Release Day Review: Dark Notes by Pam Godwin

Dark Notes by Pam Godwin
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

They call me a slut. Maybe I am.
Sometimes I do things I despise.
Sometimes men take without asking.

But I have a musical gift, only a year left of high school, and a plan.
With one obstacle.

Emeric Marceaux doesn’t just take.
He seizes my will power and bangs it like a dark note.
When he commands me to play, I want to give him everything.
I kneel for his punishments, tremble for his touch, and risk it all for our stolen moments.

He’s my obsession, my master, my music.
And my teacher.

Dark Notes is hot, hot, HOT!!!! I haven’t read a GOOD erotic romance in ages, but Dark Notes totally satisfied the craving for me. Pam Godwin knows how to write steam, and she does it SO well in this book. Plus, it’s a forbidden romance, which only makes everything hotter. I was absolutely taken away with Ivory and Emeric’s forbidden love – I couldn’t put this book down! It’s an addicting, dark, captivating read that I highly recommend. If you love teacher/student romances, Dark Notes is a must read.

It’s universally known that the more forbidden something is, the more desirable it becomes. I feel this truth like a fist around my balls as I enter my classroom after lunch and find the forbidden object of my desire waiting for me.

Ivory Westbrook is a highly gifted pianist and prodigy, and though she lives in poverty, she attends one of the most elite performing arts schools in order to hone her skill and one day escape from the cruelty and abuse she experiences at home. My heart felt for Ivory and the things she’s had to do to survive not just at home, but also at such a cutthroat school. But I also admired her strength, the way she fights for what she wants, and her tenacity. She’s almost on her way out and up to the top when the music teacher who would’ve recommended her to her dream university gets replaced… by a dark, dominating, compelling man she can’t stop thinking about.

Emeric Marceaux is an intimidating character. He’s an intense alpha used to getting what he wants – but what if what he wants is forbidden to him? Ivory fascinates him, and her heart-wrenching life only brings out the protective, possessive instincts in him. He wants her, but he also wants to give her the care and affection she’s never had in her life. Emeric is dark and dangerous, and as Ivory’s teacher and ten years her senior, I worried that he would have all the power. But it’s clear that he’s just as captivated and enthralled by her as she is by him.

She’s exactly the kind of woman I’m drawn to. A woman who flees when hunted and comes alive when she’s caught. A woman who bends beneath the punishments and seeks acceptance in her humiliation. A woman who bites at the heavy hand, only to melt around the unforgiving grip when it cuts her air.

Told in dual POV, Dark Notes weaves a fascinating, erotic tale of forbidden love between two characters who are utterly meant for each other but aren’t supposed to be together. Outside forces threaten to tear them apart, but Ivory and Emeric won’t let anything get in the way of a love that’s meant to be. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time reading, biting my nails while waiting to see how their relationship would work out. The flawless writing only made the entire reading experience better. If you love deliciously hot forbidden romances, I can’t recommend Dark Notes enough.

The tempo of our breaths. The drum of our heartbeats. The crackle in the air.
The exquisite cadence pulses through me, awakening sensations I’ve never felt, composing a melody I’ve never heard of.
Our hypnotic, dark notes.
This is so much more than punishment or forbidden pleasure.
She could never be a mistake.

4 hearts
lacey

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


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ARC Review: Porn Star by Laurelin Paige & Sierra Simone

Porn Star by Laurelin Paige & Sierra Simone
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: March 8th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the authors in exchange for an honest review

You know me.

Come on, you know you do.

Maybe you pretend you don’t. Maybe you clear your browser history religiously. Maybe you pretend to be aghast whenever someone even mentions the word porn in your presence.

But the truth is that you do know me.

Everybody knows Logan O’Toole, world famous porn star.

Except then Devi Dare pops into my world, and pretty soon I’m doing things that aren’t like me–like texting her with flirty banter and creating an entire web porn series just so I can get to star in her bed. Again. And again.

With Devi, my entire universe shifts, and the more time I spend with her, the more I realize that Logan O’Toole isn’t the guy I thought he was.

So maybe I’m not the guy you thought I was either.

When I heard Laurelin Paige and Sierra Simone were collaborating on a work together, I knew it was going to be a HOT read. And then when I heard it was going to be about a porn star? Well, I had to see for myself what this book would be like. Porn Star actually surprised me – the authors’ take on the porn industry was interesting, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought this book would be sexy and fun and light-hearted, but it turned out to be more than that. This won’t be a read for everyone, especially if you don’t like your characters being with other people, but otherwise, Porn Star was a well-written, unique, fascinating take on the life of a person in the porn industry.

The fantasy of being in love.
Jesus.
I scrub my face with my hands, feeling liberated and also feeling pathetic. Who in this selfish, indulgent, spray-tanned city would ever guess that Logan O’Toole has a chewy caramel center? That under his I’ll-fuck-anything-that-moves veneer, there is a guy who just wants to love someone?

Logan O’Toole isn’t your typical hero. He isn’t even your typical guy. He’s a famous porn star who’s been burned by love (a woman who also works in the porn industry) and he’s quite the sensitive soul. He may be be all sexual and alpha in bed and while filming, but outside of that, he’s a normal guy who genuinely wants to find love. And he actually takes his job, not only as a porn star but also as a director, writer, and editor, very seriously. We get a lot of depth and information about this industry, and while I feel like the book focused too much on that, I did appreciate how it made the book feel more real and authentic.

Devi Dare went into the porn industry because she needed the money, but she only does girl-on-girl porn. The one time she was with a man was with Logan an his ex in a threesome a few years ago, and since then she’s never really been able to forget him. Lucky for her, Logan feels the same way about Devi, and the two agree to film a porn series about a couple falling in love. So what happens when real feelings get involved along the way? Can a relationship in the porn industry actually work… and last?

My theater teacher in high school liked to talk about the unities, where time and place and action all converged into one point. Well, Devi is my unity right now. Drawing my body and my mind and my heart into a single, crystalline point, fusing all the disparate Logans into one bewitched, infatuated man.
I’ve fallen for her.

My heart actually hurt a bit for Devi and Logan as they were navigating this new relationship balancing sex, porn, and love. When both people in a relationship aren’t on the same page, one of them is bound to get hurt. The problem here is that Logan doesn’t see anything wrong with doing porn with other women while having a relationship with Devi, but Devi eventually realizes she does. Even though I personally don’t agree with the way Logan views sex and love, I did understand him, but I really wanted him to open his eyes about love and Devi a lot sooner than he did. Again, if you don’t like your main characters being with other people, this book won’t be easy to read.

The highlight of this book is definitely the writing, with the steamy scenes coming in second. I adored Devi and felt for her and her struggles, and while I liked Logan, I wanted to shake him sometimes. This story really felt like an honest take on the porn industry, which was fascinating, buuut I didn’t really like all the time Logan spent with other women. If you’re looking for something well-written and different from your typical read, I would definitely recommend Porn Star.

3.5 hearts
lacey

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


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Early Review: Asking for More by Lilah Pace

Asking for More by Lilah Pace

Asking for More by Lilah Pace
Series: Asking for It #2.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 15th 2016
Links: EbookGoodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The incendiary author of Begging for It and Asking for It again plunges readers into the shadowy depths of love, pain, pleasure and peril…

How far is too far?

Finally sure of each other’s strength and love, Jonah and Vivienne continue to explore their darkest fantasies together. However, what should be a night of ecstasy takes a dangerous turn, injuring Vivienne. She shrugs off the incident, but Jonah is haunted by it, particularly by the fear that others may believe he abuses her, or even glimpse the truth of their erotic obsession.

Then Jonah receives a call from his younger sister, Rebecca, who’s dealing with trouble of her own in South America. When Vivienne travels with him to aid Rebecca, she learns yet more about his tortured history—and Jonah opens up to Vivienne as never before.

Can Vivienne help Jonah cast off the shadows of his past forever?

Asking for More is a follow-up novella to the Asking for It series. Jonah and Vivienne are back – I loved them in Asking for It, was sadly disappointed with them in Begging for It, but I was still excited nonetheless for this novella. I was hoping Asking for More would answer some questions that I still had when I finished Begging for It, but this novella reads more like a recap of the previous two books than anything. There’s not much new information, so while I loved Lilah Pace’s gorgeous writing, I didn’t really see a point to this novella.

We do not love the desire we share. But we love each other, and together we’re learning how to own this—our rape fantasies—so that they will never again own us.

Vivienne and Jonah are working through the ins and outs of their new relationship, but an accident that leaves Vivienne injured takes them two steps back. Jonah still carries hang-ups over their games, and this accident only stresses out him and their relationship. Add in his sister getting mugged, and Vivienne and Jonah aren’t quite at their HEA just yet.

This novella didn’t really add much to the series. There are some hot sex scenes, but they’re not as intense as the ones in the previous books, Jonah still carries guilt, and there is a LOT of rehash. It almost felt like this novella was meant for someone who hasn’t read the series yet, there’s so much summary and recap. I did enjoy reading this – it was quick and sexy, but there wasn’t much else going for it. If you loved Begging for It and the way that book played out, then I feel like you’d like this novella, but otherwise, Asking for More isn’t a follow-up that’s necessary to read.

“You’ve changed me. You’ve saved me.”

3 hearts
lacey


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: My Review • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Begging for It: My Review • EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#2.5 ~ Asking for More: EbookGoodreads (March 15, 2016)


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Review: Begging for It by Lilah Pace

Begging for It by Lilah Pace

Begging for It by Lilah Pace
Series: Asking for It #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 1st 2015
Links: EbookPaperbackGoodreads

The provocative author of Asking for It once again explores the dark side of erotic obsession, and the secrets that make it as dangerous as it is irresistible.

Some secrets should only be shared in the dark.

Jonah and Vivienne’s erotic bond—living out raw scenarios of captivity and force—began as no-strings sex between strangers who shared the same desires. Now the intimacy between them is turning into love, but it’s a love built on fantasies so extreme that exploring them makes guilt inescapable. But the risks they’re taking are far more dangerous than they’d imagined.

A stalker is terrorizing the city, and one of Jonah’s ex-lovers names him as a potential suspect to the police. Standing by a man under suspicion could cost Vivienne everything. But when Jonah’s stepfather takes advantage of the scandal to seize control of the Marks family fortune, Vivienne is drawn into her lover’s broken family and twisted past. Only then will she learn how dark the truth really is…

After loving Asking for It, I’d been eagerly awaiting to read Begging for It, but I never got the chance to until now. Sadly, Begging for It didn’t live up to its incredible predecessor. I was blown away by Vivienne and Jonah in the first book, but there was just something missing when I read about them in this sequel. I grew bored most of the time while reading, mainly because I was waiting for something to happen, some development to show, but nothing ever did. I’m sad to say I’m pretty disappointed with Begging for It, and even the stunning writing wasn’t enough to make me love it.

I’m ashamed of what I want.
I want it anyway.

Begging for It picks up right where Asking for It leaves off, with Vivienne and Jonah separated and unhappy. Vivienne tries to make Jonah see that what they have together is special, even if it is messed up. The rape fantasies they have and play out are a dark, essential part of them, but Jonah can’t reconcile playing their ‘games’ with an actual rape victim, understandably. But Vivienne leaves him with an ultimatum – either they’re together and they have to play their fantasies, or it’s completely over between them.

Our problem isn’t a lack of attraction. Merely being in the same room together sets us each on fire.
Our problem is that this fire could burn us both down.

Vivienne comes off as selfish and manipulative, and it’s not just because of the ultimatum. I didn’t like her AT ALL in this book, which was disappointing because I adored her in Asking for It. She’s continually selfish and only wants things her way throughout the novel, completely disregarding Jonah’s feelings most of the time. I didn’t like that she couldn’t see Jonah’s side of things, that she couldn’t accept him not wanting to act out their fantasies anymore because she has it so into her head that they NEED their ‘games.’ I also found myself skimming a lot of the introspective parts of the book that were repetitive – while I understand Vivienne’s shame and guilt over needing the fantasies, it got tiring to read about that over and over.

Vivienne and Jonah are messed up people. But the thing is, they never really try to resolve their problems. Jonah gives it a go, since he’s not the one who can’t orgasm without acting out the fantasy, but he gives in easily to Vivienne. I liked Jonah more than Vivienne in Begging for It, but I can’t say that I liked him as much as I did in Asking for It. He just wasn’t as appealing or compelling in this sequel, sadly. But I did enjoy the way his and Vivienne’s love and romance progressed – it was everything else I had problems with.

“You and I, what we have together, it’s more than this. And yet this is a part of us. It always will be.”

There are a ton of things going on in this novel, but the things that I wanted the story to focus on never really get a concise ending. Vivienne doesn’t receive closure with her family or her rapist. The plot involving Jonah and his sadistic, evil stepfather felt incomplete. The stalker/rapist terrorizing the school campus plot was predictable. With the way things ended, this book could’ve been so much shorter – there was just too much filler and secondary character plots that felt unnecessary.

I probably would’ve given this 2-2.5 hearts, if not for the gorgeous writing. I didn’t hate this book, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. That being said, I still did love the first book and all its brilliant intensity and grittiness. And because I adore the writing, I’ll more than likely read more of Lilah Pace’s upcoming books. Hopefully if you loved Asking for It, you’ll enjoy Begging for It more than I did.

3 hearts
lacey


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: My Review • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Begging for It: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#2.5 ~ Asking for More: My Review • EbookGoodreads


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Release Day Review: Mastered by Maya Banks

Mastered by Maya Banks

Mastered by Maya Banks
Series: The Enforcers #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 29th 2015
Links: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

What he wants, he takes with no remorse or guilt.

She stood out in his club like a gem, unspoiled and untouched. A lamb among wolves, she clearly didn’t belong. Drawn to her innocence he watched as she was surrounded by men who saw what he did—but no one but him could touch her. He summoned her to his private quarters. He sensed her fear. He also recognized the desire in her eyes. And he knew she wouldn’t leave before he possessed her. She had no need to know his secrets. Not until he had her under his complete and utter control.

What he wants, she isn’t sure she can give him.

The moment he told her want he wanted, she couldn’t resist. Instinct told her to run, but her heart said stay and walk the fine line between pleasure and pain. Though she wasn’t sure she could ever completely surrender, the primal part of her wanted to try, even knowing this man could break her in ways she never imagined. Because once he possessed her, he owned her and it would be too late to turn back. She can only pray that he doesn’t destroy her in the end.

Mastered is the first book in Maya Banks’ The Enforcers series, and it tells the story of innocent and naive Evangeline being thrust into an erotic world that is completely out of her comfort zone. Drake Donovan is the lion to her lamb, and while Mastered should have been a cliché, I actually enjoyed it for the most part. It’s an exciting start to a new series that has a great potential to become even better.

Evangeline lost her virginity to a guy who only viewed her as a challenge, so her friends want her to get back at him by going to an exclusive club and showing him what he’s missing out on. Evangeline is shy and doesn’t have much confidence in herself, and even though she’s not a virgin anymore, she’s innocent in a lot of ways. But when she walks into Impulse, she has no idea that her entire life is going to change and that she’s going to be claimed by a rich, powerful man.

Drake Donovan is alpha to the max – he needs control in all things, and the one thing he can’t control is his need for Evangeline. Her innocence draws him, even when he knows he doesn’t deserve her, but he’s going to claim and dominate her anyway because what he wants, he gets.

What I liked most about Mastered was how Drake opens up Evangeline’s eyes toward herself and helps her develop her self-confidence and sexuality. Evangeline’s insecurity annoyed me in the beginning of the book, because she keeps repeating over and over how she never belongs anywhere, but with Drake’s help, the way she views herself starts to change and she becomes more endearing than anything to me by the end of the book. What was also sweet was the friendships that grew between Evangeline and Drake’s best friends. I adored the way all these hardened, alpha males became so smitten with her!

Mastered is book 1 of 2 in Drake and Evangeline’s story. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book, because I did not expect that cliffhanger ending in Mastered! If you’re a fan of steamy, kinky books with a dominating alpha billionaire and a heroine who is his complete opposite, then I’d recommend this book.

3.5 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: The Enforcers series

Mastered by Maya Banks Dominated by Maya Banks Kept by Maya Banks

#1 ~ Mastered: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dominated: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads (May 3, 2016)
#3 ~ Kept: Paperback • Goodreads (Nov. 1, 2016)


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