Review: Once Should Be Enough

Once again, I was super lucky to edit another interesting book. Just the same, I read the story, and I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Title: Once Should Be Enough
Author: Nikky Kaye
Self-Published
Release Date: August 17, 2016
Pages: 92
Buy Links: Amazon

Blurb:

Are friends with benefits worth the cost?

My cocky friend Will doesn't believe that I'm frigid, but what does he know? His promises might make me shiver but it doesn't mean he can give me a happy. He's so confident he's betting me money on it, and a thousand bucks is a lot of money to a poor college student.

Once should be enough to taunt him with "I told you so," right?

But I didn't know he meant trying everything once...

Humorous and sexy at the same time. Was it actually possible?

The simple answer? Yes. I couldn't actually believe how much I enjoyed reading and editing this book. The characters were so likeable and well-developed even for a short book. Though there was a bit of hesitance on Will's part at first, his true desire wouldn't let him hold back for too long.

It was also a good thing that the friendship wasn't on any deeper level so the "friends with benefits" thing wasn't that big of a deal. I really enjoyed the fact that Will cared so much about his friend that he wanted to make sure that she didn't surrender to her insecurities. Talk about a great friend.

The steamy scenes were really hot, as well as funny, which what I really enjoyed the most. Usually, when I read about friends getting together, I felt a bit uneasy because there was no going back when the line between friendship and sexual relationship had been crossed. Thankfully, this book didn't give me such an uneasy feeling. Very interesting, indeed.

One of my favorite reads this year, for sure!

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ARC Review: Body Contact

If you missed it, I reviewed the first book of this series called Hands On. If you've seen that review, you knew how much I wanted the second book to be released right away. The day had come and I couldn't be more excited!

Title: Body Contact
Series: Hands On, #2
Author: Cathryn Fox
Publisher: Entangled: Scorched
Release: August 15, 2016
Pages: 72
Buy Links: Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks | Amazon UK | Amazon CA

Blurb:

Asking pro football player Jack Rider to teach me everything he knows about sex might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I'm not so sure I can handle a guy like him. I thought he'd just straight up do me, ridding me of my pesky virginity sooner rather than later. But no, he had his own ideas about bringing me up to speed on sex. His two weeks of slow seduction might just be the death of me, but since he's the one in charge, I have to play the game his way. Not that I'm not enjoying it. I am. Who wouldn't, right? I guess I just can't help but wonder how I'll ever let another man touch me after him.

Danielle learned sexy things in this book.

First things first, I was glad that we got to meet Jack's family briefly in this book. I loved the banter between his brothers and hoped that there would be more in the final book of this series. The connection was unmistakable, and I'd love to see how Danielle would respond to such a bond.

The other thing I loved about this book was the mention of Jack's best friend Jamie. There was a time when Jack was considering asking his best friend to tag team if Danielle wanted a threesome. Well, I sure hope that she would want one so I could read about it in book 3 ;)

As with the first book, Danielle's innocence was still so cute. No wonder Jack was hooked like an addict to drugs. He couldn't get her out of his mind, and she was getting under his skin. I smell romance.

Danielle: "Are we going to have sex?"

Jack: "If you consider my mouth, hands, and tongue on your body, touching and tasting you everywhere--and I mean everywhere--sex, then yes, we're having sex."

In this book, we also met Jack's physical therapist. I thought she was a good, professional woman, until she propositioned Jack. Not cool, missy. Next!

Besides Danielle's innocence, it was also cute how eager she was at learning the art of sex (ahem). She was reading about it, and honestly telling Jack about it. Clearly, she had no idea that telling him would probably turn him on. I loved how effective the author was in making Danielle likeable while being innocent.

"You know what happens to naughty girls who overstep boundaries?"

Unfortunately, I'd have to wait for the final book in September to come out before I found out what happened. Darn it! Book 3, come quick, please ;)

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ARC Review: Burn Down the Night

I wanted to read this book because I liked the blurb. Check out my review below to see if I ended up liking it. This was the first book I read from this author.

Title: Burn Down the Night
Author: M. O'Keefe
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: August 9, 2016
Pages: 334
Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks | BN | Kobo | Books A Million

Blurb:

The only thing that matters to me is rescuing my sister from the drug-cooking cult that once enslaved us both. I’ve run cons my whole life, and I’ll use my body to get whatever I need. Max Daniels is the last connection I have to that world, the one person reckless enough to get involved. Besides, now that his brothers have turned on him, he needs me too.
 
The deal was supposed to be simple: a place to hide in exchange for rescuing my sister. Now he’s my prisoner. Totally at my mercy. But I’m the one captivated. Enthralled. Doing everything he asks of me until I’m not sure who’s in control.
 
We both crave the heat. The more it hurts, the better. But what if Max wants a different life now, to leave the game . . . to love me? I thought I knew better than to get burned. Now I’m in too deep to pull away. And the crazy thing is . . . I don’t want to.

Dark, gritty, and so steamy.

When I started this book, my first reaction was that it was hilarious. I loved how funny it was, so much that I went to work and told my coworker about it and showed her some quotes I highlighted in my kindle app. My favorite part was the daydreams about a boat.

Me and Joan--we were a scene just breathing.

Beyond the humor, however, was something quite dark. When reading this book, I felt like I was surrounded with the darkness that always had the characters in its tight embrace. The self-loathing was strong, though softened by the humor.

All I wanted was my sister back and somehow I adopted a biker.

Another thing to mention about this book was the heat level of the sex scenes. The characters weren't even touching, but it was so hot all the same. That was quite an achievement, I'd say. 

This book had three parts, and it seemed like a really long book. It only let me get attached to the characters some more, though. The first part was all the darkness. The second part was when light was starting to creep through the darkness. And finally, the third part was when the darkness had been conquered. 

I knew that I was getting an ARC of the book from Netgalley. However, the amount of typos I encountered were a bit much. I had read many books from Netgalley and the typos were pretty minimal, except for this book. I still enjoyed the story, but I did hope that the final copy would be polished well.

Would I recommend this book? Sure, if you like dark, humorous, sexy romance. :)

Check out the quotes below:
J: "Hey, Max. How you doing? Rise and shine!"
M: "Fuck off."
J: "And hello to you too. Do you know what year it is?"
M: "Let me sleep."
J: "Can't do that. I need you to answer some questions. Do you know what day it is?"
M: "Wednesday."
J: "Do you know your name?"
M: "Max Daniels."
J: "My name?"
M: "Joan-the-crazy-fucking-bitch."
J: "Good enough. How are your ribs?"
M: "Hurts...to breathe."

"You're not so tough," I whispered, because it was funny. Because he was a murderous son of a bitch. But at the moment he was my murderous son of a bitch.

J: "I forgot about those burritos."
F: "You ate so many, I thought you were going to turn into one."

"Save your act for other people. The lies and the show--I don't want it. I want you. Fucked up and crazy. I want you." It was poetry.

M: "What's good?"
J: "The peach pancakes."
M: "Do I look like a guy who eats peach pancakes?"
(A little later on, the waitress came over to ask for their order)
J: "I'll have the pulled pork eggs benedict."
M: "I'll have the peach pancakes."

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Review: The Best Friend Bargain

This review is extra special because the day before I finished this book, I met the author herself and we had lunch together! What a lovely day it was! Also, she gave me Honor and Bryce's book. I'd be going backwards, but watch out for my review on their book later this year as well.

Title: The Best Friend Bargain
Series: Kisses in the Sand, #3
Author: Robin Bielman
Publisher: Entangled: Love Struck
Release Date: August 8, 2016
Pages: 204
Buy Links: Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks

Blurb:

Olivia Lincoln has a plan guaranteed to get her life back on track. A plan that involves her best friend, Danny. And he’s on board, too…until she blurts out that they’re engaged and expecting a baby, and the news spreads like wildfire.

The problem? Danny doesn’t do marriage. Or family. And everyone knows it, including Olivia.

As irritated as he might be, protecting Olivia is what Danny does. But put best friends under one roof, add house rules begging to be broken, accidental nakedness, and pancakes in bed, and what started as a marriage between friends threatens to turn into the real deal…which would ruin everything.

So cute, so adorable, so perfect!

This book was so light and easy to read. I was hooked from the very beginning so I pretty much devoured this book. Was there any other way to do it?

Danny was the sweetest book boyfriend I have ever read; I just wanted to squeeze him so hard. Olivia was one lucky woman. He was always there for her no matter what, where, or when. He would do anything for her, including giving up his life and accepting her crazy proposal.

Of course, Danny was not without fault. There were times when I wanted to punch him and knock some sense into him. Or at the very least, wished that Bryce would do it on my behalf. Sheesh!

Olivia, on the other hand, seemed to believe that she never did anything right, because that was what her mother had always told her. What a witch! Thankfully, Danny was there by her side no matter what. That meant a lot, I was sure of it. I always told myself that even the worst people have at least one friend, so there must be something redeemable about them, right? Olivia certainly had a lot of amazing qualities. Qualities that Danny sure noticed more and more. Poor thing, the first half of the book was full of sexual tension, but they were so darn cute!

So anyway, this book was amazing and I can't wait to go backwards and read the second book. Click here if you want to read my review of the first one, Keeping Mr. Right Now.

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ARC Review: Lure of Obsession

If I wasn't mistaken, Lisa was the very first author I'd met in person. From the start, she was so lovely, and then I read her books and they were such a joy to immerse myself into. And then the time came when she approached me to edit her newest book, and I was only too happy to accept. Aside from being an editor, I enjoyed reading the book, so check out my review below!

Title: Lure of Obsession
Series: The Muse Chronicles, #1
Author: Lisa Kessler
Publisher: Lisa's Lair (Self-Pub)
Release Date: August 1, 2016
Pages: 266
Buy Links: Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | BN

Blurb:

The Prophecy - "Every generation the nine daughters of Zeus are reborn, and with their rebirth are also nine Guardians. They will be marked by the gods, and given gifts to protect his treasure. Their abilities will only be unlocked when they find their muse." 

Melanie Jacoby teaches English at Crystal City High School. She's also the reborn Muse of Tragic Poetry, but she isn't prepared for the tragedy of finding her roommate dead at the bottom of the stairs.

Nate Malone is the detective assigned to the case, but as the evidence points to an accidental fall, the visions begin. He sees a killer in a gold Kronos mask.

Mel is the next target. 

The Order of the Titans are eager to bring about the return of the Golden Age of Man, and they're prepared to kill the Muses to complete their mission. But Nate's desire to protect Mel is almost as strong as his hunger for her. 

And tragedy isn't part of his plan.

A fresh new series that was touching, romantic, and a little bit cute. 

When I first read the premise of this series, I knew I wanted to read it. I didn't read a lot of mythology books, but this one sounded interesting, besides the fact that Ms. Kessler wrote it. I liked the idea of Zeus' daughters living on Earth and inspiring people to move forward in the world. I truly appreciated the romance aspect of this book as well. The guardian thing was awesome, especially because he was a cop -- a man in uniform was always hot, right?

I loved the conversations in the book because they were light; not too serious. Melanie had such a way with words that made me giggle at times, even during sexy time ;)

There was also something to be said about Nate's willingness to help Melanie. He felt very protective of her, not to mention the undeniable attraction between them.

Since Melanie was the Muse of Tragic Poetry, it only made sense that she was a teacher who taught poetry. My favorite part was when one of her students read out loud. I might have shed a tear or two after reading that scene. It was so beautiful.

There was also a nice little surprise in the book that I thought the readers would really love. If you were looking for a new, fresh series to lose yourself into, I would highly recommend this one. I, for one, couldn't wait for the next books in the series. I heard there would be many more men in uniform.

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Review: Seducing the Boss

Remember when I reviewed my first ever Mari Carr book, Blank Canvas? I said in that review that I'd definitely be reading more of her books, so when I saw that her new release is up for review from Entangled, I immediately signed up. Read my thoughts below!

Title: Seducing the Boss
Series: Pulse, #2
Author: Mari Carr
Publisher: Entangled: Brazen
Release Date: August 1, 2016
Pages: 157
Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks | Google | BN | Kobo

Blurb:

Kellan James is unwinding at Score when he spots the last person he’d ever expect to find in his favorite bar. Sara Connelly—ER nurse, do-gooder, charitable crusader, and frequent pain in his ass. Both grew up privileged in swanky Southampton, but that’s where the similarities end. Kellan’s made it his mission to seek out life’s pleasures; Sara gains pleasure from lecturing him on his lifestyle. Kellan would never date someone like her. Ever.

But when Kellan discovers Sara’s been stood-up by an online date, something fierce and protective awakens inside of him. Typically, Kellan would enjoy teasing the jilted Sara, but something in her face sends him over to her table with a plan. He encourages her to take a walk on the wild side, one weekend of sin, no holds barred.

She accepts, but it quickly becomes apparent that one night isn’t enough. As the pull between them grows stronger, Kellan discovers it’s a very dangerous thing to say never.

Humorous, Romantic, and So Hot!

From the very beginning, I was hooked to this book. I giggled, I swooned, but I also fell in love very quickly with the characters. Kellan had such a charm that was irresistible. He was the eternal playboy who was the whole package: tall, dark, handsome, and intelligent. Well, damn. I wanted him for myself.

Sara was commonly known as Scrubs. Who knew she was hiding a sexy body underneath the unflattering nurse scrubs? But you'd be happy to know that she wasn't all good looks. Underneath, her heart shone like a beautiful star, if only one would pay attention *ahem, Kellan, ahem*

It was funny because I could relate to Sara's unplanned celibacy. When Kellan appeared so shock, it reminded me of my friend feeling so sad for me, just like Kellan did for Sara :)

The familiarity between the two characters was so refreshing and their chemistry was explosive. Gee, if this book never ended, I wouldn't have minded. Also, did I mention I really loved the little jabs at Kellan here and there?

"The man had an ego the size of California."

One thing that really touched me was when Kellan, the eternal playboy, asked Sara for more time. At that time, I witnessed his vulnerability and I felt so honored to be reading this book. Seriously.

Towards the end of the book, Kellan's family started getting involved and I just loved it, especially his mom. You know you're in trouble when you decide you need your mom. Kellan was in big trouble.

This book was not fun and games, however. There was a part in the book that was very serious and in it, I saw how Kellan's character changed and sort of grew up in a way.

Seriously, writing this review reminded me just how much I loved this book. I can't wait to tell my friends and coworkers about it!

Check out some of my favorite quotes/scenes below.

Sara: "Did I faint?"
Kellan: "I'm pretty sure you just lost your balance, but let's go with that passing out story. Makes me sound like a total stud."

Sara: "He thinks we're making a mistake, doesn't he?"
Kellan: "It's Josh. If there's a more impulsive, hedonistic guy on the planet, I'd like to see you point him out."
She raised her finger and pointed in Kellan's direction.

Kellan: "Give me thirty seconds." She tilted her head, giving him a quizzical look. "Condoms are in the bedroom."
Sara: "Oh. Some playboy you are. Sort of figured you'd have a box in every room."

"What part of 'naked' are you struggling with this weekend?"

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