American exchange
student Kate Bordessa has fled to Russia to escape her family's hopes
that she'll become one of the Proffered, human women who feed and mate
with elite vampire warriors. But when she stumbles upon a wounded
vampire in the streets of Moscow, she's instinctively driven to protect
him--and feels an undeniable spark of desire.
Grieving over the
deaths of his brothers, Vampire Warrior King Nikolai Vasilyev has thrown
himself into battling his enemies, focused only on vengeance. Until the
attack that brought him to Kate. Their sexual attraction explodes into a
night of uncontrolled passion--a night that marks them as mates. Is
their connection strong enough to convince them to embrace a destiny
neither of them was expecting?
Grace's Review:
Love bites! Rawr!
Wow!
Laura Kaye does it again creating another fantastic tortured vampire
hero with Nikolai Vasilyev! The summary pretty much best describes the
gist of this novella that had me reading nonstop until the end. After
reading In the Service of the King, I very much looked forward to the
sequel that takes the story into another part of the world. This time
it is cold, snowy Russia. The first book really sets the base
describing this vampire world, its expected rituals and traditions, and
the war with the Soul Eaters (the bad vampires). Seduced by the Vampire
King briefly goes over those things, but focuses more on the undeniable
attraction of the two main characters. Nikolai and Kate meet under
dire situation. They sort of have a first comes bite, then comes love
thing going on. Ahh, yes, *rubs throat with hand* there is biting and
blood sucking! These Vampire Warrior Kings have needs, ya know! Well
rounded with emotional, intense, and seductive moments, I really enjoyed
this one more so than the first story. I can't wait to find out where
Ms. Kaye takes us next in the series!
'Unspoken Abandonment'
is the story of one man's struggle to return home from the war in
Afghanistan, only to find the person he once was may never be the same.
Bryan Wood is a military veteran who served during combat operations in
Eastern Afghanistan. After returning from combat, he found that his life
was falling apart at every turn, and Bryan faced the greatest battle of
his life in finding his own peace. He surprisingly found the answer was
hidden within a daily journal kept while at war, and Bryan's path
ultimately led him to find redemption in the most unexpected of places:
love.
In a genre filled with war novels, 'Unspoken Abandonment'
stands out as the work is brilliantly written, in a narrative form,
which takes the reader on a breathtaking journey into the heart of
Afghanistan. The reader is then taken back to America to face "life
after combat." This story takes a head-on look at the powerful effects
of war and post traumatic stress, but the true focus is on the
inspirational triumph over this demon that haunts hundreds of thousands
of America's bravest men and women. The story is captivating, the
message is inspiring, and this is a "must read" for every American who
cares to take an inside look at what our soldiers face on a daily basis.
This amazing story will grab your attention immediately, and it is sure
to keep you up, past your normal bedtime, for more than a few late
nights of reading
Grace and I had originally planned a joint review for this book, but after finishing we both decided it deserved a dedicated review from each one of us. Please take the time to look and read. This is a truly special book, and we both strongly feel that everyone should read this. There is a short video that has been included at the end of this post, and Bryan Wood will be doing an interview at Darhk Portalon Monday 7/2/12, so please stop by there to learn more. - Rhonda
Grace
A must-read memoir!
Out of curiosity and upon a friend's
recommendation, I started reading Unspoken Abandonment even though it's
not my usual genre. From beginning to end, I was captivated by Mr.
Wood's journey while serving in Afghanistan, and then trying to live and
cope after returning home. He writes with an incredible flair of
compassion and raw honesty as he describes horrific and shocking events
in his journal entries, events that will be forever ingrained in my
mind.
After reading this, I have a clearer
understanding of not only the challenges our soldiers endure during war
and after returning home, but also what all the innocent people and
children go through to survive a hell on earth!
This poignant memoir reminded me to not
take things for granted and to always strive to be a better person.
Every once in a while we all need to be reminded of that as we go about
our busy lives. This story does just that and more.
I urge anyone to read this, be moved, and then tell a friend about it. Thank you, Mr. Wood, for sharing your inspiring story.
Rhonda
I didn’tevenrealize,but I wasquicklygoing to see,that the person I was before thisallstarted had somehow changed.The way I saw the world was gone, and I saw things, almost everything, in an entirely different way.-Bryan A. Wood Based on a true story.
First of all, I want to give a huge
“thank you” to Bryan Wood, and every American soldier for the job they
do, and the job they have done. I am extremely humbled by all that you
do, and endure for my freedom, and the freedom of our great country. To
our men and women here at home, police officers, and firefighters who
put yourselves in harms way to keep us safe, “thank you” to you as
well.
Next, I would like to say thank you to my friend Jillian for
pointing me in the direction of this book, I might not have found it
otherwise, as this is not my normal genre.
I come from a family
that has had its share of veterans, only one of my family members has
spent any time in Iraq, my brother-in-law who works for the FBI. After
returning home he sent a letter out to all of telling us of his
experience there. This was early on in the war in Iraq and I remember
how proud I was after reading his letter. He told us of his
interactions with the civilians in Iraq, but I’m certain he didn’t tell
us everything. Just last month in his early 40’s, my brother-in-law had
to retire because he has Parkinson’s disease, and it is has taken over
to the point that he can no longer work. My brother was in the Navy
during the Gulf War, but has long since been out of the service. I have
always had great respect and admiration for our men and women in
uniform, but this book left me with a greater sense of pride.
Unspoken Abandonment is beautifully written and incredibly
insightful. This is the first hand account of Bryan Wood’s tour in
Afghanistan, and his very long journey home. I felt a series of
emotions while reading this book. I was sad, angry, heartbroken, and
hopeful, but the greatest feeling I took away from this book was,
inspired. I think there is something that everyone can gain from
reading Bryan’s story, even though I’m just a woman from Memphis it
certainly made me take a look at myself and see things about myself that
could be improved upon.
Thank you Bryan for sharing your story, I will always remember.
Adventurous readers
everywhere are discovering the pleasures to be found in the erotic
romances of Robin Schone. In The Lover, Schone took us on a journey
"into the very heart of sensuality and the nature of passion" (Romantic
Times). As a contributor to Kensington's enormously successful
anthologies, Captivated and Fascinated, Schone demonstrated her skill at
weaving threads of breathtaking eroticism, masterful plotting, and
remarkable characterization into a seamless, silken tapestry. Now, Robin
Schone will thrill us again in "Awaken, My Love", her very first tale
of exquisite desire, which has been unavailable since 1995. And to make
this Brava Trade Paperback even more exciting, Schone has restored parts
of her original manuscript.
Trapped in a passionless marriage,
computer analyst Elaine Metcliffe awakens one morning to find herself in
a stranger's bed. Something has caused her to be transported to another
time and place -- and into the body of another man's wife. So begins a
sensuous odyssey beyond her wildest dreams.
Embraced by Charles
Mortimer, a handsome, hot-blooded English earl, Elaine soon craves the
passion of his eager touch. But there are dark forces which threaten to
destroy their bliss -- and secrets and treachery which a 20th-century
woman and a 19th-century lord must vanquish together.
Ren's Review:
Awaken,
My Love is my first read by Robin Schone;it's not like her usual erotica
historical romance, this one is more like a paranormal time travel that takes place in a
historical setting. Elaine is in her thirties, if I remember well she's
36;give or take. She has a rocky relationship with her husband. One day
she wokes up in another womans body and transfers back to the 19th century
(still, if I remember well, I read this almost 2 years ago). She must
face her husband,Lord Charles Mortimer. Aka the husband of the woman that
her body is trapped in. Because Charles is furious with her to deny his
sexual need.
Some things I remember are, I got the idea here. Such as Elaine uses lemon and insert it into
her sex (not the lemon, its more like the lemon used to wet the sponge),
to prevent pregnancy. Oh, I just know about that! Then some sex
position that Charles introduces to Elaine, from Kama Sutra or maybe The
Perfume Garden. Really, you can read this book and make an improvement with your sex acknowledgment! :P
The heavy erotica content in this book will not make
readers uncomfortable, since there's no menage. Instead they will know
some sex knowledge of 19th century. Funny they know how to prevent
pregnancy, like what I told before, use Lemon! Not sure if its can be
practiced in this era, since women will prefer pill.
I think readers that love historical romance, mix with erotica, some paranormal element and time travel, will enjoy this.
He can summon lightning at will. Emerge unscathed from the center of a
tornado. Strip a woman down to her barest defenses through the sheer
force of his sexuality. He’ s gorgeous, dangerous, and the target of
parameteorologist Haley Holmes’s latest mission. Haley has been
dispatched to the Louisiana bayous to investigate the phenomenon known
as Remy Begnaud–a man with a gift he never wanted: the ability to
control a storm’s fury. But even a woman trained in bizarre weather
phenomena has no defense against the electrifying power of the ex—Navy
SEAL...a power his enemies would kill to control.
With her
agency monitoring their every move, Haley’s job is to seduce Remy,
gain his trust–and help him harness his extraordinary gift. But who will
protect her from this voracious lover who’s introducing her to a new
world of erotic thrills—a man who grows increasingly insatiable with
each new weather event? Haley knows a big storm is approaching—and
with it will come unexpected delights. But so, too, will the storm
unleash her greatest fears: an enemy bent on destroying Remy. And her
worst fear of all—falling in love with this magnificent man, then having
to betray him.
Rhonda's Review:
The "X-men" comparison would be correct, in more ways than one. *wiggles eyebrows*
I
really liked the concept of the story, and the sex scenes were HOT!! I
liked the characters, Remy is such a Horn Dog, with a super cool power.
Creed...now this is the one I'm seriously looking forward to more
of.(whew) Annika- I really liked her smart ass and full of attitude
character, who also has some super charged powers of her own. I really
want to read more about Annika and Creed. Now for Haley...I didn't
connect with her on any level, good or bad. It just felt like the tired
old "I can't do anything" heroine. Sure in the end, she managed a little
something to prove herself, but don't they all?? I guess the biggest surprise was the M/M sex scene, I didn't see that one coming!
I
think Larissa Ione, and Stephanie Tyler did a really good job with the
writing. I could pick out some of Ione's sense of humor, but I really
couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.
Overall this was a fun read, and I enjoyed it alot. I will be reading the rest of the series.
R.S.V.P. to the most riotous wedding of the year . . .
Lucy Jorik is the daughter of a former president of the United States.
Meg Koranda is the offspring of legends.
One
of them is about to marry Mr. Irresistible—Ted Beaudine—the favorite
son of Wynette, Texas. The other is not happy about it and is determined
to save her friend from a mess of heartache.
But even though
Meg knows that breaking up her best friend's wedding is the right thing
to do, no one else seems to agree. Faster than Lucy can say "I don't,"
Meg becomes the most hated woman in town—a town she's stuck in with a
dead car, an empty wallet, and a very angry bridegroom. Broke, stranded,
and without her famous parents at her back, Meg is sure she can survive
on her own wits. What's the worst that can happen? Lose her heart to
the one and only Mr. Irresistible? Not likely. Not likely at all.
Holly's Review:
If you are a Susan Elizabeth Phillips fan than this book is a MUST!!
It
has been so long since I started reading her books that I found it
absolutely wonderful to go back and visit past characters. It was like a
fun family reunion in Wynette Texas! LOL We get to see Francie &
Dallie Beaudine from Lady be Good and Cornelia & Mat Jorik from First Lady and Fluer Savagar & Jake Koranda from Glitter Baby!!
Their kids are all grown up now and causing all kinds of trouble of
their own in the little town of Wynette. This book was funny, sweet and
amazingly romantic in keeping with SEP style!!
I am hoping Lucy Jorik's story is next, she needs her HEA too!!
Allie prowls the club
for a man who will use her hard and then ditch her. Hey, it's not rape
if she wants it. Instead she finds Colin, who looks tough but treats her
tenderly, despite her protests.
He tempts her, but kindness and a
few mindblowing orgasms aren't enough to put her back together again.
Allie has no hope for a real relationship. Two years ago her best friend
betrayed her in the worst possible way – she’d be stupid to trust a man
again. Besides, she has her daughter to think of, the only good thing
to have come from that dark night.
But when her rapist returns,
threatening her sanity and custody of her daughter, Allie turns to
Colin. Under his protection and patient touch, Allie begins to heal and
learns to hope. Colin’s no saint, though, and his criminal past draws
danger of its own. Allie must fight to protect her child and the man she
loves, hoping her newfound power will be enough to save them all.
Rhonda's Review
Over the past couple of years, I have had the pleasure of making some
great author contacts and recently Amber Lin was one of them. I was
very excited to be given the opportunity to read and review this novel.
As I had hoped, Lin did not disappoint!! She brought a dark edgy
element to her story, and I have discovered within the past year that I
like reading this type of story, I love it when an author can get my
emotions flowing! I think Lin has done an excellent job with her story
and giving her characters life.
Giving It Up is a first person
narrative of Allie Winters who at a young age was a victim of rape, a
betrayal of her best friend that also left her with a child. One of
the saddest parts of her story is that it’s not the only time her trust
is violated. This was such an emotional journey into the mind and heart
of a young lady that after two years still hasn’t come to terms with
what happened to her. Allie thinks she is in control of her life, but
really she’s letting the events of her past control her. She of course
still harbors the self blame, and is on a path of self destruction until
the night she encounters Colin, who on a night of a random sexual
encounters she craves, gives her the experience she’s never had. This
night setting in motion the events that will change Allie’s future.
Colin
owns his own restaurant and has plenty going for him, Allie wonders why
he would even want her, a damaged single parent with deep issues. But
Colin has secrets and a past of his own. He has shady business dealings
with his brother Philip which land directly at Allie’s doorstep.
Although Colin is a man of few words, I can really relate to him because
he reminds me a lot of my husband. Colin is there for Allie when her
rapist / daughter’s father shows up. Allie is afraid he will try to
take her daughter from her, so she turns to Colin for help, which Colin
is more than happy to give. I thought Colin was very sweet toward
Allie’s two year old daughter, but their happy little bubble is short
lived when more secrets, lies and betrayal come to the surface. There
were times I was a little frustrated at Allie and Colin’s lack of
communication, but that is part of what makes the story.
I don’t
want to give up too many details here, but I will say that the
secondary cast of characters were wonderful, from Shelly who is Allie’s
best friend, and also Philip who is Colin’s brother. I was also very
excited to learn that these two will be getting a story, and I’m very
much looking forward to them especially Philip! I also have to give a
shout out to Linda, their neighbor. For all her quirkiness she turned
into a bit of a mother figure for Allie.
This story was
heartbreaking, and dark, and very emotional. It was suspenseful, and
erotic, and best of all it was the journey of a young woman coming to
terms with what happened to her and finally gaining some control over
her life. I was very moved when she finally opened up about her
experiences, and started to believe in herself and her worth. I’m
definitely looking forward to more from Amber Lin.
A man came home from work, sat down in his favorite chair, turned on
the TV and said to his wife, "Quick, bring me a beer before it starts." She looked a little puzzled but brought him a beer. When he finished it, he said, "Quick, bring me another beer. It's going to start." This time she looked a little angry but brought him a beer. When it
was gone, he said, "Quick, get me another beer before it starts." "That's it!", she bellowed. "You bastard! You waltz in here, flop
your fat ass down, don't even say hello to me and then expect me to run
around like your slave getting you beer after beer. Don't you realize
that I cook and clean and wash and iron all day long?" The husband signed and said, "Oh shit! It started."
Hmmmm...Call me slow,but it took me a minute to figure this little story out,LOL!!!That Bastard!
The Empire of Andresium
is threatened by the corruption of the immortals, ancient beings given
the gift of eternal life after the death of the last reigning empress. A
prophecy speaks of their eventual downfall at the hands of one of their
own, however. Tallis is known by most simply as "The Loren," and seeks
to avoid her destiny while trying herself to remain untainted by the
decaying morals and indifference to the fates of men that plague her
kind. As the events of the prophecy begin to unfold, Tallis finds
herself conflicted between upholding her dedication to justice, and
falling victim to the ramifications of following the desires of her own
heart.
Grace's review:
While
reading Tallis, I was immediately captivated by M.C. Rae's style of
writing. It is simply impressive! I found myself pausing every couple
of paragraphs to absorb what I had just read, since the fantasy world
created is full of exceptional detail. From the descriptions of the
setting to the intricate storyline, I am in awe at what is included in
this novella.
Tallis is “The Loren” and immortal. There is a
prophecy involving herself that she'd rather not see fulfilled. She
shows no emotion, but her love, Tarameen, might just draw the feelings
out of her:
“At this point in my existence, to allow myself
to feel...What is the point in that? My fate is not my own. My destiny
is not to seek out the longings of my own heart. I am the Loren. How
can I allow myself to love?”--Tallis, M.C. Rae
Now, I didn't
know Tallis is the first in a series while I was reading it. I reached
the end, and I wanted more. That couldn't be the end!!! I was so
ecstatic to learn there will be other books! Read Tallis and delve into
an intriguing fantasy world!
When Jacqueline follows
her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she
expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new
reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music
conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her
ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.
Her
econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor,
who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always
been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a
better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual.
There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email.
Meanwhile,
a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him.
Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back
row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he
disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if
he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees—hoping for more.
Then
Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor
and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and
her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they’ve
hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust
is anything but easy.
Author Recommendation: Mature Young Adults (language, drinking, sexual situations)
Sam's Review:
STOP what you are
reading right now and pick up this book! This is a book about so much more than
teenage love and angst; this is a book about life and dealing with some of the
horrible things that come along with it. It's about facing the reality that what
you see at face value isn’t always what you get. It's about learning that what
you thought was happily ever after might just in fact be a stepping stone to
something much, much better.
This turned out to be my new favourite book
of the year, and made me start wondering why I have never read one of Tammara
Webbers book before.
The story begins with Jacqueline, who after
following her boyfriend of three years to the University of his choice realizes
how much of a mistake that was when he dumps her so he can screw everyone on
campus. After mental criticizing herself for two weeks she wakes up and realizes
that boys are not worth failing school over. When she approaches her lecturer in
a bid to catch up she is hooked up with the class tutor, Landon. The two email
back and forth and quickly fall into an easy flirtatious banter. Although she
has no idea what Landon looks like she has growing feelings for him. At the same
time during her class at school, she begins to notice a world outside of her ex
and soon discovers, Lucas. Jacqueline catches Lucas staring at her and never
seems to be doing any work, just sketches in his art book. This doesn't stop her
from seeing the gorgeous guy beyond that - almost clear eyes, lip ring, tattoos,
lean body - YUM! She cannot deny the chemistry between them. Two boys to choose
from, and some very unwanted attention from another student, Buck sets this book
up for an awesome story.
This is a book you cannot put down. I hang my
head in shame that I put off everything I was meant to do today to finish this
book and was literally busting at the seams to get this review written. It's a
book where you want to go back and read it again to get the thrill. I want to
fall into this book and the characters. I loved everything about it and the
writing skills are phenomenal. The characters are so well developed and I fell
head over heels in love with Lucas and Landon. There is so much steam in this
book that it had me tingly in all the right places. Just check out this small
snippet –
"So I don't want to you to feel pressured. Or overpowered.
But I do, absolutely, want to kiss you right now. Badly." He trailed his finger
over my jaw and down my throat, and then into his lap. I stared at him. Finally
comprehending that he was waiting for a response, I said, "Okay." As he leaned
over me, I felt a heightened awareness of every part of my body that touched a
part of his--the edge of his hip pressed to mine, his chest sliding against
mine, his fingers tracing from wrists to forearms and then framing my face. He
held me in place, lips near my ear. When he kissed the sensitive spot, my breath
shuddered. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, moving his mouth to
mine.
I wish I could go into the story in more detail but there are so many
spots to add major spoilers that I will stick to what I have written and hope
that you will all crack this book ASAP.
Fresh from the
post-Civil War salons and drawing rooms of Boston, Lucy McKenna
considers herself a sophisticated young woman. But when she meets Texas
rancher Ambrose Quince, she turns into a flustered girl. He's too old,
war roughened and unrefined-and she has no idea how to deal with the
sensual hunger he inspires.
Ambrose falls fast and hard for the
innocent debutante visiting Eclipse, Texas. Persuading Lucy to accept
his pursuit becomes a duel of wits and passion as he awakens her desire.
Lucy
leaves Boston and childhood behind when she becomes Mrs. Ambrose
Quince. Her lonely days on the Double-Q ranch are filled with work and
frustration. But the nights are spent in her husband's arms, learning
carnal awareness . . . one molten caress at a time.
Elena's Review:
In 1866 Lucille McKenna starts a diary on her journey from her young hood to adult hood.
Lucy,
follows her fathers plans on moving away and leaving Boston to take up
the opportunity of starting a successful life in Texas.In the midst of
the story, we meet the Hero Ambrose Quince who he and his brother own
the Double-Q Ranch. While Lucy's father and Ambrose quickly start off
as great acquaintances as the story progresses, A tragedy happens where
Lucy's father passes away. The poor Heroine has never had to lift a
finger to cook, clean,and least of all, does not know how or what to do
with a husband. (spoiled?,Yes) It's obvious when Ambrose fancies Lucy
she had a hard time accepting the fact all she wanted to do was move
back to Boston and retrieve her old life and where she left off, to come
to her senses that she had nothing and no one there, all she has now
is a loadfull of money,that her father passed down to her and even with
all of it,she has no clue where to start her life off. So when Ambrose
asks her to marry him, of course,she accepts with no repercussions.
As
the story unfolds it's within a year of Lucy and Ambrose's marriage,
they both have their ups and downs.Ambrose is a hard working man who
expects many things from his wife, while he's out all day everyday
working himself senseless, he expects to come home to a clean home,food
ready and a woman to take care of his needs.Lucille hasn't had a clue on
how to do any of those things, but she comes along as a strong willed
heroine.I just wished her character was appreciated a little more.
Ambrose was all man and helluva sexy beast in the sack, but his temper
and mood swings,unnerved me! If I were Lucille I would have slapped him
upside his head till he got the hint "Who's the boss?" I guess that's
what was expected from Alpha males in the 1800's,Lol!! Lucy had a soft
heart, and although she toughened up when needed,I wish she would have
shoved her foot where the sun doesn't shine! Rotfl!!
Otherwise it
was a cute little story and this is the first time I've read a novel on
Cowboys. I gotta admit,I'm looking forward to reading more in that
genre :D
Well Hello to all you kinky naughty bloggers! Welcome to the Erotica Blog Hop with our Badass Host Skye Warren! Around of applause everyone! Why? For me? LOL! Because she's the first and only person to bring me to my knees with her specific instructions on how this hop should be ran. My Goodness! All I could think was "Hawt Damn! This woman is outta my realm "I started to sweat and hyperventilate with the anticipation if I screw this up, she might give me the spanking that I've dreamt of for years.........LOL!!!!!! Thank Goodness us ladies at S,E,R's Awesomness, are pimps when it comes down to hops and no cherries needed to be popped *winks* hehehehe!
So onto the naughty stuff!
A few of us ladies here at S,E,R's Awesomness, are big fans of Megan Hart. Her stories are compelling, emotional, and down right "wring your panties and twist them in a wad" Kinda sexy! So as a giveaway we will give away an E-Book copy of one of Megan Hearts Titles, from her written Erotica-Romance Collection. Please click on the link to check out the titles http://www.meganhart.com/novels/erotic/
NOW.....Onto the goodies *smirks* For every comment made, you are entered into one of the Hops Grand Prizes of a "Digital Erotica Gift Basket with over
40 books" or the "$100 Gift Card to EdenFantasys, fun sex toy shop". Yeehaw! How Awesome is that? You wannna be that lucky winner? Then stop drooling and think of a witty and fun comment along with your thanks to Skye warren and everyone who donated and helped her make this hop naughty and fun-spankstic!
The Hop runs from June 20-24. All winners will be announced on June 25th. Please checkout all the other blogs down below as well. And Fill out the Rafflecopter just so we have your emails just incase you forget to add it to your comments! Thanks everyone for participating! Good Luck!
The Siren is a
modern-day retelling of My Fair Lady with uptight English literary
fiction editor Zachary Easton as an unwilling Professor Higgins and
well-known wild child Nora Sutherlin as his erotica-writing Eliza
Doolittle. Zach only has six weeks left at Royal House New York before
he heads to Los Angeles to take over as Chief Managing Editor at Royal
West. When his boss orders him to help Nora Sutherlin rewrite her latest
novel, Zach agrees to work with her only if he is given complete
control over the fate of her book. If Nora doesn’t rewrite it to his
satisfaction in six weeks, Royal won’t publish it.
Rhonda's Review:
“ Broken love is the most dangerous love. It will slice you open with every touch.”
After I finished reading this book, I took a couple of
days to gather my thoughts on how to review this fantastic book! The
blurb sets up the foundation of the story, so I’m going to tell you what
the blurb doesn’t.
I was only a few pages into reading this
book, and Tiffany Reisz’s brilliant voice settled over me and took me
from my world in to the world of Nora Sutherlin. When I wasn’t reading
this book, I was thinking about reading this book. This book contains
some heavy doses of BDSM, and I don’t mean quantity. The story explores
mostly the SM (sadism and masochism) side. Some of these scenes aren’t
pretty and I even winced a few times. I assure you that all of the
situations in this book go on between consenting adults, and if you like
your erotic novels fluffy, and your HEA beautifully gift wrapped, this
isn’t the book for you.
The Siren is so rich in its
storytelling, and the clever character development. This novel was
about so much more than the sex, in fact it was the story behind all
the characters and how they all come together, along with Reisz’s
writing that captivated me. There are four major players in this story:
Nora, Wesley, Soren, and Zachary. All of whom have their own distinct
presence and I LOVE each one for different reasons.
I loved
Nora, I mean how often do you get to read about a kick ass heroine in a
contemporary story. (pun intended) Nora is a professional Dominatrix
as well as a writer. She has sexual encounters with male and female
characters, there are times when she did things I wish she hadn’t but I
enjoyed her witty dialog, and sharp sense of humor. Although she might
not always make the best decisions, she has better insight into other
people, perhaps more so than herself. Nora left her sadistic lover,
Soren five years prior. Soren is into sadism hard core. There were
times I couldn’t grasp why Nora would let him do the things he did, Then
I got to see a softer side of Soren, see the love he has for Nora.
Their story is linked quite a bit with God and religion, and if you have
any aversion to religious reference then this book wouldn’t be for you.
Zachary is Nora’s new editor, whose wife left him several
months prior to him leaving London for the States to take a job with
Royal House Publishing. He still loves his wife very much, and now is
dealing with the intense attraction he has for Nora. Wesley…. He is
Nora’s nineteen year old “intern”, and he’s just so incredibly sweet I
could just bite him! There are also some secondary characters we meet
in this story that will carry over into future novels that I am eager to
learn more about.
I loved this story so much and not for the
reasons one would think. This is not your mainstream erotica, it’s
dark, gritty, thought provoking and unlike anything I‘ve read. Reisz
digs in to the mind and hearts of her characters and delivered a story
that made me laugh, shudder, and cry. If I could give this book more
stars I would. The Siren is easily one of my favorite books this year, and the next book can’t get here fast enough.
A couple goes on a vacation to a fishing resort in
Northern Alberta. The husband likes to fish at the crack of dawn. The
wife likes to read. One morning the husband returns after several hours
of fishing and decides to take a nap. Although not familiar with the
lake, the wife decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short
distance, anchors and continues to read her book. Along comes a game
warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman and says, "Good
morning Ma'am. What are you doing?" "Reading a book," she replies, (thinking "isn't
that obvious?"). "You're in a restricted fishing area," he informs her.
"I'm sorry officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading." "Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I
know you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write
you up." "If you do that, I'll have to charge you with
sexual assault," says the woman. "But I haven't even touched you," says
the game warden. "That's true, but you have all the equipment. For all I
know you could start at any moment." "Have a nice day Ma'am," and he left...
MORAL OF THE STORY :
Never argue with a woman who reads. It's likely she can think also.
Camilla can set her
watch by her hunky rocket-scientist neighbor who jogs past her window
each day. She relishes each glimpse of his shirtless abs, and is dying
to see more. But it’s hard to connect with a man who doesn’t seem to
know she exists…
Ivan feels at home in the lab, not in social
situations. When he finally approaches his attractive neighbor, it’s not
for a date—he wants tutoring in how to behave at an important
fundraiser. Ivan doesn’t expect the chemistry between them to be quite
so explosive, and is surprised when Cami actually accepts his proposal
to embark on a series of “lessons”.
Cami soon discovers Ivan’s
schedule isn’t the only thing he likes to be strict about—he needs to be
charge in the bedroom as well. She’s shocked at how much she comes to
enjoy her submissive side, but wonders if a real relationship is in the
equation…
Holly's Review:
I absolutely loved this book! It was right up my alley with it being The Big Bang Theory goes BDSM and all!!
Camilla
has slight stalker tendencies towards her neighbor Ivan, the hunky
rocket scientist, whom she watches like clockwork daily as he takes his
jogs, works in the garden, etc. Ivan and Camilla are friends and
colleagues but Cami isn’t sure Ivan even realizes she is a woman most of
the time. He has rigid schedules and likes to control in his lab and
environment and Cami soon realizes that this is not the only place Ivan
likes control.
Ivan asks Cami for a favor, he needs her to coach
him on how to interact socially with people, which btw is something Ivan
is NOT good at. In your basic geek/genius way Ivan speaks his mind,
doesn’t lie and doesn’t really have a filter for what comes out of his
mouth. Not realizing what he says or how he says it may not be
appropriate or politically correct. He asks Cami to help him with this
so he can solicit money at an upcoming fundraiser for his departments
research. Ok, this is where the similarity to Dr. Sheldon Cooper from
The Big Bang Theory comes to a screeching halt!! Cami is trying to get
Ivan’s attention showing a little cleavage or wearing short skirts, all
around flirting a little, which seems to go right over Ivan’s head. But,
as I said, Ivan is a freakin’ genius and does not miss much! At this
point Ivan explains to Cami that she is indeed playing with fire and he
would like to try an ‘experiment’ with her. Cami has no idea that Ivan
is a Dom and visits BDSM clubs on a regular basis. As a matter of fact
she really has no idea about BDSM at all!! Professor Ivan Reynolds
changes that in a big way!!
As they begin to explore each other,
very sexually I might add (Holy smokin’ hot sex!) feelings begin to
develop, as you can imagine. But with Ivan being the way that he is Cami
is afraid that the feelings are one sided and as much as she doesn’t
want to lay her heart right out on the line she knows that Ivan won’t
understand unless she is completely direct with him and just flat out
asks how he feels about her. When she is hurt that he introduced her at
the fundraiser as his friend, neighbor and or colleague all night and
not his girlfriend she is confused and hurt. His response that she is
not his girlfriend, she is his submissive breaks her heart, even though
to him this means so much more. Now, that being said, this book had a
lot of great quotes but this one was my favorite as I think it sums it
all up…
“The thing is,” Ivan went on, his voice soft and
soothing over the counterpoint of the howling wind outside, the
insistent thrumming of the rain on the rooftop, “I think this is love.
But I’ve never been in love before, either, so I don’t know.” “No basis for comparison,” I concurred. He nodded solemnly. “Nevertheless, it’s my working hypothesis.”
So as you can see this book absolutely has a HEA and I have to say I completely loved it!!
