When you Dare (MWEH #1) By Lori Foster

The tougher they are, the harder they fall…

Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.

Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…

Holly's Review:

 This is the first book in a new series from Lori Foster, and let me say what a fantastic start to the series it was. There is a prequel in the anthology The Guy Next Door, just and FYI.

As stated by LF herself, the new series revolves around uber-Alpha hunks. The men are similar to private mercenaries, so they're big, capable, a little dangerous and oh-so-sexy. When it comes to rescuing the innocent, they do what has to be done. Foster calls them the men who 'walk the edge of honor!'

The first in the series is about Dare Macintosh, and yes, he is as delicious as he sounds. The story begins with Dare having rescued his friends sister from a human-trafficking ring in Tijuana and while doing so he rescued another woman being held, Molly Alexander. Dare is not sure what to do with her and she is totally not what he expected. This is one of things I liked most about this book, the heroine was incredibly strong, she was hurt but not broken and Dare, while being and Alpha and needing to protect, did not coddle Molly and let her actively participate in uncovering the mystery of why she was taken.

There are some great secondary characters in this story as well, Natalie & Jett, who we meet in The Guy Next Door, along with Dare's assistant/friend Chris who lives with him and his 'girls' Tai & Sargie!! All in all, I loved this book and cannot wait for the second and third installments, Trace of Fever & Savor the Danger!!

 

Bared to You by Sylvia Day - A Crossfire Novel

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness—beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily...

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private wounds... and desires.

The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart

Rhonda's Thoughts

Sylvia Day owned me!

Bared to You is one of those books that completely sucked me in, and consumed my thoughts.  I was finding ways to read this book whenever possible, when it wasn’t convenient to whip my kindle out I was sneaking reads on my phone, via Kindle app.

Sylvia Day has done a excellent job with the characters in this story, bringing them to life and making me love them.  The main characters in this story are the H/h Gideon Cross and Eva Trammel, along with Eva’s best friend Cary.  All three of them I found to be multi-layered, and they all carry some heavy baggage which in turn effects the relationships that are formed.  I loved Cary, he seems to be a bit of a wild card with a story of his own. I hope we continue to know him more in the next book.

Eva Trammel and her best friend Cary have just moved to New York,  a new city, a new job and a fresh start.  Before Eva can even get her feet firmly planted, her path crosses with the dark, sexy, and alluring Gideon Cross.  The instant attraction is completely overwhelming,  even though Eva tries to ignore it.  But it’s hard to ignore a presence like Gideon.  From the moment he appears in the story, he exudes strength, dominance, and sex appeal. Gideon pursues Eva unrelentingly in  brash and possessive way.  Someone who’s accustom to getting what he wants, he won’t take no for an answer.  The attraction is too potent, and of course Eva submits to it. ( I would too! )

Eva admittedly has self esteem issues, and it comes in to play a lot, but to her defense here, considering her past, and dealing with a man like Gideon and the situations she faces in regard to him I would totally feel the same way.  I really liked Eva, I didn’t find her whiny or full of self pity.  She is challenging for Gideon, and as if I couldn’t love Gideon more, he is so patient with her, and so giving of himself.  The truths of his past have yet to be uncovered, but the events of the story suggest something pretty dark lingers in the depths of his past. Not having formed any real emotional attachments before, the feelings he has for Eva brings out a sweetness about him that I just loved. 

What starts out as physical attraction quickly evolves in to something more.  Attraction, lust and falling in love are easy, but when the scars of their pasts threaten to come between them, staying together becomes the challenge.  I think their scars enable them to see beyond the damage and embrace each other in a way that someone who hasn’t lived it could.

 This is my first read by this author, and certainly won’t be my last.  Bared to You is beautifully written.  Day kept me totally consumed by this story, and I found this book almost flawless.  I thought her descriptions were perfect in setting the scenes, and her characterization, and Sylvia Day knows her way around the smexy scenes  (Whew, *fans self*)  This book was all kinds of HOT!   I loved every single page!!

Quotes:

“I want there to be happily-ever-afters for the fucked-up crowd. Show me the way, Eva honey. Make me believe."  (Cary)

********************

“I love you, Gideon.”
“God.” He looked at me with something that resembled disgust. Whether it was directed at me or himself, I didn’t know. “How can you say that?”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“You just see this”—he gestured at himself with a wave of his hand. “You’re not seeing the fucked-up, broken mess inside.”
I inhaled sharply. “You can say that to me? When you know I’m fucked up and broken, too?"  (Gideon and Eva)

 *********************

 “You forget who submits, Eva,” he said gruffly. “I’ve given up control for you. I’ve bent and adjusted for you. I’ll do anything to keep you and make you happy. But I can’t be tamed or topped. Don’t mistake indulgence for weakness." (Gideon)

Funny,Funny,Har Har

A What?

While she was 'flying' down the road yesterday, a woman passed over a bridge only to find a cop with a radar gun on the other side lying in wait.
The cop pulled her over, walked up to the car, with that classic patronizing smirk we all know and love, asked, 'What's your hurry?'
To which she replied, 'I'm late for work.'
'Oh yeah,' said the cop, 'what do you do?'
'I'm a rectum stretcher,' she responded.
The cop stammered, 'A what? A rectum stretcher?
And just what does a rectum stretcher do?'
'Well,' she said, 'I start by inserting one finger, then work my way up to two fingers, then three, then four, then with my whole hand in. I work from side to side until I can get both hands in, and then I slowly but surely stretch it, until it's about 6 feet wide.'
'And just what the heck do you do with a 6 foot butthole? ' he asked.
'You give him a radar gun and park him behind a bridge......'

Below The Belt by Skye Warren

Black belt Abe Montgomery is focused on winning gold. But at nationals, Abe meets Paris, a beautiful, mysterious woman. Paris Rivera has sworn off men and martial arts. Her black belt cost her more than years of dedication and sweat. The fight of Abe’s life looms ahead, with his dreams of owning a school and his future with Paris hanging in the balance. He may dominate on the mats, but he’s fallen hard for her. When the time comes for them to part, he may not be able to let go. 

Rhonda's Review

Below the Belt by Skye Warren

I read  my first Skye Warren novella a few weeks ago, and got a glimpse into the darker side of her mind in Trust In Me.  Now I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the softer side of Skye Warren in Below The Belt.  The things that have held true on both sides is her ability to convey believable human emotion.  I really enjoy her writing style, and in Below the Belt I got to see a little of her humor that came through in her characters.  I also enjoyed the setting of the story. My brother is a 3rd degree black belt in taekwondo, and I’m familiar with the ceremonies, and competitions, so this came across realistic to me. 

Abe Montgomery is a martial arts black belt competing at nationals in Seattle.  A night out and bantering with the guys spurs a wager for Abe Montgomery that involves getting into some girls’ panties.  Well Mr. Montgomery didn’t have to look very far. Just beyond the table of groupies to the beautiful girl sitting alone in the shadows. Paris Rivera seems to be a bit of a challenge at first, but she quickly concedes to the charming Abe Montgomery.  I can’t say that I blame her, I would have been throwing my panties at him too.  It takes no time for Abe to determine that Paris is the kind of young lady he would like to actually get to know,  but Paris isn’t so sure that’s such a good idea.

Abe is striving for a gold medal, the ticket to making his dreams come true.  While Paris is striving to get as far away from the martial arts world as possible.  Along the way, Abe realizes that the gold medal he has been working so hard toward may not be the only ticket to his happiness. And Paris realizes that second chances are deserved, even for her.

I enjoyed the H/h in this little story.  Abe is, sweet, charming, compassionate, and oh so sexy!! (Purrr)  Paris is so cute, and caring, and sassy, I enjoyed her a lot as well.  The possibilities have been left open for a sequel to this story, so I hope there will be. 

The Taker (#1) By Alma Katsu

True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural St. Andrew, Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting a quiet evening. Until a mysterious woman arrives in his ER, escorted by police—Lanore McIlvrae is a murder suspect—and Luke is inexplicably drawn to her. As Lanny tells him her story, an impassioned account of love and betrayal that transcends time and mortality, she changes his life forever. . . . At the turn of the nineteenth century, when St. Andrew was a Puritan settlement, Lanny was consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, and she will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for eternity.

Elena's Review:

Lanore and Jonathan are child hood friends. One would think they were destined for one another. But it looks like fate has other plans. While Lanore couldn't help but love her childhood friend. Jonathan couldn't see past their best friend friendship unless he was doing things that only he desired. In my honest opinion,they both were selfish.But they didn't deserve an ounce of what happen to either one throughout the novel.

The novel is written in three pov's,and it's set time,switches from the 1800's to the present day. I much preferred the back story line,with the heroines history,didn't care much for the present day. 

I have mixed feelings about the novel,I liked it,but then something came along and ruined it. I  have a love/hate relationship with the three main characters Lanore,Jonathan and Adair. I cant add Luke to the mix,he's just a sweetheart,and he didn't deserve to be mixed up in their world. Anywho.....I can see why Lanore did ALL the things she did from beginning to end.Its obvious what one would do for the one person in their lives they love and adore. But,I wish she would have given up her love for Jonathan,the guy didn't have it in him to love her back.I think the heroine deserved better. And although Adair,might've been the devil incarnated,there was something wickedly twisted about him that I actually liked. I think he could've given her everything her heart desired.

The novel had its ups and down moments. It'll bring out the good and evil in you. Lol!! It's heartbreaking,full of deceit and lies,but everything in this novel happens for a reason.I had a hard time putting the novel down,just for the reasons that the story is dark ,the author can write and I can't end a story without finishing it.The author will make you keep guessing till the very end. Read the story for what it is and don't kill yourself over, "what's going happen next?,or "I bet I know what's going on!" Because you'll never guess,I'm still shocked and my thoughts are still reeling......

For readers who love dark and mysterious stories with a small kick of PNR. I'd say give it ago if you dare  :)