Tag Archives: Berkley

Release Day Review: Strong Enough by M. Leighton

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Strong Enough by M. Leighton

Strong Enough by M. Leighton
Series: Tall, Dark, and Dangerous #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 4th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Is she strong enough to trust the most dangerous man she’s ever met? And is he strong enough to let her?

How would I describe myself? Well, I’m Muse Harper. I’m a twenty-something painter who loves red wine, quirky movies, and men with a fatal flaw. But that was before I met Jasper King. He became my fatal flaw. Eight months ago, I had a choice to make—abandon everything I’ve ever known to protect my family, or stay and risk someone getting hurt. I chose the former. My plan was working just fine until I found out my father had gone missing.

That’s when I met Jasper. A bounty hunter with the eyes of a tiger and the nose of a bloodhound, he was supposed to help me find my father. What I didn’t know was that meeting him was no accident. Hunting people isn’t all that Jasper does. And helping me was only part of his plan. I just wish I’d found out sooner, before my heart got involved. But even then, I don’t know if I’d have done things differently.

Now, I have another choice to make—trust the man that I’m falling in love with and hope that he’ll do the right thing, or run as far away from him as I can get.

This book was somethin’ else! Strong Enough is the first book in the Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series featuring some bad boy heroes, and it’s a great start to the series. There were things I liked, some I didn’t, but overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable, hot and sexy read that I couldn’t really put down. M. Leighton did an excellent job with the suspense in Strong Enough, and I really liked that it felt pretty unique and different from what I normally read.

Muse Harper is a quirky artist who has dreams of falling in love with the perfect man, but all the men she’s been with have a ‘fatal flaw’. Then she meets Jasper King, a bounty hunter who she hires to help find her missing father. From the very second they meet, there’s an undeniable, intense chemistry between them. But the two couldn’t be more different – while Muse is an artist with her heart on her sleeve, Jasper is a quiet, broody, tightly-controlled man with a dangerous profession.

Jasper has lived a lonely life with a painful past since he was young, and he never expects to fall for the gorgeous artist who has no place in his life. He’s such a closed-off man, and the things he’s done as a bounty hunter has him believing that he doesn’t deserve Muse’s affection or love. But try as he might to resist her, the passion between them grows hotter than ever as they set out to find Muse’s father.

“I’m probably the worst thing in the world for you. The worst thing that would feel like the best.”

Muse and Jasper made a fantastic couple. I didn’t entirely connect with their characters, but I still liked them for the most part. My heart broke for Jasper’s past and his lonely life, and I was cheering for Muse to break down his walls and work her way into his heart. I could FELL the intense, electrifying chemistry between them that M. Leighton wrote so well. Honestly, the best part about Strong Enough is the writing. I LOVE the author’s writing style, which is so well-written and packed with so much feeling.

I did get pretty frustrated at Jasper for his hot-and-cold feelings for Muse, loving her one moment, then pushing her away the next. But other than that, I really liked the way the romance played out alongside the suspense. This book is definitely a page turner, and I found myself so eager to learn more about Jasper and the secrets he keeps. So many things happened in this book that I nearly couldn’t keep up! Strong Enough is a must read for those who like bad boys and a whole lot of suspense in their books. I really enjoyed this series debut and I’m so excited for the next book!

“You’re the only thing I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember. And the one thing I can’t have.”

3.5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series

Strong Enough by M. Leighton Tough Enough by M. Leighton Brave Enough by M. Leighton

#1 ~ Strong Enough: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Tough Enough: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Brave Enough: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Release Day Review: The Taming of the Billionaire by Jessica Clare

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The Taming of the Billionaire by Jessica Clare

The Taming of the Billionaire by Jessica Clare
Series: Billionaires and Bridesmaids #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 21st 2015
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The New York Times bestselling author of The Billionaire and the Virgin returns with a tale of Shakespearean-style seduction…

Edie’s an overbearing cat behaviorist who’s not big on people. Magnus is a newly-rich game developer who likes to be in control. When the two of them meet at Gretchen and Hunter’s masquerade engagement party, the loathing is mutual. Unfortunately for them—and everyone else—they’re in the wedding party together and must deal with each other for the next few months.

But when Magnus’s younger brother falls for Edie’s sister, he begs for his brother’s help in concocting a plan to win her over. If Magnus can keep the prickly Edie occupied, his brother will have time to woo Edie’s sister. Of course, Magnus isn’t interested in the slightest, but Edie is…intriguing. And stubborn. And smart. And sexy. And they might have more in common than they thought.

Before long, it becomes a challenge between the two of them to see who will be tamed first. But how’s Edie going to react when she finds out that Magnus is using her? And how’s Magnus going to handle the fact that he’s fallen for a cat lady?

Jessica Clare’s Billionaire books are a total guilty pleasure of mine – I inhale them like candy because they’re just so good. They’re easy to enjoy and well-written with hilarious, endearing characters. The Taming of the Billionaire, the second book in the Billionaire and Bridesmaids series, is another win from Jessica Clare – I adored this warm-hearted, enchanting story of the cat lady and the billionaire!

“I thought I was going to tame the cat lady, and it seems that she’s tamed me.”

Edie is a cat behaviorist, otherwise known as a cat lady. She’s not the most friendly person, but hand her a cat and she’s the sweetest person you know. She has a leg injury that causes a limp, and she’s dependent on her sister Bianca, who’s pretty but manipulative. Edie a bridesmaid at her friend Gretchen’s wedding, and at the engagement party she meets Magnus, one of the groomsman – and they dislike each other at first sight. She thinks he’s a dick and he thinks she’s a bitch, which makes for some hilarious banter between them.

Magnus is a billionaire who got rich by developing video games and his latest project requires the help of his brother Levi. But Levi won’t work unless he can be with Edie’s gorgeous sister Bianca, so they make a deal: Magnus will spend time with Edie to distract her from Bianca so Levi can have Bianca to himself, and Levi will work on their gamer project. While Magnus expects to hate his time with Edie, he’s surprised by the sassy yet warm-hearted woman underneath her cat lady exterior. Before long, Magnus wants to spend time with Edie – and he wants her pretty bad, too.

Jessica Clare writes some fantastic chemistry between Magnus and Edie – they’re such unique characters and make an unexpected couple, but I loved them together. Not only is the sex between them HOT, the two are also hilarious together! I was giggling my way through this book with the banter and with how ridiculous they were. Edie and Magnus make the cutest couple ever and I adored them!

“I’m going to lick your pussy so hard you’re not going to be able to walk straight.”
“That’s not much of a threat for a girl like me, Magnus,” she teased. Her hand moved down the front of his chest, then landed at his waist.
“Then I’ll lick your pussy so hard that I won’t be able to walk straight,” he told her.

The Taming of the Billionaire is a hilariously fun, light-hearted read with just the right amount of angst to keep my heart invested. I looooved seeing Magnus fall so hard for his cat lady – he definitely makes a huge 180 in regards to his feelings towards Edie AND he becomes a total cat person himself. Edie was a great heroine too – she’s funny, relatable, and I connected with her from the start. I also loved seeing the characters from the Billionaire Boys Club series (I still have the BIGGEST girl crush on Gretchen)! This book is definitely a must-read for fans of the author – it’s a fun-filled, delightful read and I highly recommend it!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Billionaires and Bridesmaids series

The Billionaire and the Virgin by Jessica Clare The Taming of the Billionaire by Jessica Clare The Billionaire Takes a Bride by Jessica Clare The Billionaire's Favorite Mistake by Jessica Clare

#1 ~ The Billionaire and the Virgin: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Taming of the Billionaire: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Billionaire Takes a Bride: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Billionaire’s Favorite Mistake: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Billionaire on the Loose: Ebook • Goodreads (Sept. 20, 2016)

The Billionaires and Bridesmaids series is a spinoff series of the Billionaire Boys Club. Though it’s not necessary to read it prior to Billionaires and Bridesmaids, some recurring characters from the older series appear in the new series.

Reading Order: Billionaire Boys Club series

Stranded with a Billionaire by Jessica Clare Beauty and the Billionaire by Jessica Clare The Wrong Billionaire's Bed by Jessica Clare
Once Upon a Billionaire by Jessica Clare Romancing the Billionaire by Jessica Clare One Night with a Billionaire by Jessica Clare

#1 ~ Stranded with a Billionaire: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Beauty and the Billionaire: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Wrong Billionaire’s Bed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Once Upon a Billionaire: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Romancing the Billionaire: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ One Night with a Billionaire: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Release Day Review: Playing with Trouble by Chanel Cleeton

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Playing with Trouble by Chanel Cleeton

Playing with Trouble by Chanel Cleeton
Series: Capital Confessions #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 21st 2015
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The author of Flirting with Scandal presents her second book in a sexy contemporary romance series about three sisters in a powerful political family, the scandals that threaten to destroy them, and the passion that drives them…

The daughter of one of the Senate’s most powerful figures, Blair Reynolds was ready to become the ultimate political wife—until she caught her fiancé cheating on her wedding day. Law school is a fresh start, her shot at putting the pieces of her life back together. That’s the plan, at least. Until trouble comes in the form of her Torts professor, the man whose arrogance infuriates her in class but haunts her private fantasies.

Graydon Canter had a fortune and a place on all the hottest “Thirty under Thirty” lists, until a series of personal missteps nearly destroyed his career. A year teaching at a D.C. law school is just the break he needs to get his life back in order, as long as nothing—and no one—trips him up.

When Blair and Gray are forced to work together, their explosive attraction becomes impossible to resist. But Gray’s demons have drawn him dangerously close to the edge, and Blair has spent her life playing by the rules. Will she break them for a shot at love?

This is the first book I’ve read from Chanel Cleeton and it certainly won’t be the last! I enjoyed Playing with Trouble SO much – it’s a deliciously sexy, forbidden romance between a law professor and his student. There’s TONS of hot chemistry between Blair and Gray, which I thought the author handled so well. This is definitely a must-read for fans of forbidden romances!

It was the cruelest irony that the man I despised, the man who tortured me from the front of the classroom three days a week, was the hottest fucking thing I’d ever seen.

After the mess her life became after catching her fiancé cheating on her with the best man, Blair Reynolds enrolls in law school to get her life back on track and to please her Senator father. Unfortunately, law school is kicking her ass, and it doesn’t help that her Torts professor, Graydon Canter, is serious sex-on-a-stick.

Gray notices Blair on the first day of class, but obviously, he can’t act on his growing lust for his student, even if she is only seven years younger than him. Gray is a deeply flawed man who’s haunted by the mistakes he made that ended up ruining his law career, but he’s on his way to straightening out his life. He hates teaching, but the one good thing to come out of it is Blair. When they’re unexpectedly thrust together for a project, tensions run high and it isn’t long before they can’t resist each other’s pull.

I really liked the dual POV between Blair and Gray, although sometimes it switched around too many times for my taste. I could feel the chemistry that Gray and Blair were both feeling – there’s a serious case of insta-lust, but I actually loved it in this book because the characters can’t DO anything about it, at least not for a while. As Gray and Blair continue meeting up for the project, the chemistry between them only grows hotter. But they also start getting to know one another on a deeper, personal level, and I loved the way their feelings grew naturally and believably. Gray and Blair grew up in different worlds, but the two of them just clicked together. I’m just really impressed with the way the author handled their forbidden romance.

“You tempt me. So fucking much. I want to think I can be better for you. That I can change. But what if I can’t? It’s one thing to hurt myself, what if I hurt you, too? What if I let you down? I break things. I don’t want to break you.”

There’s a lot of depth to Blair and Gray’s characters and lots to overcome before they can even think of reaching a HEA, but these were two characters I couldn’t help but root for. There are some frustrations, with Gray’s back-and-forth feelings, but it was nothing too annoying. I loved the sexy times, but I also really enjoyed the deeper, meaningful parts to Blair and Gray’s relationship. The forbidden aspect was expertly handled, I really enjoyed the writing, and overall, Playing with Trouble was worthwhile read. I’m thinking I should definitely read the first book, which I skipped, since I enjoyed this second book so much!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Capital Confessions series

Flirting with Scandal by Chanel Cleeton Playing with Trouble by Chanel Cleeton Falling for Danger by Chanel Cleeton

#1 ~ Flirting with Scandal: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Playing with Trouble: Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Falling for Danger: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads

about the author button

Chanel CleetonOriginally a Florida girl, CHANEL CLEETON moved to London where she received a bachelor’s degree from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever, until fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise and a fighter pilot with smooth dance moves swept her off her feet. Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure.

Law school made Chanel realize she’d rather spend her days writing sexy stories than in a courtroom, and she hasn’t looked back since. An avid reader and hopeless romantic, she’s happiest curled up with a book. She has a weakness for handbags, her three pups, and her husband.

Chanel writes contemporary romances. She is published by Harlequin HQN, Penguin/InterMix, and Penguin/Berkley and is the author of the International School, Capital Confessions, and Wild Aces series.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Newsletter

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ARC Review + Paperback Giveaway: Toxic by Kim Karr

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Toxic by Kim Karr

Toxic by Kim Karr
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: July 7th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

New York Times bestselling author Kim Karr turns up the heat in a smoking hot, emotionally compelling romance that takes you into the world of Manhattan’s elite. Meet Jeremy McQueen, a sexy, intense, brooding entrepreneur who goes after what he wants, and Phoebe St. Claire, a socialite-turned-CEO who’s been drifting through life searching for something she thought she’d never find again–the right man to share her future.

Phoebe St. Claire has devoted herself to saving her family’s hotel empire–but her best efforts have not been good enough. With her whole world in turmoil, the tenacious go-getter turns to the once love of her life. Far from innocent, Jeremy McQueen was the guy from the wrong side of the tracks who her parents would never have approved of. Their years apart have only made the sexy bad boy more irresistible than ever–and their reunion is explosive.

When she asks Jeremy to help her salvage her family business, he agrees immediately, with only one condition–he wants her in his bed.

But soon surprising circumstances leave Phoebe reeling. Was this fairy tale romance just too good to be true? Will Jeremy’s secrets pull them apart all over again?

I adore second chance romances, so Toxic was right up my alley. I was expecting Toxic to be an angsty but sweet romance about two people reconnecting, but it was surprisingly so much more than that. Kim Karr tells an excellent story about both the highs and lows of a relationship, and yes, the toxic parts of it, too. Kim Karr really nails the second chance romance aspect of the story as well – I was rooting for Phoebe and Jeremy to get their much deserved HEA.

Through everything, all the heartache, the loneliness, the sadness and sorrow, the one thing I never regretted was meeting him.
Him.
Jeremy McQueen.
He wasn’t just any boy–he was “the boy.” The one I never should have met, and the one I’d never trade meeting for the world.

Five years ago, Phoebe and Jeremy were very much in love, despite being complete opposites. Phoebe was the rich, high society girl while Jeremy was the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Phoebe, however, keeps the fact that she comes from a wealthy family a secret from Jeremy so that he won’t turn away from her. In the flashback scenes, I could easily feel the connection Phoebe and Jeremy had all those years ago. They formed a sweet romance that unfortunately didn’t last after the lies and misunderstandings.

I’d loved him once, even though I never told him I did. And as I looked at him, everything I’d ever felt for him came rushing back.

Now, just as Phoebe is in the midst of saving her family’s hotel empire, Jeremy comes back into her life, but now this bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks is a successful, wealthy businessman. Phoebe never truly got over her lost love, and it seems like neither did Jeremy. The connection they had five years ago is still going strong, if not stronger once they reunite. I loved how passionate Phoebe and Jeremy are together – they want each other like no other and the chemistry between them is explosive. They bring out the best each other, but they also bring out the worst. They both have to deal with their jealousy, self-doubts, and past mistrusts before they can ever truly move on and be in a relationship again.

Normally, I wouldn’t have enjoyed a book like Toxic – there’s a whole mess of misunderstandings and miscommunications, which made for a toxic relationship. But somehow, it worked for Phoebe and Jeremy. The misunderstandings and miscommunications weren’t gratuitous – they were very real issues that both Jeremy and Phoebe have to overcome. These characters have a history of distrust and uncertainty in their relationship, and throughout the course of their reconnected love, they find a way to get past these issues to form a stronger relationship.

“You know things won’t be the same as they were. They can’t be. Too much has happened.”
He sighed what sounded like relief. “I know. They’ll be better this time.”
“What if they’re not?”
“It’s not possible.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just do. I can feel it.”

There are lots of twists and turns in Toxic, which had me on the edge of my seat. I really couldn’t put this book down. The best part about this is the intense chemistry between Phoebe and Jeremy – their past relationship really heightens their connection and made me want them to get their HEA. The love between them comes so clearly off the pages, which did sometimes make me feel frustrated when the misunderstandings and miscommunications started up. These were two people who are clearly meant to be together, but the journey to their HEA is not an easy one. I definitely recommend this book to those who like sexy, angsty romances with a little twist to it.

4 hearts
lacey

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

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One paperback copy of Toxic by Kim Karr
Open US/CAN only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Early Review: Asking for It by Lilah Pace

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Asking for It by Lilah Pace

Asking for It by Lilah Pace
Series: Asking for It #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 2nd 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

“This is who I am. This is what I want. Now I need a man dangerous enough to give it to me.”

Graduate student Vivienne Charles is afraid of her own desires—ashamed to admit that she fantasizes about being taken by force, by a man who will claim her completely and without mercy. When the magnetic, mysterious Jonah Marks learns her secret, he makes an offer that stuns her: they will remain near-strangers to each other, and meet in secret so that he can fulfill her fantasy.

Their arrangement is twisted. The sex is incredible. And—despite their attempts to stay apart—soon their emotions are bound together as tightly as the rope around Vivienne’s wrists. But the secrets in their pasts threaten to turn their affair even darker…

Reader Advisory: Asking for It deals explicitly with fantasies of non-consensual sex. Readers sensitive to portrayals of non-consensual sex should be advised.

Holy WOW!!! WOW. What an incredible read. I’m still not quite sure what to make of it, but I know I wholehearted enjoyed this book.

When I first got an email about Asking for It, I was SO intrigued. It’s a book about two people who fantasize about non-consensual sex. Rape. A sensitive subject, definitely, but I thought the author handled it excellently.

If it’s all in my head, and it makes me come, what’s the harm?
(It makes me come hard.)
The harm is when the lines between reality and fantasy get blurred.
Like they did last night.

This book is just… it’s a lot to handle. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel reading a book with this theme, but the author wrote this book so flawlessly that I couldn’t put it down. Vivienne and Jonah’s exploration of their fantasies is nothing short of mind-blowing, mentally and physically. I was intrigued by the blurb, but the moment I started reading, I was hooked onto the story and the characters.

“You hate it, don’t you? The fantasy. I do too. But it doesn’t change anything.”

Asking for It is provocative. Sexy. Intense. When Vivienne and Jonah start a no-strings relationship in which they get fulfill their fantasies, it was so much hotter than I thought it would be. None of the sex felt gratuitous – it all served a purpose. I got so turned on by the raw, gritty, intense, hot fucking between them, yet the story goes so much deeper than just the enacting of their fantasies. As I got to know Vivienne and Jonah, I became invested in their characters. There are so many layers to them, and so many more to unravel by the end of the book. And just a heads up, Asking for It is not a standalone.

I loved how Vivienne and Jonah find a safe place with each other to enact their fantasies. There’s a huge amount of trust involved, which means it’s easy for their hearts to get involved. The romance isn’t quite a romance – feelings develop but they’re not concrete quite yet. There’s a lot of potential for love between Jonah and Vivienne, and I’m looking forward to reading more of them.

“You destroy me every time. Completely.”

If you’re intrigued by the blurb, then I say go for it. It’s a sensitive subject, but the author handles it with confidence and grace. The writing is absolutely stunning – I’d recommend this book based on that alone. As for the romance, even though there’s not much of it, I’d still recommend giving this a try. I’m a total romance sap, yet I wasn’t dissatisfied by the way the romance played out in this book. It’s slow going, for sure, but I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel to see where the author takes Jonah and Vivienne.

4 hearts for Asking for It – it’s a fascinating, promising start to Vivienne and Jonah’s story.

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Asking for It series

Asking for It by Lilah Pace Begging for It by Lilah Pace Asking for More by Lilah Pace

#1 ~ Asking for It: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Begging for It: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Asking for More: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads

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