Tag Archives: adult

Release Day Review + Giveaway: Appealed by Emma Chase

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Appealed by Emma Chase

Appealed by Emma Chase
Series: The Legal Briefs #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 19th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The New York Times bestselling author of the Tangled books returns with the third romance in the Legal Briefs series, a collection of sexy novels about first crushes, second chances, and the final verdict of the heart.

When Brent Mason looks at Kennedy Randolph, he doesn’t see the awkward, sweet girl who grew up next door. He sees a self-assured, stunning woman…who wants to crush the most intimate—and prized—parts of his anatomy beneath the heels of her Louboutins.

When Kennedy looks at Brent, all she sees is the selfish, Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue–worthy teenager who humiliated her in high school in order to join the popular crowd. A crowd that made those years a living hell for her.

But she’s not a lovesick social outcast anymore—she’s a Washington, DC, prosecutor with a long winning streak. Brent is the opposing attorney in her next case, and Kennedy thinks it’s time to put him through a little hell of his own.

But things aren’t exactly working out the way she planned. Brent has his sights set on Kennedy, and every fiery exchange only makes him want her more—and makes her wonder if he’s as passionate in the bedroom as he is in the courtroom. In the end, they may just find themselves in love…or in contempt of court.

I’d been looking forward to Brent’s book ever since meeting him in Overruled, and I’m glad to say his story didn’t disappoint! Emma Chase once again delivers a fantastic, hilarious, fun-filled romance with lovable characters that I simply adored. Appealed is a wonderful finale to the Legal Briefs series, and I’m sad to see the series end.

Of the three friends, Brent Mason is the charming, laid-back, funny one everyone seems to love. Everyone except Kennedy Randolph that is. They were childhood friends, but a miscommunication back in high school tore their friendship apart, and Kennedy has avoided the man she hates ever since. But now that they’re working on opposite sides of a case, their close proximity brings back the feelings they had for each other years ago. But can Kennedy let go of her hate and let Brent back into her heart?

Because now that she’s back, here where I can see her and touch her, where I can talk to her and tease her, maybe even one day make her smile—there’s no fucking way I’m letting her go ever again.

I love stories where the main characters grew up as childhood friends, so this book was an absolute joy to read. Add in Emma Chase’s brilliantly funny writing and her wonderful male POV, you get a heart-warming, feel-good story you don’t want to miss. If you’re a fan of the series, you’re going to love Brent and Kennedy! Every single scene between them had me smiling so hard.

This beautiful, sweet, strong girl in my arms. She got to me forever ago—under my skin, into my heart—and she’s been there, waiting, ever since.

Brent is the absolute SWEETEST, and I loved how determined he is to win Kennedy’s heart. It was good to see him softer, romantic, and more vulnerable, especially since all we’d known of him was his cocky, confident side. Kennedy is the perfect match for him – she doesn’t back down from Brent and she certainly doesn’t give in to him easily. She makes him work for her trust and heart, and you can tell how much Brent treasures those two things.

We’re soul mates. Destined to be together, written in the stars, Bogie-and-Bacall perfect.
Kennedy doesn’t see it yet—but that’s all right. Because I’m patient. And relentless. When I set my mind on something, there’s nothing I can’t do.
And my mind’s on her.

Appealed is another winner from Emma Chase. She is probably my favorite author at writing the male POV, and I can only hope she never stops. Sustained is still my favorite of the Legal Briefs series, but Appealed is still a must read!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: The Legal Briefs series

Overruled by Emma Chase Sustained by Emma Chase Appealed by Emma Chase 

#1 ~ Overruled: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Sustained: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Appealed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Sidebarred: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Paperback of Appealed (US Only)

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ARC Review: Dirty Together by Meghan March

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by

Dirty Together by Meghan March

Dirty Together by Meghan March
Series: Dirty Billionaire Trilogy #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 12th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

My wife.

I love saying those words.

She’s mine, and if she thinks I’m going to let her run without tracking her down and bringing her back to where she belongs—with me—then she’s about to be introduced to a new reality.

Because I’ll fight dirty to give her the happily ever after she deserves.

The Dirty Billionaire Trilogy wasn’t quite what I expected, but I enjoyed it for the most part. There has been plenty of scorching-hot scenes to love and one especially alpha hero I’ve come to really have a soft spot for. While the main characters themselves have been a lot of fun to read, the plot of the trilogy was weak in comparison. So there are good and bad parts to the series, and even though I didn’t love this conclusion to the series, I was entertained the whole way through.

“You don’t get it, Holly, and I’m not going anywhere until you do.”
“Get what?”
“That you’re the most important thing in my life now.”

This is the first time in the series where I loved BOTH Creighton and Holly. Creighton has learned from his mistakes and is no longer that unreasonable, arrogant, domineering man, but rather a husband who puts his wife first in all things now. I seriously swooned at all the wonderful things Creighton says and does for Holly to prove she’s his number one priority. And Holly herself has learned to stop running away when things get difficult. They have something worthwhile between them, and for the first time, the two of them are going to fight for their marriage and stick by each other.

“I thought I had everything,” he says in a low voice. “And then I met you. Now I do.”

This final installment went by too quick for me to really appreciate all the changes in Creighton and Holly though. I was also really hoping on more plot development, but the author mainly focused on character growth. I would’ve enjoyed this book the most out of the series, but the small twist at the end kind of came out of nowhere and threw me off. I loved the way the sweet romance ended, but plot-wise, I wasn’t a fan of the ending.

Still, even with the problems I had with Dirty Together, Creighton and Holly were truly an enjoyable couple to read about. They’ve come a long way since they first met each other and had their one-night-stand, and fans of the series will no doubt adore their happy ending.

3 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Dirty Billionaire Trilogy

Dirty Billionaire by Meghan March Dirty Pleasures by Meghan March Dirty Together by Meghan March

#1 ~ Dirty Billionaire: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dirty Pleasures: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Dirty Together: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Release Day Review: The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones

The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones
Series: Charley Davidson #9 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 12th 2016
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she’s more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her—even from her new and trusted friends—the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn’t help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she’s lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

The Charley Davidson series is one of my all-time favorite paranormal/urban fantasy series. I know every time I pick up a book from the series, I’m guaranteed laugh-out-loud humor from our dear heroine Charley, some hot sexiness from her now-husband Reyes, and a well-written mystery from Darynda Jones. I adored this latest installment to the series – it picks up right where Eighth Grave After Dark left off, with Charley having lost her memory and is now living as Janey Doerr (because Jane Doe is so overrated).

The latest books in the series have all been fast-paced and densely plot-filled, so the reprieve that The Dirt on Ninth Grave gives from all the craziness is a nice change. We get to rediscover Charley and the rest of the gang all over again, now that she has amnesia. But even though Charley has no idea who she is, the essence of her is still the exact same – she’s still the same hilarious, sassy, troublemaker heroine I’ve loved since the very start of the series.

What I loved most about this book is that we get to fall in love with Reyes alongside Charley all over again. Only this time, we know so much more about him, so every action he makes in The Dirt on Ninth Grave is so clearly filled with love. He is definitely the most romantic he’s ever been in the series, and I couldn’t help but swoon like crazy because of the love and utter devotion he has for Charley, amnesia or not.

His gaze rested on my mouth before making its way to my eyes again.
“You could ask for the world, and then where would civilization be when I conquered it and laid it at your feet?”

Even though the over-arcing plot has slowed down, that doesn’t mean that nothing happens in this book. Charley is a magnet for trouble and there are plenty of mysteries, ghost-filled and not, surrounding her. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever get tired of Charley and her fun-filled craziness. She is a one-of-a-kind heroine and definitely the funniest I’ve ever read. If you’re a fan the series, The Dirt on Ninth Grave won’t be quite what you expect, but if you love and trust in Charley, you’ll no doubt enjoy this book as much as I did, if not more.

“I’ve loved her for centuries,” he said. “And I will love her until the stars burn out.”

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Charley Davidson series

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones
Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones Seventh Grave and No Body by Darynda Jones Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones
 The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones The Curse of Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones 

#1 ~ First Grave on the Right: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Second Grave on the Left: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Third Grave Dead Ahead: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Fifth Grave Past the Light: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Sixth Grave on the Edge: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Seventh Grave and No Body: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Eighth Grave After Dark: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8.5 ~ Brighter Than the Sun: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads (Reyes’ POV novella)
#9 ~ The Dirt on Ninth Grave: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10 ~ The Curse of Tenth Grave: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#11 ~ Eleventh Grave in Moonlight: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads (Jan. 24, 2017)

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Release Day Review: Big Rock by Lauren Blakely

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Big Rock by Lauren Blakely

Big Rock by Lauren Blakely
Series: Big Rock Standalone (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 6th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

It’s not just the motion of the ocean, ladies. It’s definitely the SIZE of the boat too.

And I’ve got both firing on all cylinders. In fact, I have ALL the right assets. Looks, brains, my own money, and a big c&$k.

You might think I’m an as%*$le. I sound like one, don’t I? I’m hot as sin, rich as heaven, smart as hell and hung like a horse.

Guess what? You haven’t heard my story before. Sure, I might be a playboy, like the NY gossip rags call me. But I’m the playboy who’s actually a great guy. Which makes me one of a kind.

The only trouble is, my dad needs me to cool it for a bit. With conservative investors in town wanting to buy his flagship Fifth Avenue jewelry store, he needs me not only to zip it up, but to look the part of the committed guy. Fine. I can do this for Dad. After all, I’ve got him to thank for the family jewels. So I ask my best friend and business partner to be my fiancée for the next week. Charlotte’s up for it. She has her own reasons for saying yes to wearing this big rock.

And pretty soon all this playing pretend in public leads to no pretending whatsoever in the bedroom, because she just can’t fake the kind of toe-curling, window-shattering orgasmic cries she makes as I take her to new heights between the sheets.

But I can’t seem to fake that I might be feeling something real for her.

What the hell have I gotten myself into with this…big rock?

This was the sweetest book ever! I was hoping to get something better than a typical manwhore hero story, and Lauren Blakely certainly delivered. This is actually the first book I’ve read by her, but it won’t be my last. I adored this romantic comedy of a book – if you’re looking for something light, quick, sexy, and sweet, I highly recommend Big Rock.

I love, love, looove friends to lovers romances, so I just couldn’t resist reading Big Rock. I was a little hesitant about Spencer being a manwhore, but his character got rid of my doubts quickly and I absolutely loved him from the start. Even as he has his fun with women, he respects them and treats them well. But the number of women he’s slept with is getting him into trouble for the first time – so what does he do? Pretends he’s engaged to his best friend and business partner, Charlotte.

Spencer and Charlotte have never crossed the friendship line, but with this fake engagement, the chemistry between them skyrockets until all Spencer can see is Charlotte. This gorgeous, funny, incredible woman has been right under his nose the whole time, and now Spencer can’t help but want more between them.

My heart trips over itself in a race to get closer to her.
Something is happening. Something strange and completely foreign. My heart is speaking a language I don’t understand as it tries to fling itself at Charlotte.
Great. Now, that’s two organs I have to do battle with every day.

This is the perfect light-hearted read if you’re in the mood for it. Big Rock is written entirely in Spencer’s POV, which I loved. He’s so funny and charming, you can’t help but love him. Charlotte is perfect with him – you can tell that even when they’re faking an engagement, the two of them are meant to be together for real. Their romance was a delight to read and I highly recommend it for romcom lovers!

I’ve broken the biggest ground rule of all.
I’ve fallen in love with my best friend.

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Big Rock series

Each book can be read as a standalone.

Big Rock by Lauren Blakely  

#1 ~ Big Rock: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Mister O: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Well Hung: Goodreads (Sept. 12, 2016)
#4 ~ Full Package: Goodreads (May 23, 2017)

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Audiobook Review: Wicked Ride by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by

Wicked Ride by Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Realm Enforcers #1 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: December 22nd 2015
Length: 10 hours and 51 minutes
Narrated by: Brock Thompson
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Alexandra Monzelle is a hard-fighting, heat-packing Seattle vice cop, and she’s not much interested in being protected. Her short skirt and sex-kitten heels are tools to lure her suspects into talking about the deadly new drug hitting the streets. She can take care of herself and then some. Unfortunately, she can’t seem to get that through to Kellach Dunne.

Kellach is a fresh import from Dublin, and he’s landed at the heart of a vicious motorcycle club that deals in guns, narcotics, and mayhem. He’s all male, all rough power—and all interference in her damn investigation. Maybe he’s one of the good guys. Maybe not. Lex knows an affair with an immortal like him would risk everything. No matter how delicious he looks…

This is the first audiobook I’ve read that was entirely narrated by a male narrator! It was a much different experience than listening to an audiobook with only a female narrator – I wasn’t expecting that. Brock Thompson did a great job narrating Wicked Ride, especially when it came to the hero’s Irish dialogue. I have some mixed feelings about Wicked Ride, but overall it was a different story than what I was used to with a unique PNR world I’ve become interested in.

Alexandra Monzelle has dedicated her life to being a cop. Her father’s shady past has only made her more determined to live on the right side of the law. A new case pops up involving a deadly drugg called Apollo and Lex wants the drug off the streets. She’ll do whatever it takes to protect her city, and not even the Irish biker with the dangerously good looks and swoon-worthy accent she comes across during the case is going to get in her way.

Kellach Dunne is part of a dangerous MC club, and he’s found himself smack dab in the middle of Lex’s investigation. But there’s more to Kel than meets the eye. It turns out that he’s a witch Realm Enforcer, in the city to stop the Apollo drug himself, and Lex is his mate. She’s skeptical at first, but now that she’s been thrust into his paranormal world, everything she once knew has changed.

Even though the chemistry between them flares up anytime they’re together, Kel and Lex’s relationship does not start smoothly. The two of them go head to head with one another, both of them stubborn and not believing in their mate bond. But soon enough, Kel realizes that he does want Lex, and will do anything he can to protect Lex and make her want to be his mate.

I didn’t particularly understand the relationship that developed between Lex and Kel, since I didn’t really connect with either of them, but I really enjoyed the action in the audiobook, which there was plenty of. There’s a good amount of suspense and action to balance out the weak romance. And again, Brock’s narration was fantastic, and his voice made listening to the story all the better. It’s pretty deep and smooth, and I loved the Irish accent he had for Kel!

It was a little hard for me to choose a rating for the Wicked Ride audiobook, but I’ve decided to do 3 hearts for the story and 4 hearts for the narration, so 3.5 hearts!

3.5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Realm Enforcers series

  

#1 ~ Wicked Ride: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Wicked Edge: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Wicked Burn: Ebook • Goodreads (June 7, 2016)

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