ARC Review: Necessary Evil

The first time I read a Jamie K. Schmidt book, I was scorched. When an opportunity presented itself to read another book from this author, I took the chance. Check out my review below.

Title: Necessary Evil
Series: Sentinels of Babylon, #1
Author: Jamie K. Schmidt
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: November 1, 2016
Pages: 234
Buy Links: Amazon

Blurb:

Lucy Simmons comes from a rough family, but she’s a damn good public defender. Even though she hates to see criminals walk due to sloppy police work, the law’s there to make sure everyone gets a fair trial, and Lucy certainly doesn’t believe in the kind of justice meted out by the leather-clad ex-cop they call “Evil.” He’s stubborn, cynical, and out of control—but he plays her body like no man ever has. For once, both Lucy’s boss and her brother agree: The biker is trouble.
 
Evan Villiers took a sacred vow to let no killer, rapist, or pedophile go unpunished. When scumbags fall through the system, the Sentinels of Babylon clean up the garbage. Although the SOBs and their methods may not be to Lucy’s liking, the beautiful lawyer has become Evan’s light in the dark. But his next hit is Lucy’s own brother—a murderer who got off on a technicality. Now, with his loyalties split, Evan must turn his back on his sworn duties . . . or lose the woman who has claimed his reckless heart.

Desperate passion met justice served. 

This book had so many facets and I enjoyed all of them. For some reason, this book seemed a bit long, but I think that was only because the characters and their stories were really well-developed. The author did an amazing job crafting a story and still making the book a reasonable length. The sexy scenes were also scorching but not excessive. 

Evan "Evil" Villiers was a retired cop who became someone who dealt justice when the system couldn't provide it. He had three friends and I honestly loved the way their characters were molded in this story. I couldn't wait to read the rest of the series to see what happened with the rest of the characters.

He looked like a hot fudge sin sundae with a cherry on top.

But first, it was Evil's turn and he needed to make Lucy his own. He was quite possessive in an alpha kind of way that he preferred to show Lucy he cared for her in his actions rather than in words. He skirted around facts whether it had something to do with possibly killing people or how he truly felt about Lucy.

"I am a man. You are my woman. Nothing hurts what's mine."

Of course, something had to be said about the dirty talk in this book. It was always welcome in my book. The chemistry between them was so hot and always desperate to explode.

If you're looking for an intense read with a lot of action whether on the streets or in the bedroom, I'd highly recommend you check out this book. You won't regret it.

Read More

ARC Review: Pull Me Close

I've enjoyed every single Sidney Halston book I've read so far, so when I saw she had a new release up for review on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance. Check out my review below!

Title: Pull Me Close
Series: Panic, #1
Author: Sidney Halston
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Pages: 247
Buy Links: Amazon | BN | iBooks | Kobo

Blurb:

Welcome to Panic, a sultry Miami nightclub where bodies and hearts move to a beat that doesn’t stop at sunrise—the setting for “a magnificent story full of deep emotion” (Sawyer Bennett).
 
Katherine: I thought I could enjoy a night out like a normal person. I thought I could handle the flashing lights, the pulsing music, the crowded dance floor. I couldn’t have been more wrong. After having an anxiety attack and passing out during my sister’s engagement party at Panic, I wake up in the arms of the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. Nick Moreno’s no gentleman. But he might just be the man I need to help me take control of my life.
 
Nick: When I hear there’s some random girl passed out in the back room of my family’s South Beach nightclub, I’m pissed. My dad’s already behind bars and we can’t afford any more bad press. But after giving her a lift—literally—back to her apartment, I stop seeing Katherine Wilson as some random girl. She’s gorgeous, vulnerable, and braver than she knows. And when we kiss, all I want to do is pull her close and promise that she’ll always be safe in my arms.

Emotionally charged from beginning to end!

This book literally started with a panic...attack. Right then, I knew this book was something I would love. Nico was such a jerk in the beginning that I wanted to smack him a hundred times over. He had a bad experience with drugs, and so he assumed everyone acting strange were high on some sort of illegal substance. 

Poor Katherine was just another junkie to Nico. I wanted to yell at him that she wasn't high. I empathized with her throughout the whole book...because I knew just what it was like to have anxiety. I might not have panic attacks like Katherine, but anxiety attacks could be just as exhausting. I knew what it was like to be afraid and to feel so weak because of a mental illness.

Katherine was such an admirable character because she fought for a life she used to have, where she went out with friends and had fun instead of holing up in her apartment in fear of dying if she left the safety of her home. Nico was a jerk, but when he opened his eyes, he was able to understand and even became supportive...up to a certain point. This book wouldn't be so interesting if there wasn't any conflict ;) I would say, however, that I was fangirling for most of the book, totally in love with the characters. And then, towards the end, I was literally crying for a while...

I was so thankful that the author wrote this book and I hope it would somehow educate people that anxiety and other mental disorders were not something people chose to have, just like cancer or any other disease. 

Anyway, I loved the irony that the club Nico co-owned with his brother Matt was named Panic. By the way, Matt was such a lovely character! He was so fun to read. Now I can't wait to read the rest of the series! Pull Me Close is a must-read, but be forewarned that this book was so emotional and might affect empaths more than others.

Read More

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.

Read More

RWA16: Day 3 - July 16

It's the last day of the conference and I decided to go by myself because I wanted to go to two signings and my friend on the first day didn't warm up to the idea. Thankfully, I didn't mind going by myself, and if you knew me, you'd know that was such a big step. I dislike crowds and being in public to begin with, but there was something about this conference that really just gave me the courage to go. Besides, I would be networking. When I came to functions as part of work, I usually don't feel as scared.

Anyway, I was about 20 minutes late to the first signing and I'd missed the books, but I was glad to still meet the authors that were still there. I got a lot of free downloads and lovely chats with authors who wrote for LoveSwept. Such sweet people as well!

I was not able to get any photos, but it was a great time! After I left the signing, I made my way to Starbucks to get my Grande Decaf Soy Mocha Frappuccino. I was a bit disappointed when they didn't want to give me my free drink, but what really threw me over was when I got my receipt and it said the drink was almost $8! Well damn. Anyway, I didn't let that dampen my day as I went to search for a comfortable chair to settle and read my current review book.

I didn't end up reading, but scrolling through Twitter instead. That's when I found Alisha Rai's tweet saying she was outside one of the ballrooms still giving away books. I tweeted saying there was a crowd and I was afraid (lol, of course). She said to come over and wave and she'd pull me through. Again, I don't know where the scared Arianne was, because I went searching for Alisha and when I found her, she did pull me through (figuratively) into the group. I ended up taking home one of her books and I can't wait to read it!

After meeting Alisha, I went back to Starbucks because I was to meet another author for lunch. First of all, how cool was that?! I just got there, and apparently, right behind me was my date -- Robin Bielman! We had an hour with each other and she treated me to lunch while I talked her ear off. She also gave me one of her books and one of Kate Willoughby's books. I was over-the-moon excited and happy for the gesture. Honestly, it was a bit surreal to be having lunch with an author I love. I mean, could this conference be any crazier!

Apparently, it could. After my lunch with Robin, I went to the Sourcebooks signing and for once, I was on time, but I wasn't the first 40 people so I missed out on a tote bag, but that's okay. I didn't miss out on the books! Oh my gosh, just look at the first photo in this post. It was insane how many books I picked up! I can't wait to read them all and write about them here.

I also met Mia Hopkins who was hanging around the signing. What a sweet woman! We had a short chat and she gave me some advice about the industry. I love how helpful her information was. Very thankful for that!

When I felt a bit overwhelmed and tired, I stepped out and texted Pam again. She found me and we walked together for a little bit, then we sat down to chat. Sometime during our chat, Cindy Sample walked by and Pam introduced me. She ended taking a stack of my business cards to give to her colleagues. Oh my gosh, mind blown again! After that, I went back to meet a couple more authors in the Sourcebooks signing, and then I decided to head home.

Overall, attending the RWA conference was the best decision I've made and I couldn't even express to you how happy it made me. I hadn't been this happy in a while and this conference made me feel alive! *insert the biggest grin here*

Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, check out my vlog about the event, and there you can see just how smiley I got!

Giveaway: I posted two giveaways on my Twitter. Check them out below. Winners chosen 7/19/16 (or longer if no one enters lol) 2 Winners https://twitter.com/ariannecruz07/status/754893111717801988 1 Winner https://twitter.com/ariannecruz07/status/754892255987511298

Read More

ARC Review: Bound Beneath His Pain

It's been a while since I read Stacey Kennedy's books, so I was only too excited to request a new book from Netgalley. This is the first book of a new series. Check out my review below!

Title: Bound Beneath His Pain
Series: Dirty Little Secrets, #1
Author: Stacey Kennedy
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: July 5, 2016
Buy Link: Amazon | BN | iBooks | Kobo |
Books-A-Million | Google Play

Blurb:

Real estate mogul Micah Holt exerts absolute control over all aspects of his life. As a founding member of the Dominants Council that oversees San Francisco’s sex club scene, he keeps his dark side hidden away from the press, who will chase down any hint of scandal. He’s always in command of his world, careful to expose his closely guarded secrets only to those he knows he can trust. Then Allie Bennett shakes his legendary discipline. She’s beautiful, pure, untainted. But is Micah willing to sacrifice her innocence for his own selfish obsessions?
 
When that sexy smile makes her body burn, Allie tries with all her might to ignore it. For one thing, Micah’s her new boss. For another, he’s as complicated as he is devastatingly handsome. Still, Allie can only fight so much before she gives in to his dangerous games. She knows he’s got dark secrets. But when she discovers the true depth of his pain, Allie must decide how far she’s willing to go to light the way for love.

This book reminds me of the reason why I love Stacey Kennedy. She's so good, it's almost unreal. It's always why I recommend her books to anyone that wants to read BDSM stories. Regardless if you want mild, medium, or hot BDSM, she's got it all.

I love the depth of this story, especially the character development. Both the characters Micah and Allie were strong in their own regard, but I loved it even more when Micah was rendered powerless when it came to Allie. Essentially, they both had power over each other, but that didn't mean they knew it.

"I've never seen him like I saw him tonight. He's broken. And Micah never breaks." --Gabe

Another thing I enjoyed about this book is the pure heart of the two characters. Micah was a powerful, rich mogul, but he had a great, big heart. I was pleased that he worked his hardest to become a better businessman than his father. He honored his mother that way. How amazing!

In a suit, Micah wows me. A little disheveled, he blows my friggin' mind. --Allie

Allie, on the other hand, didn't care much for money and I also admired her for that. There's nothing more disappointing than a gold digger or a person that revolves around money. Allie was a great role model, I thought. 

"I bet I could remove your frustration faster than any punching bag." --Micah

Together, they were explosive. I also enjoyed the supporting characters because it was clear that without them, Micah and Allie wouldn't be where they were then. Levi and Liv (oh, I didn't even realize their names were so similar) were kickass in their own way. 

I would highly recommend this book. It was hot, it was sexy, it was gold. 

Read More

ARC Review: Stacked Up

I wasn't able to read all the books in this series, but the ones that I have read, they were all amazing. Now, the final book of the series is Travis's book and I couldn't have asked for a better ending!

Title: Stacked Up
Series: Worth the Fight, #6
Author: Sidney Halston
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: May 31, 2016
Pages: 263
Buy Link: Amazon

Blurb:
Working two jobs to support her infant daughter is harder than anything Penny Richards has ever done, but it sure beats living under the rules of her stepfather, a television preacher who demands a picture-perfect family. And if Penny hadn’t struck out on her own, she never would have met Travis Calhoun. The intensely physical heavyweight brawler has a way of drawing out her wild side. But Travis lives fast, with no responsibilities—and that just isn’t for Penny.
 
Most of the women in Travis’s circle wear tight clothes, high heels, and tons of makeup—not pearls or plaid headbands. But once he works past Penny’s inhibitions, Travis discovers a kindred spirit who longs to trust someone with her body, and her secrets. Still, Travis can’t help but wonder if this rich girl is just slumming it before she returns to her privileged life. Now it’s up to Penny to prove that she wants her hard-edged, hard-loving fighter just the way he is.

This book gave me all the feels and them some!

Where do I even start? From the very beginning to the very end, this book was all kinds of amazing. There wasn't a dull moment, and I wanted to keep on turning the pages to see what happened next.

Travis was one heck of a guy. No one could say anything bad about him, but it wasn't because he was perfect. He had a troubled past, which shaped him into the amazing man that he became.

"What are you doing?" Travis asked, alarmed. He stood up and held his hands out. "Do not pull out your boob."

"Travis, I need to feed her," she said incredulously.

"No, no. I don't need to see my sister's boob in my niece's mouth. That shit can't be unseen." He walked out of the nursery, yelling over his shoulder, "I'll be in the living room having a beer, maybe bleaching my eyes."

Penny ran away from home with her daughter Belle. If I was being judgmental, I wouldn't have believed they could survive, given that Penny grew up very sheltered. But reading about her struggles and how she'd overcome them for her daughter; I was awed and inspired. She was such a great role model. I also enjoyed the moments when she would literally just spill her heart out to Travis, because that's what best friends do.

Travis: "Little girl, it's time you walked. Calhouns don't like lazy. Plus I saw a piece of cake in the bag. Come and get it."

Penny: "You do know that she's not a dog, cowboy?"

Travis: "I know, but let's give her some incentive, no?"

He started eating.

Penny: "You like the food, cowboy?"

Travis: "Oh, uh... hell yeah. It was great."

Penny: "Really? What was it?"

He looked down and licked his fork.

Travis: "Fucking great food is what it was."

Belle, oh my gosh, the cutest little girl I've ever read in a book. I lived for the moments when she said "My Twavis." Have I mentioned the feels in this book? I think I fell in love as much as the characters did in this book.

Of course, I loved the humor that I'd come to know from Sidney's books. I cannot wait to read more of them in the future. If you're looking for a new series, or even just a new book to get you out of a reading slump, this is the one. I promise you.

Chrissy: "Seriously, guys?"

Francesca: "You guys are afraid of a one-year-old kid?"

Tony: "No, we're afraid of crying females. Age is of little importance."

Below are some of my other favorite quotes from the book.

"I more than want to try. I'm not really a try kind of guy. I'm more of a go-all-in kind of guy." --Travis

He parked in front of a huge toy store.

"I know you're going to complain, so all I'm going to say is that it doesn't concern you. It's between me and Belle. Isn't that right, baby girl?"

"Twavis," she repeated with a giggle.

Read my reviews of the other books:

Below the Belt, #3

Laid Out, #4

Read More

Review: Heat

Title: Heat
Series: Club Inferno, #1
Author: Jamie K. Schmidt
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Pages: 239
Buy Link: Amazon

Blurb:

On the run from her abusive fiancé, ER doctor Mallory Bryant arrives at her sister’s Connecticut resort desperate for a place to restore balance to her life. But Club Inferno is more than a haven for the rich and fashionable. Beneath its elegant facade is an erotic playground where dominants and submissives play out their fantasies. At first, Mallory is wary of Max Spencer, the martial arts trainer acting as her bodyguard—until he introduces her to passion so intense she wants nothing more than to surrender to his touch.

As one of Club Inferno’s most skilled doms, Max enjoys taking Mallory to the limits of pleasure. It’s a dangerous proposition, and as their sensual games draw them into a relationship beyond the boundaries of pupil and master, Max starts spiraling out of control. But when Mallory’s violent past catches up with her, Max knows what he must do: draw her closer than ever before, even if it means risking a surrender of his own.

Review

This book was SOOOOO hot... I didn't think I've ever read such a steamy book!

Mallory was a broken woman who had a lot of insecurities. At some point, I thought she was being whiny. I did like that she kept an open mind about Club Inferno. She was shy at first, but she couldn't possibly say no to Max.

Speaking of Max, this man was sex on a stick. Apparently, he liked voyeurism which I suppose was better than actually participating in the many scenes he came up with. To the people of Club Inferno, he was a very talented and creative man. To Mallory, he was a man who could do anything.

I also loved that Mallory's sister was very welcoming and supporting, while still being able to be the tough businesswoman that she was. I half expected that she would give Mallory a hard time, but I was pleasantly surprised when she would show sisterly love to Mallory.

I loved the steamy parts of this book, but also the gentle, more romantic side. It was that unconditional love that got to me. If you like steamy and romantic stories, this book is definitely for you. It's a must-read!

(since the copy I received was uncorrected, I cannot share any quotes I might have enjoyed)

Read More