Tag: 4.5 Stars

Review //\\ One More Thing by Lilliana Anderson

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One More Thing (47 Things #2)
by Lilliana Anderson

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How much did I love this book? Reading until 2.30am in the morning, that’s how much!


Despite this being sub-titled as 47 Things #2 it CAN be read stand alone. I know that because I haven’t read 47 Things. I don’t know if my heart and soul could stand it, I cried enough at this book – even though we were getting a forever love story. Jude, Sarah, Ty and Tyler made me laugh, smile and sob. They made my soul ache with a longing for something that would never be and my heart sing with joy at them finding their always.

The man in my arms made everything better. The moment he stepped into my life, he started shining a light on all my darkest moments. He could brighten any bad mood and he loved me in all the best ways.

Listening to Sarah’s struggles, her pain and loneliness, and then reading Tyler’s journal extracts, lord that didn’t just break my heart, it shattered it into a million tiny shards. Thank goodness there was the awkward, bumbling, geeky Jude there to glue it back together.

I would give anything for the chance to have grown complacent with Tyler. Anything. I think that was part of what made life without him hard. I missed everything we never got to have. I missed it every moment of every day.

I did miss having Jude’s voice in the book, it meant I didn’t connect to him at the same level as I did Sarah. However I still felt I knew him and I still really, really, REALLY loved the book.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

One More Thing by Lilliana Anderson

Genre – Contemporary Romance
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35626261-one-more-thing
I never asked to slip on a piece of gum then fall in love with a man who would die before the ink was dry on our marriage certificate.
But that’s what fate had in store for me. It broke me. I vowed I’d never fall in love again.
Five years later, fate had one more thing planned. It wanted to play around in my life again. Its tool? Another blasted stick of gum. Same place, only this time, it was Jude Baker, a university lecturer, who slipped on the gum.
Despite being a pacifist, Jude wasn’t particularly happy about having gum stuck to his shoe and made his distaste abundantly clear.
But that stick of gum was the catalyst to a series of events where our paths would continue to cross. There would be a broken nose, a fractured hand, a cat on a lead and a crashed corporate Christmas party that would align our hearts and make me realise that I wanted to be happy again.
But there would also be tears. Many, many tears. Because falling in love was never easy, especially when you were still in love with another man.

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Review //\\ Bound to Submit

Louise H5 Comments

Bound to Submit by Laura Kaye

I’ve found me a new author and I couldn’t be happier!


This had been sat on my kindle for well over 2 years, at some point I’d picked it up as a freebie. I’m not sure why this caught my eye over all the hundreds of other books on there, but it did. What I do know is that it didn’t take long for me to be totally hooked on Kenna and Griffin’s story.


Second chance seems to be a trope I can’t resist, so this already had an advantage, but it doesn’t automatically guarantee a books success for me. Something about this just spoke to me and touched my heart – I even shed a tear or two at this one. It was refreshing that the split wasn’t the result of a stupid misunderstanding, nor was it a big secret that was kept for half the book. Griffin fully owned the mistake he made and then realised a few weeks too late.


Several different topics were covered in this, though most of them tied back to Kenna’s loss and the guilt she felt as a survivor. I really liked that there was no being “cured” of her problems by love, though she, and Griffin both underwent personal growth through the book. Whilst I liked Griffin, especially as he wasn’t too arrogant or overbearing and he was very caring and solicitous of Kenna, she was the character who held my attention and made me fall in love with this book. Her story was touching and the journey she takes captured my heart.


The BDSM aspects focus mainly around bondage and suspension with ropes, and the scenes were all private. There were also some “D/s” sex scenes, where there were no toys used but there was a power exchange involved. I found them well written and hot. I would recommend the book to those who enjoy BDSM romances and I will read more work by the author.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Bound to Submit by Laura Kaye

Genre – BDSM Romance
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30628898-bound-to-submit

From the ruins of an abandoned church comes Baltimore’s hottest and most exclusive BDSM club. Twelve Masters. Infinite fantasies. Welcome to Blasphemy…
He thinks he caused her pain, but she knows he’s the only one who can heal her…
Kenna Sloane lost her career and her arm in the Marines, and now she feels like she’s losing herself. Submission is the only thing that ever freed her from pain and made her feel secure, and Kenna needs to serve again. Bad. The only problem is the Dom she wants once refused her submission and broke her heart, but, scarred on the inside and out, she’s not looking for love this time. She’s not even sure she’s capable.
Griffin Hudson is haunted by the mistakes that cost him the only woman he ever loved. Now she’s back at his BDSM club, Blasphemy, and more beautiful than ever, and she’s asking for his help with the pain he knows he caused. Even though he’s scared to hurt her again, he can’t refuse her, because he’d give anything to earn a second chance. And this time, he’ll hold on forever.

Preview(opens in a new tab)

Review //\\ Professional Development

Louise HLeave a comment
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Professional Development (Benchmarks #1) by Kate Canterbary

The book starts commences with Tara’s point of view, and I quickly found myself detesting, loathing, Drew with an absolute passion. Oh my word I wanted to shake him until his teeth rattled. Condescending, bullish and down right rude. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Kate Canterbary would have me loving him by the end, and I wasn’t wrong. Between his penchant for providing arm porn and his tight ass in grey pinstripes, he needs a health warning label. Tara deserves a medal for the amount of self restraint she demonstrated, is it wrong to want to be her BFF since she’s a fictional character?


Novella’s are not often a format I bother with, they often leave me with a feeling that things just weren’t quite developed enough. Not enough depth to the protagonists, not enough plot, not enough heat, not enough believability. We’ve all seen facsimiles of the Mona Lisa, but there’s nothing quite like standing in the Louvre gazing upon the genuine article. That’s how I view novella’s, they’re the reproductions, the lacklustre images that don’t do the real thing (ie novels) justice.


Apart from that once in a blue moon moment, when all the stars align perfectly and a great author produces that exception to the rule, an amazing novella. That is exactly what Ms Canterbary has achieved with the masterpiece that is Professional Development. I quickly came to adore both main characters and totally believed in the strength of their feelings for one another. I swooned with delight when the walls finally tumbled down and grinned like a loon over those final scenes of the book.


Bravo Ms Canterbary, this is a truly wonderful story.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Contemporary Romance Novella

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50315164-professional-development

Tara Treloff and Drew Larsen hate each other. They really hate each other.
This would be fine except for the issue of them sharing a job title
…and an office
…and now a five-hour-long drive to a conference their boss has made mandatory to resolve their issues.
And they would’ve been able to muddle through all of those matters but a major snowstorm is heading their way
…and there’s only one bed.

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Review //\\ A Touch of Death

Louise H2 Comments
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A Touch of Death by Rebecca Crunden



I think I will be devouring this series in the same way I did Lindsay Buroker and Pippa DaCosta’s work.


I’ve always had a soft spot for a misunderstood bad boy who fights for what is right, so Nate was everything I could want in a hero. Kitty was the perfect foil to him, their personalities and strengths helping them battle the trials littering the pathway. I found myself sucked into the story, the author’s prose exactly to my liking, not to verbose or flowery but with world building and detailing that allowed me to picture situations and settings.


The title should not be ignored, there is a LOT of death, turmoil and heartache to endure in this book. I may even have shed the odd tear. Though the book is set in a far dystopian future it had an almost steampunk feel, with a blend of futuristic and old fashioned technology, archaic traditions and cross-era clothing. Almost Planet of the Apes but with mutants rather than apes, and the humans still in charge. The theme of battling against a corrupt dictatorial regime is nothing new, but the execution, the characterisation and the setting made this stand out, and definitely left me wanting more.

Recommended to fans of Kate L. Mary, Robert J Crane, and the aforementioned Lindsay Buroker, all I can say is – WOW I loved this book, even if the ending did make me want to sob! 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Genre – Dystopian/Science Fiction
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41347040-a-touch-of-death

A thousand years in the future, the last of humanity live inside the walls of the totalitarian Kingdom of Cutta. The rich live in Anais, the capital city of Cutta, sheltered from the famine and disease which ravage the rest of the Kingdom. Yet riches and power only go so far, and even Anaitians can be executed. It is only by the will of the King that Nate Anteros, son of the King’s favourite, is spared from the gallows after openly dissenting. But when he’s released from prison, Nate disappears.
A stark contrast, Catherine Taenia has spent her entire life comfortable and content. The daughter of the King’s Hangman and in love with Thom, Nate’s younger brother, her life has always been easy, ordered and comfortable. That is, where it doesn’t concern Nate. His actions sullied not only his future, but theirs. And unlike Thom, Catherine has never forgiven him.
Two years pass without a word, and then one night Nate returns. But things with Nate are never simple, and when one wrong move turns their lives upside down, the only thing left to do is run where the King’s guards cannot find them – the Outlands. Those wild, untamed lands which stretch around the great walls of the Kingdom, filled with mutants and rabids.

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Review //\\ The Romance Plan

Louise HLeave a comment

The Romance Plan (Cupid #5) by Lila Monroe

If you’re looking for a delightful, sexy and funny read then look no further.  The Romance Plan is everything you need.


Eliza and Liam’s story was just the perfect read for a sunny, relaxed day. I adored both main characters, they were incredibly easy to like and very well written. We even saw Liam, in particular, undergo personal growth. There are some great secondary characters and we even get to see some old friends though, if you haven’t read any other Cupid books, this does read completely stand alone.


The heat level is high and we get a perfect amount of angst filled will they/won’t they to balance the fun and humour. Once we reach the “oh yes they will” stage then things really take off and I was buoyed along by the story, enjoying every moment of it. This was what I would term a “no effort” read. That is to say the writing flows smoothly and took was easy to read, I never struggled to know who was talking or what was happening. I left me feeling warm, happy and comfortable and is a romantic comedy that I’m only too happy to recommend. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Romance Plan (Cupid’s #5) by Lila Monroe

Genre – Romantic Comedy
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53533393-the-romance-plan

I need a happily-ever-after — and fast. I finally landed my dream job as a book editor when our new boss announces that the company is about to go bust. 
Our only hope? Getting a famously eccentric romance author to deliver her new novel.. eight years overdue. Oh, and that infuriating, arrogant new CEO? Turns out he’s the mysterious guy who made out with me in the street last night, leaving my head spinning, and my other parts…
Well, let’s just say, I won’t be needing my e-reader for inspiration alone in bed tonight.
I can’t figure out if I want to slap his infuriatingly handsome face — or kiss it senseless, but either way, we’re stuck working together to magic a bestseller out of thin air. And maybe it’s the late nights, or the steamy material, but Liam isn’t the snooty jerk I thought. 
Soon, our chemistry is sizzling out of control. But can we find our happily-ever-after, or will we burn out before the final chapter?

THE ROMANCE PLAN (Cupids #5)
All Platforms – August 17th
✦ Apple Books ➙ https://apple.co/2XNIyo6 
✦ Amazon ➙ https://amzn.to/2RMphzo 
✦ Amazon UK ➙ https://amzn.to/2VhSCUE 
✦ Amazon AU ➙ https://amzn.to/2VkAUjq 
✦ Kobo ➙ https://bit.ly/2RPGtnM 
✦ B&N ➙ https://bit.ly/2zd8MWN 
✦ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2DzwBtO 

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Review //\\ Dirty Talk

Louise H3 Comments

There was no reason for me to Google him on schedule every forty-eight hours to see if he’d turned up at a Hollywood event with some woman more beautiful than me, a woman who was basically wearing the equivalent of a piece of toilet paper.

Dirty Talk (Filthy Rich #3) by Julie Kriss

That’s it, there’s just no point reading anything for a while. Not after indulging in the smexiness that is Noah and Emma. I’m just going to wallow in my book hangover for a while and bask in the afterglow of reading Dirty Talk.


There is simply no way I can put into words how much I loved this story. It caught me up in it’s threads from the very first chapter and wrapped me in a cocoon of love, warmth, heartache and longing.  Julie Kriss is an absolutely amazing author, better than many traditionally published ones, one who always carves her own path, ignoring the predictable and boring tropes too often found in less persuasive romance novels. The plot is unique, engaging and unpredictable, the protagonists were both strong, independent but emotionally battered individuals, a couple who were absolutely perfect for one another. There is no silly or unnecessary angst, though there were many bittersweet, dysfunctional moments to enjoy alongside the scorching hot chemistry.

I realized that for weeks I had been numb. Literally numb. I’d been going about my business, but from the neck down I may as well have been a mannequin. I’d felt nothing.
I felt everything now. The weight of Noah, the press of his hot skin against mine. The friction of him inside me. How this man made me feel so good, I didn’t know and didn’t care. This was what I had come all this way for – this was the only thing I wanted.

Emma, Dirty Talk

The only time I experienced any kind of disappointment with this book was when I realised I’d nearly finished it! Quite simply put, I just cannot get enough of Noah and Emma, I loved every single thing about them. I hugely recommend this wonderful, contemporary romance.

Dimly, through the wash of pleasure, I knew exactly what this was: a gift from her to me instead of the other way around. I’d gone to great lengths to give Emma pleasure, and I’d enjoyed every second of it. But when she’d stepped into the shower, she’d changed the dynamic. Now she wanted to give, and she wanted me to take. So simple and so complicated at the same time. My thoughts went blank and I closed my eyes, taking everything she had to give me.

Noah, Dirty Talk
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Dirty Talk (Filthy Rich #3) by Julie Kriss
Genre – Contemporary Romance
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54205947-dirty-talk

They told me Noah Pearson was gorgeous. Sinful. A successful venture capitalist. A Hollywood playboy. The kind of man I can usually spend the night with, then walk away from, no strings attached.
No one told me I’d become addicted.
Noah is all wrong for me. He’s charming and scandalous. He tears down all the careful walls I live behind. But when he talks dirty to me in that voice as smooth as whiskey, it isn’t long before I’m throwing out my rule book and agreeing to a sexy, no-emotions-allowed fling.
It shouldn’t mean anything to either of us. We should be able to walk away.
Why, then, do I feel like our white-hot affair is the only thing worth fighting for?

Review //\\ One Crazy Bite

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One Crazy Bite by Cassandra Faye

Even though there are elements of very mild dub-con in One Crazy Bite, overall this is a fast-paced, steamy and most of all fun read. I found myself smiling and giggling repeatedly, along with having to fan myself when the heat level rose! Nic is the kind of fast learner that I wouldn’t mind having between my sheets – and also between somewhere else, given his lickacious skills.


Whilst he was a touch overbearing and full of himself at the beginning, perhaps even a little sinister at times, that was very much a deliberate ploy of the authors. By the end I absolutely adored him, in fact the way he was smitten with Grace was rather cute. I would even go so far as to describe him as a real sweetie. Grace was just a hoot, her internal monologues totally made the book and had me creasing up more than once. I’m totally jealous that Shannon gets to be her best friend, even if she is only a fictional character.


This is one of those books that you can imagine being made into a movie, and it would be one I’d happily watch again and again. I already know the museum scene would be one of my favourites, definitely “eye catching” at the very least!  One Crazy Bite is also one crazy ride with a super sexy vampire and his not hallucinating plehara. It’s a fantastic read and I thoroughly recommend it.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

One Crazy Bite by Cassandra Faye

Genre – PNR
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54403817-one-crazy-bite

“If you’re going to get stalked, at least make him hot and immortal.”
It’s always nice to feel wanted, but Grace wasn’t exactly looking for a boyfriend. Plus, getting stalked by a super hot vampire who’s invisible to everyone else just makes you look — and feel — crazy.
Not that her mental health is a high priority for the immortal.
Nic says they’re destined to be together. She’s pretty sure he’s a magical figment of her imagination… but he’s not taking no for an answer. He wants her body, her blood, and to make her his forever.
But does he have the magic wand to make her scream ‘yes?’

Review //\\ Paris Promise

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Paris Promise (Orchid Club #6) by Lila Dubois

“Anything worth having is worth fighting for.”

― Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Heaven, Texas

The conclusion to this trilogy was all I wanted and more. Both characters totally redeemed any previous misguided behaviour and, despite a few stumbles along, found their HEA. It wasn’t easy and involved helicopters, a BDSM boat (oops sorry – ship) and the help of one very odd man. There were times I would have happily throat punched Nerio but I had to grudgingly accept that without his *ahem* unusual tactics Vivienne and Solomon may well have NOT gotten their act together, so he’s forgiven.


This was a wonderful mix of BDSM, action and emotion packed scenes. Once started I quite simply didn’t want to put the book down and I also didn’t want the story to end. There wasn’t a single thing I wanted to change about the story and my only wish is that I could read it for the first time again. If you enjoy really good second chance romance, a don’t mind BDSM scenes in the story, then I definitely recommend this trilogy. 

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Paris Promise by Lila Dubois
Genre – BDSM romance
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51905310-paris-promise

Locked away together, they’ll have to decide if love is enough…


…and if they’re willing to promise forever.

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Review //\\ Destruction (Fragile Ties #1)

Louise H2 Comments

Destruction (Fragile Ties #1) by Jennifer Bene

I’m obviously as messed up as Lianne to also fall for David


I have had Destruction sitting on my kindle, waiting to be read for quite some time. Life, arc reading and buying too many books has meant that I just hadn’t gotten around to reading it. However I do know the author is working on completing the second book, so I decided it was time I got myself caught up.


The title is very fitting in so many ways, including the devastation to my soul. This is a pretty dark read, with non-con (albeit it’s enjoyed, but she definitely says no), sadism, violence and what is possibly a healthy dollop of Stockholm Syndrome.


David is an antihero of the first order, doing bad things for misguided reasons. He and Lianne share some very warped but extremely hot chemistry. There are passages that make for uncomfortable reading – because you really shouldn’t be turned on by such depravity but you are. Lianne is very easy to like and connect to, their is a very natural and likeable feel to her character. I disliked David for so much of the book, but that’s because he is written to BE hated, until you don’t.


The writing held my attention, the characters interested me, whilst the plot and suspense was well paced so as to hold my attention. I was huddled in the corner of that dank, concrete cell. I was chained across that thin, worn mattress. The skill of the author put me into the middle of the story, had me screaming in the dark and crying in misery alongside Lianne.


If you’re looking for your next dark erotic read then you’ve found it here.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Title – Destruction (Fragile Ties #1)
Author – Jennifer Bene
Genre – Dark Erotic Romance
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36671520-destruction

Vengeance and destruction are all he has left.
Lianna Mercier has everything. She’s beautiful, well-educated, her father is rich, powerful — and she works for him. The perfect little princess, raised to be just like daddy.
But it’s all a lie.
A bloody, screwed up lie, and David Gethen is about to tear it all down and destroy Lianna in the process. He wants revenge, he wants to finish the plan his father started years ago — but after he takes her, after he tortures her, he begins to realize just how wrong he may have been.

Review //\\ Heartbreaker

Louise HLeave a comment

Heartbreaker (Cocky Hero Club) by Julie Kriss

4.5 stars – I loved this fun, enchanting and sexy little read.

Whilst Heartbreaker may have been a little cheesy and occasionally cliched, it did it in a very endearing and totally made me melt way. The mood it created was the perfect foil to this gentle, uplifting and touching second chance tale, making it an immensely enjoyable read. Mina is smart and cute but has confidence issues, Holden is sexy, caring and determined to earn her forgiveness. I loved them both, despite how eighteen year old Holden’s stupidity had destroyed Mina’s sense of self worth. Slipping into this story is like wrapping yourself in a warm hug


Julie Kriss writes real people, no-one in her books is perfect, or stunning or too amazing for words. Instead her characters could be people you would bump into walking down the street. They feel like friends and I soon find myself invested in their relationship and HEA. Her past stories have captivated me from the very first chapter and kept me entertained throughout.  Heartbreaker easily maintained that record and was very much a read-in-one-sitting book. It’s a low angst story, a lighter read with a fun feel to it and one that easily held my attention throughout.


If you’re looking for a well written romance, light in feel, steamy and with two great characters, then look no further. I recommend trying this one. 

Title – Heartbreaker
Author – Julie Kriss
Genre – Contemporary Romance
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53249048-heartbreaker

Holden Whittaker broke my heart when I was eighteen. What kind of guy stands up his prom date and leaves her hanging, waiting for him to show up? A total jerk, that’s who.
Never mind. I left my tiny nowhere town and moved to New York to follow my dream of becoming an actress.
Ten years later, my dream hasn’t happened, and I’m working as the office supply girl at Morgan Financial Holdings, doing my best to keep my paycheck and not get fired by the world’s most terrifying boss. Life couldn’t get much worse, until I get stuck in an elevator and guess who comes to rescue me? In a city of eight million people, it’s Holden.
Turns out he’s moved to New York, too, to be an EMT. I don’t want to see my teenage nemesis as one of the good guys, but he’s out saving lives every day, and he’s still gorgeous and cocky. I could fall for him all over again, and that’s a problem. Because it’s only a matter of time before Holden crushes me again.
My hometown heartbreaker isn’t the guy I left behind anymore. If I could stop hating him, I might belong with him. The question is, which one of us will get hurt first?