Review: Power Play

Title: Power Play

Series: Hat Trick Trilogy

Author: Emily Cale

Genre: Erotic, Ménage, Contemporary, Romance,

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Pages: 37

Purchase:

Amazon | Decadent | Barnes and Noble |

Book Description:

Natalie Fritz didn't need a night of sexual adventure as payment for setting her friend up, but she wouldn't turn it down either. Determined to make sure she gets exactly what she wants, she contacts Madame Eve and requests not one, but two dates for the evening. What she doesn't expect is for those men to be players on her friend's hockey team.

Ian and Todd find that sharing women provides all parties with more pleasure. Finding someone who buys into their theory is a little harder. So they turn to Madame Eve's 1 Night Stand service to locate a partner. When they meet Natalie, they discover a gorgeous woman who turns them on physically and intellectually.

Most relationships are meant to be between two people, but what happens when it takes three to make the night worthwhile? Can they take a leap of faith or will their time be limited to one night?

Excerpt

"I've spent enough time around hockey players to know that they aren't the kind of guys that I want to waste my time with." She stared the two of them down, her eyes fixed and unyielding. "And how is it that you've spent so much time around us that you know how all of us behave?" He knew some of his teammates could be real assholes, but he hated to think that their reputation could ruin this night for Todd and him. Especially after he'd spent most of practice sporting a hard on from fantasizing about the evening. They weren't allowed to ruin this for him. "Scott's your friend that you set up with this service, right?" She started pacing. Todd and Ian both nodded. "Well, TJ is my best friend that I set up." She stopped and turned toward them. For once, he actually felt speechless. That explained why she looked familiar to him. Now that he could place her, he remembered seeing her hanging around the rink after practice and before games. His brain sifted through the new information while Todd picked up the conversation. "Look, I get it. You've met a few players who were complete jerks." She snorted and covered her mouth. Tempted to respond to her display, he bit the inside of his cheek and let his friend continue talking. "You asked for a certain experience tonight though. If we leave, you aren't going to get that. Who knows when you'll be able to find a couple of other guys willing to provide it."

Review

It has just the right amount of steam.

I love how the men were very respectful and gentle in this book. They let Natalie be in control and they only did what she wanted. They were very attentive and they liked to watch the other in the beginning. I also love Todd's personality. He just had a really easy going air around him and he liked to grin. Very nice indeed. Ian, on the other hand, was the quiet and straightforward one. He was really hot as well.

Natalie had a fantasy in her mind and she was able to live it for one night with the two men. The ending was interesting. I've seen endings like it before, and I still wonder what it will be like down the road for the characters.

I definitely recommend this book.

About the Author:

Emily Cale spent the majority of her childhood as a visitor to the worlds of her favorite authors. With encouragement from her English teachers, she put pen to paper and began imagining her own stories. Preferring the fascinating lives of her characters, she majored in creative writing. When not lost in a manuscript or a good book, she enjoys crocheting, rock climbing, and playing board games. She currently lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and a very spoiled cat.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Arianne 

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Friday Freebies (4): Vampires and Werewolves

This week, I got two books for free on Amazon. Once again, thanks to Riverina Romantics for posting such awesome free books on their Facebook page :)

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CBLS Review/Giveaway: Dare

Title: Dare
Author: Kacey Hammel
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Release Date: September 20, 2012
Pages: 77

Buy Links: Amazon | Evernight Publishing | Amazon UK | ARe | OmniLit | BookStrand

Blurb:

Legal secretary, Olivia Warner enjoys being single and, aside from her closest gal pals, usually keeps to herself. But the night of her thirty-fourth birthday, she and her friends spend a fun-filled evening at a local bar where her friends dare her to approach a man, and spend the night with him.

Olivia's not one to turn down a dare, especially from her old college pals. She only hopes the man in question is in for some good conversation, because that's all she'll give him.

Darren “Dare” Shalvis has given up on women. He's tired of being chased for his money, good looks, and prowess in bed. He prefers to meet a woman who, for once, wants nothing more from him than mere conversation. If only the woman asking him to spend the night with her wasn’t his favorite legal secretary.

Accepting a dare has never been so tempting…

Excerpt

She gave a small laugh and lifted the glass for a drink. Dare watched her lips as she drank. He wondered what they’d taste like. It was something he’d considered many times lately. He was drawn to her, but unsure he’d ever act on it. Her whole demeanor said ‘hands off.’ And he wasn’t sure he was ready for the challenge. “Tell me about it.” “I’ll cut right to the chase.” As he turned on the stool, their knees brushed. Neither moved. He thought he saw her eyes lit up. Perhaps Ms. Warner wasn’t as immune as he thought. “My friends brought me here tonight for my birthday.” “Happy birthday.” She smiled. “Thank you. The jury’s still out whether it’s happy or not. My friends decided that as a present they’d get me a man.” She blushed and reached for her drink. “Go on.” Intriguing. She set down her glass and continued, “They dared me. Dared me to find myself a man and spend the night with him.” Women…who understood them? He’d only ever participated in dares when he was younger. He didn’t think anyone took them seriously anymore. “And you need my help, how?” Dare’s heart rate accelerated. She wasn’t asking him to… She stared up at him, her gaze steady. “I need you to spend the night with me.” If he hadn’t heard it with his own ears, he wouldn’t have believed it. This night was the strangest he’d had in a long time. It was as if he’d been offered a million dollars on a silver platter. Of course, he wanted to spend the night with her. He’d fantasized about it many times. He just wasn’t clear on what exactly she was asking. He didn’t want any misunderstandings. “Are you asking me to spend the night with you to…” Dare cleared his throat. “…be with you?” “Oh! No, yes, I mean no. Dammit, I’ve screwed this up.” “Relax.” He put a hand on her knee. “It’s okay. Let’s try this—do you want me to have sex with you?” Olivia groaned. Dare love that sound, and heat filled his groin. “No. Not to have sex. God, this is mortifying.” Olivia placed her hand over his where it still rested on her knee. “Just to spend the night together—a movie, hang out, whatever—until eight a.m., when the dare is over.” Dare laughed. She talked so fast he could hardly keep up. He’d never seen her so animated before. He liked her flustered and breathless…a lot. He wondered if she looked and sounded like that during sex. He couldn’t go that route. Not now. “Okay, so let me get this straight. You want us to spend the night together—with no sex—until morning? All because of a dare? Why didn’t you just say no?” “I can’t. In college, the five of us made a pact—in blood, for God’s sake—that we’d always be friends and never back down from a dare. Trust me, right now, I wish I’d never made it.” He chuckled. “Yes, I can imagine how you feel.” “I’m so tired after the day we had. This was the last thing I needed tonight.” “Yeah, when I stopped by the office today you seemed a bit irritated.” She sighed and ran her fingers over his hand. Dare was surprised how comfortable it felt to have their knees and hands touch. He didn’t think Olivia was even aware she caressed his hands…or wreaked havoc on his libido. If her innocent touches could send him into overdrive, he wondered what would happen if she put all she had into it. “It was the day from hell. I just wanted to meet the girls for a few drinks, then head home to soak the day away.” Dare grit his teeth and tried not to think of Olivia in a bathtub—water floating around her body, relaxed, languid. The image could send him over the edge. “Well, you’re in luck. I’m your man for the night.” Olivia smiled and her eyes danced. “Thank you. I really appreciate it. The last thing I wanted to do was have to pick up some random guy. I’m so glad you were here.” Pleased he could help her, Dare grinned. He realized he wanted to anything to put that carefree smile on her face. “So.” He took a sip of his beer. “What do you want to do?” She scowled. “Well, we could go back to my place. I have a spare room that you can crash in if you want.” Surprised, Dare took in her flushed face. “Are you sure?” She nodded. “Yeah. We don’t exactly have to stay up all night. It’s still spending the night together, right?” He chuckled. “Yeah, in a manner of speaking. Your friends weren’t specific.” A smug smile crossed Olivia’s face. “No they weren’t. Which is a testament to how much they thought this through. I would have made a list of do’s and don’ts.” They both laughed. Olivia had a naughty streak and he liked it. Liked it—and her—very much. A night with Olivia Warner wasn’t what he’d expected. Sure, he’d thought of her in his bed often, writhing and moaning with passion, but he never thought fantasy would become a reality. He couldn’t let the opportunity go. His buddies didn’t call him Dare for no reason. He could never resist a challenge. He placed both hands on her shoulders, drew her gaze from her glass, and put his cards on the table. “What if we have an agreement?” She frowned. “What do you mean?” “For us to spend the night together, we should have some ground rules.” “Ground rules?” “I will spend the night with you. More than eager to do so, except one thing.” “What’s that?” she whispered. He barely heard her but saw her lips move. He wanted to taste them, desperately. “I don’t want to sleep in any spare room.” “You don’t?” She gawked at him. Her expression was comical but Dare didn’t feel like laughing. “No. I want to spend the night in your room.” Dare had her full attention. She stared at him, eyes wide. “In your bed.”

Review

I really love this book! For a short book, the characters were well-developed in my opinion.

Olivia seemed like an aloof woman, a no-nonsense law secretary. It might be the reason why she's single at the moment. When the book started, it was Olivia's birthday. She and her friends made a pact when they were in college to stay friends forever and to dare each other on their birthdays. Olivia's dare? Spend all night with a man of her choosing.

Darren was dubbed by his friends the nickname "Dare." That in itself is sexy. He was straight forward and honest and absolutely bone-melting. He'd always been attracted to Olivia but was intimidated by her. When the opportunity came up and Olivia asked her to spend the night with her, he jumped at the chance. She didn't want to sleep with him, but he had other plans for their night as you noticed in the excerpt above.

They had such a meaningful connection that one night turned into an entire weekend. They couldn't keep their hands off each other and Dare saw a different side of Olivia that no one probably knew about. I really enjoyed reading how they felt for each other but didn't want to say anything.

The big conflict happened at work when Olivia was accused of divulging confidential information outside the office. She was hurt that Dare would doubt her even just for a second. Her friends stood up for her, specifically Candy, who was ready to pounce at Dare if she was given a chance. I love that even her friends were somewhat well-developed.

The love between Olivia and Dare were quite overwhelming. For some reason, I just felt warmth envelop me  and feel their love as if I was there with them. Great job to the author for writing a masterpiece!

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:

The writer: Kacey is a multi-published erotic romance author who was encouraged to write by her beloved husband and quickly found herself writing fast and furiously. Not that she’ll ever tell him those three dreadful words that he longs to hear…”You were right.”  Kacey is a true romantic at heart.

The Wife and Mom: Born, raised and still living in her hometown in Ontario, Canada, Kacey found true love with her husband.  As a Mom of three, Kacey has made certain that each of her children know the value of the written word and the adventures they could escape on by becoming book-a-holics in their own right.

Readers can learn more about Kacey's books and contact her via …

Blog

Facebook

Twitter - @KaceyHammell

Amazon Profile

Goodreads

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Promo: Her Heart's Secret Wish

Her Heart's Secret Wish
Juliana Haygert

Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Release Date: December 12, 2012

Genre: NA contempory romance

Book Description:


With a renowned reputation as a player, she had everything figured out...

Twenty-year-old college student, Natasha is the life of every party and the reason behind many celebrations. The easiest girl on campus has all guys at her feet and more than a few in her bed.

…until he came into the game…

Having entered the academic world by chance, Professor Jason Stone is surprised to find one of his young students a huge temptation. The infamous Natasha has caught his attention. But is there more to her than meets the eye?

…and changed the rules.

As their unexpected friendship grows, so does their attraction to each other. When Jason’s Christmas plans are canceled and he ends up at the same party as Natasha, sparks flare, destroying the safe zone around them. Will they figure out how to break through their self-imposed barriers to be together, or lose one another forever?

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16238589-her-heart-s-secret-wish

Excerpt

Her delicate brows knitted together. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with your family?” “Change of plans.” His tone was as harsh as his disappointment. “I had to stay and saw a few posters hanging around the school. Thought it was a better option than spending Christmas Eve alone.” The corner of her lips curled up. “Definitely.” Though he tried, he couldn’t ignore just how beautiful and vulnerable she appeared. Her long, brown hair fell around her porcelain face and into a smooth cascade down her back. Her usually energetic green eyes shone with relief instead. She wore red lipstick, which only made her mouth more inviting. The dress hugged her perfect curves, the hemline promising fun things on the other side. Jesus. Jason shook his head and shifted his gaze away. He’d probably caught her making plans for later, and he still wanted her? His mind was so messed up. “You don’t seem so well. What is it?” She stepped closer and her spicy perfume taunted his will. He held his breath for a moment and focused. “I’m good.” He smiled at her, transforming into his usual self. The laidback gaming nerd, and fun professor he brought out for his students. “Come in.” She gestured to the living room. “The party is starting.” Somewhere over the last six or seven months, when their conversations had become more profound and frequent, he had lost his mind. Six or seven months ago, he would never have crashed a student party so he could stare at one of them. Helpless, he followed her.

About the Author:

Juliana is a Brazilian girl living in Connecticut.

She would love to be Wonder Woman, Cheetara, Elektra, Buffy, Phoebe, She-ra, Rose, Korra, Cornelia, a blood elf shadow priest, and other various kick-ass female from comics, TV series, movies, books and games, but she settles for—the less exciting but equally gratifying life—a wife, mother, friend and a writer. Her heroines are like the ones cited above and she also writes about the heroes who drive them crazy—and occasionally hot.

Since her first stories, she wrote about 20-something year old protagonists. Nowadays, besides writing full time, she battles for the recognition of New Adult as a category.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | NA Alley

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Excerpt/Giveaway: High Above

Title: High Above
Series: Out of the Ash #1
Author: Mari Freeman
Genre: Action, Paranormal, Science Fiction,

Publisher: Decadent
Ebook
Pages: 78

Purchase:

Decadent Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Description:

Out of the Ash Series - Book One

Dragons annihilated civilization some ten generations ago. A few Crossbreeds, humans born with dragon-like characteristics, now lead opposing tribes who still battle for dwindling resources.

Rhone’s wings have been stripped from his body, his family killed, and his hopes of leading the Mountain people away from the constant threat of marauders destroyed.

Ketta’s life has been full of pain and anguish. Her brother rules her and the Lax tribe with a bloody fist. Tired of the violence, Ketta takes a stand and rescues Rhone from the brink of execution.

Armed with knowledge from Ketta’s somewhat addled grandfather, the unlikely pair embarks on a quest to heal Rhone’s wings. Along the way, the couple struggles to find the truth beneath hatred and lies. Desire and a mutual enemy bring them together; mistrust and secrets tear them apart. These lifelong foes will have to fly high above their differences to defeat a deadly dragon and save what’s left of both their tribes.

Excerpt

She was right. He could barely fight a strong all-human in his current condition. But waking a dragon? Really? He sank to his knees. She knelt in front of him, her expression much softer, like a mythical creature from a long ago dream. It wasn’t a premeditated decision, but he leaned forward, closing the space between them and brushed his lips across hers. She rocked back slightly, her ears turned forward; her gorgeous eyes concentrated on him. He took her lips again, ensuring the contact was more than a light brush. She responded, closing the distance between them. His skin tingled when she put her hands on his shoulders. Rhone cradled her face, turning her head at a slight angle that gave him the most exposure to her. They didn’t have time for desire. But, he might never have another chance to touch her. He wanted to feel her satiny skin, to savor her sweetness for just a moment. Her lips parted for him, and he explored her mouth. She tasted like the freshest water. His body reacted immediately to her unusual, primitive smell. She pulled away and backed to the other side of the truck, shaking her head. “You must decide.” “I’m sorry,” he said. Ketta put a hand up. “It’s natural. My scent calls to males. That’s why Nyx kept me separated from everyone.” “It’s not just your scent.” He saw more in her than a breeding partner. But, that didn’t really matter either. She scowled. “You have to decide now, Rhone. There’s no time. Will you give your people, both our tribes, a chance?” By listening to the princess of the enemy tribe and waking a dragon? He couldn’t believe he was even considering it. “What am I supposed to do with the dragon once she’s awake? We’ve not considered that, have we?”

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:

Life Changes. Mine sure has. I’m an exotic adventurer disguised as a normal suburbanite in central North Carolina.

My favorite things include: cats, great food, exercise, wine, great movies and books.

In my previous lives, I’ve held an interesting array of occupations. I’ve been a project manager, used cars salesperson, a software testing manager, pumped gas at a truck stop and I worked in a morgue. I hold a degree in Forensic Anthropology from THE Ohio State University.

My favorite stories include alpha females in love with even more alpha males. I find the clash of passionate, strong willed personalities fascinating. I write contemporary, paranormal, and a little science fiction/fantasy.

Website | Twitter: @marifreeman | Facebook

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Review: Fate's Wish

Fate’s Wish
Milly Taiden

Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance

Pages: 74

Heat Level: 3

The man she loves left her, but he’s the only one that can protect her.

Sharmila is a witch with a problem. Her magic is waning. And her lack of sex may have something to do with it. Her mother’s solution? Easy. Sharmila needs to get laid. Easier said than done, though, because Shar is still in love with the only man to make her melt, Zahir Darkwrath. Her missing husband. Her demon.

Zahir knows he’s a danger to Shar, so he’s done his best to stay far away. Darkness flows through his being, and when emotions run wild, destruction rages around him. And sex with Shar is definitely wild. Staying away from the woman he loves is the hardest thing he’s ever done, but hurting her would be far worse. So he’s astounded when Shar’s mother hires his company to watch over her.

Evil is heading Shar’s way, and Zahir is the only one who can stop it. To save her, Zahir will need more than control; he’ll need the power of his own darkness–which might be his undoing.

Buy Fate’s Wish here:
Amazon  | ARe | Barnes and Noble

Review

I enjoyed this book.

I love it when authors write alpha males. Zahir was definitely an alpha. The surge of his power and the sizzling of it around him made him sexier than normal people. Of course, he wasn't normal. He was a demon with so much power, he could barely control it. As usual with men, they think they know what's good for their women, so he left thinking it would keep Shar safe. Annoying, right?

Shar started losing her magic ever since Zahir left five years ago. She was almost powerless when he came back to protect her from a dark force that was coming for her. Their original passion for each other was ignited and there ensued steamy coupling. Zahir's power contributing to their make-up sex was definitely well-received. He sounded incredibly sexy pinning Shar on the wall with just the power of his mind. Who wouldn't be turned on by that?

Overall, this was a steamy yet romantic story about two people who reconciled after a long time of being away from each other, and finding out that the flame was never put out between them.

About the Author:  

Milly Taiden was born in the prettiest part of the Caribbean known as the Dominican Republic. She grew up between New York, Florida and Massachusetts. Currently, she resides in New York City with her husband, bossy young son and their little dog Speedy.

She began writing when she learned to put words together and her first book consisted of two homeless dogs living in a park for her second grade English class. She didn’t win a prize, but she acquired a love for writing that never went away.

When she’s not working full-time, texting with her best friend Heidi in England, chastising her son for pulling the dog’s ears, shopping with her sister Jewel or watching scary movies with her husband, she can be found writing on her laptop. She’s addicted to shoe shopping, chocolate and Dunkin Donuts coffee.

A major reader when she can get her hands on a good book, she loves reading all Mina Carter, Cynthia Eden, Cynthia Sax among others

Website | Twitter: @millytaiden | Facebook

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