015
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

She was hired to clean up his image. He wants nothing more than to get her dirty.

Watching sex tapes at the office is just part of PR professional Vivian Blake’s job, especially when she has to clean up a celebrity’s image. Except that her newest client isn’t quite that easy. Racecar driver Jarod Cage is beyond hot, and his onscreen “performance” is already compromising Viv’s cool professionalism.

While Jarod hasn’t exactly been discreet about his personal life, he never thought his reputation could cost him both his sponsor and his racing career. Now he has to put his future in the hands of a tiny, pixie-like publicist. Which is becoming a problem, because the heat between them is about to redline. But when you go this hard and fast, putting on the brakes is the most dangerous thing you can do…

I was really excited for Caught after reading the blurb – it’s not often that I read about racecar drivers, so I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, the story sometimes came across as a bit flat. It wasn’t a bad read, but it wasn’t very good either. I didn’t connect well with the characters, so Caught was just an okay read for me.

Vivian Blake works in PR, and her latest client is famous racecar driver Jarod Cage. After his latest scandal with a sex tape gone viral, her job is to clean up his act and make his public image presentable so that he’ll be able to continue his racing career. But while she’s good at her job, she’s not so good at resisting Jarod’s tempting ways.

Jarod Cage is sexy, Southern, and a total ladies man. But for some reason, he’s incredibly drawn to his publicist, a woman who’s the complete opposite of him. As his publicist, Viv is in close proximity to Jarod many hours of the day, which causes the attraction between them to only grow. It’s not long before Jarod and Viv fall into bed, and they are explosive together.

I really liked how the chemistry was portrayed, and I definitely liked seeing Jarod the bad boy fall for a woman who’s nothing like him. Sadly, both their characters felt flat to me – I couldn’t connect with them and I wasn’t a fan of how the romance played out. This doesn’t mean I didn’t like Jarod or Viv – I mainly just wasn’t invested in their story very much. But the chemistry and racing aspect of the story was a definite plus in the book, so overall, Caught was okay – a good, but not great, read.

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17Jun2015

ARC Review: Opening Up by Lauren Dane

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Opening Up by Lauren Dane
Series: Ink and Chrome #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 16th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lauren Dane delivers Book #1 in her Ink & Chrome erotic romance series.

The men of the Twisted Steel custom motorcycle shop are great with their hands… and they’re not afraid to get dirty.

PJ is exactly the kind of woman Twisted Steel owner Asa Barrons doesn’t need. The last thing he wants to do is mix business with pleasure, and PJ has some of the best custom detailing he’s ever seen. But the chemistry between them won’t be denied, and soon he’s introducing her to a whole new world in the bedroom, pushing her far beyond anything she’s ever experienced. PJ finds she can’t get enough, but how far is too far before he consumes her completely?

Opening Up is the first book in Lauren Dane’s new Ink and Chrome series. I had high expectations for this one, based on what I read from the blurb – and while it’s a fairly okay, good read, the writing and plot just weren’t exceptional enough to truly grasp or hold my attention. I was intrigued in the beginning, but when things felt flat, I got bored a lot. Still, for those who like erotic romances (and this one is HOT) with a gruff, domineering alpha-male, then you might like this more than I did.

This book was off to a promising start – Penelope Jean “PJ” Colman, daughter of the richest man in town, is a sexy, badass, confident woman who wants to be able to contribute more to her father’s company. She’s fantastic with cars, custom painting in particular, and she catches the eye of Twisted Steel co-owner Asa Barrons. Asa is alpha-male to the max – he takes no shit from anyone and exudes a sexuality that PJ can’t resist. But he happens to be thirty-seven to her twenty-five, which Asa feels is too young for him, despite the desire she sparks in him. Asa uses their age difference to keep her away, but his alpha-male tendencies are too strong when it comes to PJ and he claims her for his. The chemistry between Asa and PJ is seriously hot – I’ve heard Lauren Dane is an excellent erotic romance author, and I wasn’t disappointed with the chemistry in this book – and it gets even hotter when Asa’s kink comes into play.

PJ herself is dealing with issues with her family and company. The author does a great job of integrating the sexism and misogynistic attitudes PJ faces in the car industry, especially from her male relatives. PJ admirably fights for herself and her talent of custom painting to make a name for herself in the industry.

My main problem with this book is the writing. It was just too… flat. It was more a telling, not showing, and it got on my nerves the more I read. It’s not bad writing, but it’s not very good writing either. And it affected the way I perceived the novel, because for the life of me I just couldn’t connect with Asa or PJ, despite how much I admired them. I liked that PJ and Asa handled problems with maturity and communicated well with one another. Sadly, I felt like their story was just too tame, with not enough to wring emotions out of me.

That being said, it’s not a bad book. It’s more of an okay one. I really wanted to love it, but the writing was just not for me.

Reading Order: Ink and Chrome series

#1 ~ Opening Up: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Falling Under: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Coming Back: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Dec. 8, 2015)

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10Jun2015

ARC Review: Rules of Seduction by Joya Ryan

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Rules of Seduction by Joya Ryan
Series: Serve #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 9th 2015
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

He’ll be the dream and the dirty fantasy…

Through with both her controlling ex and relationships, Ava Webber is determined to explore the spicy and sometimes forbidden appetites of the exclusive BDSM nightclub, Serve. Here, she’ll get exactly what she needs…as long as it’s from a man she doesn’t know.

Nolan Hart ensures that Serve’s clients get what they want, how they want it. But with one look at the curvy brunette, Nolan knows he’s the man to fulfill her desires. As the anonymous lover, he’s Ava’s dirtiest fantasy. Outside of Serve, he’s her charming, smartass friend.

But Nolan wants more. More than Ava is willing to give. And as long as the blindfold stays on, she’ll never discover that the two men she’s falling for are one and the same…

I’ve read and loved two of the three Tessa Bailey books in the Serve series, so I was excited to read more from the series! This is my first Joya Ryan, and I have to say, I quite enjoyed it. Rules of Seduction centers around Nolan, the man who works at Serve, an exclusive BDSM club, who’s in charge of fulfilling clients’ needs. I’m not the biggest fan of BDSM books, but every once in a while I’ll give it a try. These types of books are usually a hit or miss, and while I didn’t LOVE Rules of Seduction, it was a hot, quick read that was easy to enjoy.

Ava Webber came out of her previous, long-term relationship a shell of herself. She lost herself somewhere along that relationship, but now with a successful career, she’s been able to move on. But while she’s moved on, that doesn’t mean she wants to enter into a relationship again any time soon. This is where Serve comes in, a sex club catering to any and all its clients’ needs. When Ava goes to Serve, she wants to forget her life for just a little while – she wants an anonymous man who will consume her with no strings attached. But meeting Nolan Hart has her questioning whether she truly wants a relationship with someone or not.

Nolan has never met anyone quite like Ava – she fascinates him, and the more he gets to know her, the more he wants her. So when Ava details the kind of man she wants, Nolan’s ready to be that man – especially since he’ll be completely anonymous. Nolan doesn’t do relationships either, but being with Ava, both in and out of the club, makes him fall hard and deep for the first time.

“I want to belong to you. If you’ll have me? I want to give myself to you. And I want you to give yourself to me. Because together, we’re more than we could ever be apart.”

Rules of Seduction is so sexy – the anonymous hookups between Ava and Nolan are seriously on fire. I really enjoyed the angst of the story as well, with Nolan deciding whether or not to reveal himself to Ava as her mysterious man. This is a fun, quick read that fans of the series would enjoy. It’s very light on the BDSM. I didn’t connect well with Ava or Nolan, but I was able to overall enjoy their story.

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.