4 stars

Book Review — Defenseless by Corinne Michaels

January 18, 2016 by Aestas · 10 Comments

My life is a secret.
His life is dangerous.
We’re both stubborn, calculating, and controlling.

Mark Dixon doesn’t know what he’s getting into. He doesn’t know his games could cost us our lives. I have to do what is necessary to keep us alive, and that means guarding my heart. But I know I’m defenseless against him, and in the end, he’ll force me to surrender.

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If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, Defenseless is definitely a book you should be checking out this year! After reading Consolation & Conviction last year, I fell in love with Corinne Michael’s writing — her stories are addictive, fast-paced, and absorbing — so naturally, I just had to read this as well!

Defenseless is a sexy contemporary romance about an undercover spy heroine and a Navy SEAL hero teaming up to work a mission together to take down a big bad guy who has caused a lot of pain to people they love… and all the while, they slowly fall in love. The fun thing about their dynamic was that they were BOTH strong, stubborn, badass, dominant, and highly trained in their respective fields. These two operatives went toe-to-toe on everything and more-often-than-not ended up butting heads along the way resulting in some pretty fun and hilarious banter heavily laced with the sexual tension and sizzling chemistry that anyone could see they shared. While she desperately tried to not get involved with him, he was equally relentless in his efforts to convince her to give them a shot. Needless to say, the combination of these two together was… explosive! It was Alpha guy meets Alpha girl. No surrender.

“Sounds like we’re going on a mission.”
“The only mission is us.”
“And what are the risks?”
“That you’ll fall in love with me.”
“Is that so?”
I laugh as his arms tighten. “Yeah, I’d say the chances are high.”
I peer at him from the side. “I’m not so sure.”
“I never fail.”

Admittedly though, I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with the romantic suspense genre in novels. For some reason, I sometimes find the mystery side of things harder to follow in books (which is weird considering that all my most favorite shows are the ultra-tactical badass action ones like Strike Back and 24). So it always takes me just a little longer than usually to get ‘into’ these types of books. So, I did find the beginning a little slower, but once I really got into the swing of things, I was IN. Fully invested.

This story is told in alternating first-person POVs between Charlie and Mark. It swaps back and forth every chapter and I found the transitions smooth. It’s also pretty evenly balanced between the romance and suspense sides of the story. There’s a strong romance storyline (full details, no fade-to-black, lot of steam, swoon, and all-out sexiness) at the heart of the story, but there’s also an intricate and suspenseful mystery going on as they try to figure out who these bad guys are and how to track them down.

“Sometimes the lie is safer than the truth.”
“I’ll protect you. Do you believe that?”
“Mark.” I can barely speak. I know he wants to think he can, but there are some things even he can’t stop. Instead of letting me finish, he takes me into his arms.
“I can live with your lies. As long as you don’t lie to me.”

And intersperced throughout this all is that awesome banter I was talking about earlier!

“You know you can’t resist me.”
“Is that so?”
“I rev your engine, baby. I speak your language. I’m your weapon of choice.”
“Oh, Jesus. You need a shrink.”

Teehee!!

After the 75% (ish) mark, things definitely picked up speed in a major way and I’m pretty sure I read the whole rest of the book after that point without putting it down even for a minute. No blinking!

I’m thrown to the ground and Mark rushes to cover me.
Always protecting me, giving me his body as a shield.
This is love. He’s the guy who will take the bullet. The guy I’ve dreamt of being with.

Luckily, this book has a fully resolved ending! Unlike her previous books, this is a standalone so you do get a complete story within this one book. It’s fun, sexy, suspenseful, and romantic! A really great read!

“I’m not a man who easily throws things away. Even when this house is falling apart, I’ll find a way to fix her.”
“Her?”
The intensity in his eyes softens, “I’ve learned women are usually the ones that give me the most headaches. This house definitely fits the bill. So, she’s a chick. A giant pain in the ass woman who drives me bat shit crazy, yet makes me need her at the same time. Sound familiar?”
I burst out laughing. “I don’t know what the hell I see in you.”
“Humor, good looks, sex appeal, the fact that I have a big dick probably helps. I mean, really, the choices are endless.”
My eyes widen as I listen to his self-proclaimed attributes. “Perhaps the big dick helps.”
“Yeah.” He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me flush against him. “Feel free to tell me how much you love my ginormous dick anytime…”

*snort* LOL!

While this can easily be read as a standalone, it’s also interconnected with this author’s previous books. The author has structured it well so that if you read this separately, you won’t be lost. The deal is that all the heroes work together… so their characters do cross over at times along with interconnecting elements. However, if you haven’t read any of the other books, you’ll get things filled in. So it’s totally up to you how you want to read them. Personally, I’ve read Consolation/Conviction, but not Beloved/Beholden.

Bottom line is that this was a sexy and suspenseful romance that was equally hot and intense, with a strong, stubborn, badass couple falling in love in the midst of chaos!

“Shhh,” he murmurs. His lips press against mine. “You can keep fighting as much as you want, but so will I. And I fight to the end.”
“Why me?” I ask…
“Because no one else sees through your lies. No one has ever tried. You’re worth everything hiding behind those blue eyes.”

Rating: 4+ stars!! Contemporary romantic suspense standalone.

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Book Review — The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

January 2, 2016 by Aestas · 11 Comments

“It’s never just a painting.”

So I’m going to be honest and say that I’m rather shocked that a) I read this, and b) I really liked it! This was a completely random book choice for me. Prior to yesterday, it wasn’t even on my reading radar. But when I read the blurb, I was intrigued by the dual storyline and decided to try a few pages… and then, even though on so many levels it’s just not my kind of book, I read it straight through to the very end!

It helped that another one of this author’s books, Me Before You (Read My Review) is one of my all-time favorites and I’ve been meaning to try more of her books for a while so that was a huge part of why I decided to try this one. Actually, this book would make a great Book Club read if anyone’s looking for something like that — there are so many possible interesting discussion topics within the story.

The genre is fully Women’s Fiction (not a Romance at all). The storyline alternated between the past in World War 1, and the present day — giving two sides of the same story which revolves around a painting. Here’s the official blurb:

“… a spellbinding story of two women united in their fight for what they love most.

Paris, 1916. Sophie Lefèvre must keep her family safe while her adored husband, Édouard, fights at the front. When their town falls to the Germans in the midst of World War I, Sophie is forced to serve them every evening at her hotel. From the moment the new Kommandant sets eyes on Sophie’s portrait—painted by her artist husband—a dangerous obsession is born, one that will lead Sophie to make a dark and terrible decision. Almost a century later, Sophie’s portrait hangs in the home of Liv Halston, a wedding gift from her young husband before his sudden death. After a chance encounter reveals the portrait’s true worth, a battle begins over its troubled history and Liv’s world is turned upside all over again.”

The first 35% of the story is about Sophie, the woman in the painting called “The Girl You Left Behind”. Living in a small German-occupied French village during World War 1, she does her best to survive and keep her family safe. Her character fascinated me. She was a sharp, intelligent, fearless woman who was like this calm point amid the brutality and chaos surrounding her. I loved reading about her.

I was utterly captivated by this part of the story. Even though I’m generally not a fan of historical romance, I find myself always drawn to wartime books. I find the bravery, resilience, and strength of the characters who go through it (and hopefully survive) compelling and deeply admirable.

The second part of the story, beginning after 35%, takes us to the present day and focuses on Liv, a widow who is now in possession of “The Girl You Left Behind” painting — a honeymoon present from her late husband who purchased it on a street from a woman who had no interest in keeping it. When she invites the man she’s dating home, he sees the painting and her life is turned on end. He recognizes it and his company is tasked with reuniting families affected by the war with their rightful possessions which had often been stolen or looted. Thus begins an ugly court case fighting literally over who actually had the legal right to own this painting — which at this point, is worth millions. The family just wants it for the money (not that they’d admit that), Liv doesn’t care about the money, she has a deep connection to the painting and also wants it as a memory of her husband — she genuinely loves it. In order to prove that she has the rights to own it, she has to dig through the past and find out what really happened to Sophie, and how the painting could possibly have actually ended up with her after all these years…

OK. This is the point that shocked me. I’m not an art person at all — like really, zero interest. And I rarely read anything other than romance. I also wouldn’t personally ever contest anyone over any painting. And yet here I was absorbed in a book literally centered around the ownership of a painting. It was such an odd, almost alternate reality moment for me. I felt totally out of my element, and yet quite enjoyed it.

My only complaint is that I didn’t connect strongly with the present-day storyline, especially at first. Maybe I was just so ‘into’ the WW1 storyline that I didn’t want to leave it yet at 35% but something about the way the present was written seemed a little ‘bland’ in contrast to the vivid imagery of the past… I just wasn’t as invested. From about 35 — 53%, it dragged a little for me and I honestly borderline skimmed… But then it picked up and from about 53% to the end, it was quite good. Also it helped that around 70%, we went back to the past and got to see more of what happened then — I loved that!

While I don’t want to give too much away, I will say that the story has a very satisfying ending — especially for a Fiction novel. One of the reasons I’m wary of reading non-Romance books is that they don’t always have endings that are satisfying enough for me. But this one genuinely tied up all the loose ends.

For rating, I’d give the “past” story 4.5 stars, and the “present” story 3.5 stars… so that would round the overall rating to 4 stars for me. In complete honesty, this isn’t a ‘drop-everything-to-read-it’ book (at least, in my opinion), but it was still quite good and I enjoyed it! Check it out if you’re curious!

Rating: 4 stars. Women’s Fiction standalone.

Looking for some other Women’s Fiction genre favorites of mine? Here are some:

Book Review — Until You by Jeannie Moon

December 22, 2015 by Aestas · 4 Comments

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I picked this book up randomly last night because I was drawn to the premise and I started reading the first few pages out of curiosity and never stopped until the very end! It’s safe to say that I enjoyed it and was quite invested in these characters’ story which was a sweet, heart-warming romance about a forty year old heroine who just got out of an ugly marriage, and a famous, sexy (younger) professional hockey player who fell head over heels for her and made it his mission to prove to her that she was the only one for him…

Before anything, here’s the official blurb:

When newly divorced Kate Adams is approached on the sunny deck of a California hotel by hockey star David Burke, and he invites her to dinner, she almost says no. He’s obviously younger than her. And charming. And drop dead gorgeous. But there’s also something sweet about David, so Kate—who hasn’t done anything spontaneous in a very long time—accepts his invitation.

It is, after all, her fortieth birthday.

However, a real romance with thirty-year-old David, whose picture is in the gossip pages as often as it’s in the sports pages, is out of the question. No matter how much she wants him, it’s just too risky.
But meeting Kate has been David’s lightning strike. She’s the one for him, and he has no intention of giving up on her.

So while Kate guards her fragile heart, David sets out to win her over with the same determination that drives him on the ice.

And he’ll break every rule in the book if he has to.

David is one of those special book heroes whose pure devotion to the heroine is downright heart melting. I really loved his character and admired how far he was willing to go to prove to her that she was the only one he wanted… forever. I really liked that he was perfectly willing to admit when he made a mistake and had no problems going to any lengths to make up for it. I also appreciated that despite his playboy past, his devotion to Kate was never once brought into question. It was plain to see that she was it for him. All he had to do was convince her of that too.

What had started as a bet, and was supposed to be a simple one-night stand, had become much more. This woman mattered to him. At some point, David had stopped thinking about himself and started thinking about her. Her vulnerability, her openness, her intelligence were at the heart of what he felt, but there was more. It was the way they connected.

They understood each other.

Having spent the last ten years married to a manipulative, cunning, controlling and at times abusive husband, Kate naturally was extraordinarily wary about trusting anyone — let alone a famous hockey star who was known for leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. While there were times when I got frustrated with the way she kept pushing David away, the more you read, the more you saw why her trust was so broken. I did sometimes get frustrated with the way she wouldn’t trust him, but at the same time, I could see where she was coming from. And I really liked that she was very successful career-wise and stable on her own. Even though he was this famous sports star, it was almost a situation of him being out of his league with her instead of the other way around which made for a really interesting dynamic.

David was falling for her, and his biggest fear [was] that he wouldn’t measure up. He had to make sure he did everything right. He had no room for error with a woman who’d been through so much.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. Admittedly, I found it a little cheesy in places but at the same time, I feel like it was so heart-warming that I just kind of made a decision that I just would accept it for what it was without judgement. It’s fairly predictable too, but I dunno… sometimes you just need this kind of book, y’know? It was a romance that made my tummy flutter and I swooned and cared for the characters so all in all, I was happy.

“I’m trying to figure out why you’re upset.”

Oh, my God! David, I’m ten years older than you. I have a seventeen-year-old daughter!”

He casually sat on the edge of a desk and put his jacket on the desk next to him.

“You don’t want to date a younger man?”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“No. Not seeing you again bothers me a lot more.”

The only thing that I definitely feel would have improved the book was the inclusion of sex scenes. Given that this was a legit Adult romance, I felt like it was a little out of place to have fade-to-black bedroom scenes. However, I still bought David and Kate’s relationship and connection. I believed in them. It was clear how much they both cared for each other and I really enjoyed watching them slowly build trust.

Up until now, he’d kept the women in his life at arm’s length, but not her. Kate, he wanted to draw in, keep close. He couldn’t explain it, but as she held onto him, it was like she grabbed onto a piece of his heart and he knew he was never getting it back.

The story is told in third person but also in a way that gave both David and Kate’s perspectives so you really did get both sides of the complete story. While most of the book is focused on David and Kate’s growing relationship, there is also considerable attention to Kate’s home life. She has a seventeen-year-old daughter with whom she had a strained relationship thanks to her ex-husband’s manipulative nature. So that’s another big part of the story. This wasn’t just about romance, it was also about finding self-worth, the strength to stand up for yourself, and the value of family.

It reads as a complete full length standalone so you get the whole story in one fell swoop with no waiting. It’s a fairly long novel of 400+ pages, but I read it in one evening and really enjoyed it!

Rating: 4 stars. Standalone contemporary romance.

Buy UNTIL YOU (Kindle)
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Book Review — Act Like It by Lucy Parker

December 10, 2015 by Aestas · 11 Comments

This just in: romance takes center stage as West End theatre’s Richard Troy steps out with none other than castmate Elaine Graham.

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Oh my gosh, what a fun book! 😀

The whole idea of stage actors starting a fake relationship and then falling in love intrigued me, but as soon as I started reading, I fell in love with the writing. It was smart, sassy, oh-so-witty and even downright hilarious in places. I laughed out loud countless times, and loved the light-hearted vibe of this romance! With it’s feisty heroine, grouchy-but-loveable hero, and unlikely love story, this was a winner!

The fun thing was that the hero and heroine actually started out almost hating each other (or, at the very least, you could say that they barely tolerated each others’ presence). But they were both famous stage actors and due to various circumstances, their management teams ‘suggested’ (you know, the kind of suggestion where you really don’t have a choice and you’d better just smile and say ‘yes’) that they fake a romantic relationship for publicity’s sake. Despite their rocky start, things between them slowwwly began to turn into something real as they both found that they’d perhaps been a little quick to judge each other.

I loved that there was no insta-love (not that I have a particular issue with insta-love at all in books, but the drawn out romance in this book made much more sense for their situation.

Had she just admitted to finding Richard sexy? She wondered when to expect the remaining signs of the apocalypse.

To be honest, prior to reading this, I was in a bit of a book funk and not quite sure which book would fit my current mood. So I decided to play a little of what I like to call Reader Roulette, which is where I try the first 3 pages of a bunch of books and see which one sparks my interest. When I opened this book it ‘had’ me by the end of page one. I loved this author’s particular writing style. Her sense of humor, and comedic timing is totally on point with what I love and as soon as I saw that, I knew I had to read this.

Lainie, the heroine, was strong, hilarious and full of sass. I loved her and I’m pretty sure any reader would love her too. On the flip side, our hero, Richard, came off entitled asshole at first. He was sexy, rich, famous, and talented, but always managed to grace the weekly tabloids with his antics (much to his managers’ displeasure). So they came up with the perfect plan. The bad boy of theater would publicly date the stage’s sweetheart and the world would be perfect again. Or so they thought… Lainie refused. Flatly. Not even to save her career would she agree to pretend date him… but then they made her an offer she couldn’t refuse that benefitted a charity dear to her heart and for that, she’d make herself put up with him.

“A photographer is circling.” The theatrical agent looked them up and down critically, exactly as if she were a parent grooming her children for their school pictures… “In a moment, I want you to put your arm around her, and say something into her ear. You look up at him and laugh. Then kiss her. A peck. Playful. Affectionate.”

“This is not a sitcom,” she snapped. “I am not going to mindlessly giggle and pucker on cue. We agreed to attend events and hold hands. Done and done.”

“No,” [her agent] said with barely leashed temper… “You agreed to foster a certain impression… Which is not being fulfilled by the two of you standing three feet apart, glowering at one another. Only the most diehard romantic and the clinically brain-dead would be seeing hearts and flowers.”

Seriously you guys, I was laughing out loud every couple pages in the first half of the book. This author seems to share my exact sense of humor. I highlighted so many quotes!!! And it was just so much pure fun to see Lainie and Richard go from completely rubbing each other the wrong way to slowly falling in love.

“And what words of wisdom did he offer?”

“He told me to grow a spine and get over it.”

That startled a laugh from Rachel. “He doesn’t beat around the bush, does he?”

“He bulldozes right over the bush.”

I have to admit that the more I found out about Richard, the more I liked him. In his defence, he was never a mean asshole, he just had zero tolerance for bullshit, and about as much tact as a brick wall. To be honest though, I kinda could see where he was coming from in many cases. There’s no doubt that he wasn’t the Prince Charming hero type. Rather, he was the guy more likely to be cast as the villain of the show — but I’ve always found myself drawn to flawed characters so I really liked him! (I was mentally picturing him as a cross between Ian Somerhalder and that Hook dude from Once Upon A Time)

She stilled. “Your — what?”

His jaw worked as he looked down at her. “My…” Suddenly, he released her hands and cupped her face, bringing her up on her tiptoes and her mouth to his. His kiss was forceful and demanding… “Mine,” he said. “Just mine.”

Pulling back to take a much-needed breath, she rested her hands on his chest. “There’s a distinct scent of eau de caveman around here.”

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I did find the first half to be a bit stronger than the second half though (I’d give the first half 4.5 stars, and the second half 4 stars) but my issue with the second half was more to do with the editing than the writing. But I was having such a great time reading this story that honestly any of the little things just didn’t matter to me. What mattered was I loved the writing, was smiling non-stop, and was generally having a totally awesome time reading this book.

It’s told in third person but you do still kinda see both sides of the story. It’s mostly told in a forward moving timeline. I’ve been asked about this and I’d probably consider it a New Adult-ish book in terms of steam — there’s sex, but it’s not that graphic. This is more of a witty than steamy read though. And it’s also lovely that it’s a standalone so the complete story is wrapped up by the end.

If you’re looking for a fun new romance that’ll put a smile on your face as you read, definitely try this!!

Rating: 4 — 4.5 stars. Standalone romance.

Buy ACT LIKE IT (Kindle)

Book Review — When I Was Yours by Samantha Towle

November 6, 2015 by Aestas · 2 Comments

“Please don’t give up on me… on us.”

From the moment I read the blurb, I knew I had to read this book because I NEEDED ANSWERS!!!! I desperately wanted to know what had happened to this couple. Why were they torn apart? What would happen to them once they got back together? I read this book in one non-stop sitting because I just didn’t want to stop reading! Needless to say, after finishing it, I got all the answers and really enjoyed the book!!

Here’s the blurb. Once you read it, I’m sure you’ll understand exactly why I wanted to read this book…

“Marry me.”
“What?” I stared back at him, unblinking.
He moved closer, taking my face in his hands. “I love you, Evie. I look into the future, and the only thing I see clearly is you. Marry me.”

What’s an eighteen-year-old girl who was madly in love with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend say?

Of course, I said yes.

Twenty-four hours later, I married Adam Gunner at a Vegas chapel to the sounds of “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. Not the best omen. I get that now.

Then, exactly one week later, I left him. I walked out, leaving behind my wedding ring, annulment papers, and my heart, and he never knew why.

I haven’t seen him since. Not in ten long years.

Now, he’s here, standing before me. Looking at me with nothing but hurt and hatred in his eyes, he wants answers.

Answers I can’t give.

I wanted those answers too!!!

Because of the nature of this storyline, there’s very little I can tell you without giving anything away. The story is told is alternating POVs and it goes back and forth between the past when they first met and fell in love, and the present day which is a decade later when they meet for the first time since she left him.

If you’ve read many second chance romances, I’ll be honest and tell you that this one is pretty predictable. I correctly guessed the reason she left quite early on and the driving force to the book was more (for me) about seeing their reunion than actually getting answers. I guess I wished that her reason had been something more… different?… but I don’t always read to be surprised. As long as the journey with the characters is well-written and I feel connected to them, then I’m happy — and this book did have that. I really enjoyed Adam and Evie’s story from their beautiful start, through the pain of their separation, and into the healing of their reunion, even though admittedly, there were definitely times when I was frustrated with them both. That being said, what they’d each gone through respectively was really rough so I do try to be a little understanding of what reactions people might have during extreme circumstances.

Because of the way the past and present storylines are entwined, these characters are constantly going through something — whether it’s the anticipation over them meeting, or the swoon of first love, or the pain and confusion of betrayal, or the anger and longing of finally being reunited, the pent up tension that the separation built, or the love that never stopped even throughout all the pain…

“I knew I wasn’t over her — I’d have to be stupid to ever think I was — but I didn’t realize how badly I’d want her again. The urge to touch her and taste her was overwhelming. Just breathing the same air as her was fucking killing me. Standing there, staring at her, I was eighteen all over again…

I never could get enough of her. And no matter what she’s done to me, whether I love her or hate her, I will always want her.”

Rating: 4 stars. Standalone romance.

Book Review — The Play by Karina Halle

November 4, 2015 by Aestas · 17 Comments

“Do your tattoos tell a story?” I manage to ask.

He keeps on staring, completely unreadable. Then he looks down at his arm and it flexes beautifully. “Everything tells a story.”

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I read this book in one sitting and loved it! It was a heart-warming, sexy romance featuring a swoony yet damaged Alpha hero with a painful past and a heart of gold, and a feisty, free-spirited heroine who he fell in love with. If you’re looking for a great new read, definitely give this one a shot!

The story is about Kayla who is seriously tired of dating and sleeping around for fun. Her friends have all settled down, she hasn’t met the one and so she decided to take a vow of celibacy. But the vow is cut short when she meets Lachlan, a smokin’ hot Scottish rugby player who is everything she ever dreamed of. He’s tall, tatted, broody and mysterious, but also very kind-hearted with a soft spot for rescuing stray dogs. But he’s reluctant to open up to anyone, making it hard for her to get to know him more.

“It isn’t until the two of them are thrown together one long, unforgettable night that Kayla realizes there is so much more to this brooding macho man than what meets the eye. But even with sparks flying between the two, Lachlan can’t stay in America forever. Now, Kayla has to decide whether to uproot her whole life and chance it all on someone she barely knows or risk getting burned once again.”

“Why the hell did I have to meet this beast, this superman, who blows my mind in the bedroom, mows down rugby players for a living, rescues helpless animals, looks like a fucking god, and just happens to cook, just before he has to leave?”

I’m such a fan of the “opposites attract” kinds of romance and there’s no doubt that Kayla and Lahlan were about as opposite as could be. She’d grown up in a loving family, his had abandoned him. She was loud and outspoken, he was quiet and mysterious. She literally had no filter, he kept so much private. And yet… they just ‘clicked’ together, each somehow bringing out the best in each other.

At 432 pages, this is a fairly long book, but it flows very smoothly and even though I originally just intended to read a few chapters yesterday evening, I actually ended up reading the whole book in one sitting because I got lost in the story and just didn’t want to stop reading.

There’s very little drama, no cheating or triangles, it’s more just focused on some big life choices and hurdles to get through for both of them separately and together as a couple. I really enjoyed the writing style, I swooned over the romance, and felt very invested in their story. It’s sexy, hot, and steamy, but also well balanced with a forward moving plot, and loads of swoony feels.

I clear my throat, trying to act cool. “So, am I your girlfriend or what?”

He grins at me. “You’re my girlfriend. My girl. My woman. And I’m all yours.”

“My man,” I say, kissing the stubble on his cheek. “My beast.” I pause. “My sex slave.”

“Bloody right I am,” he says before kissing me so deeply that it steals my breath away.

This can be read as a complete standalone novel. It is slightly interconnected with the previous two books (see below) but you can definitely read this without reading the other two. Basically, the only difference is that if you’ve read the other two books, you’ll be fully aware of her friends’ stories, and if you haven’t read them then her friends will just be random side characters to you. But knowing their stories doesn’t help appreciate this one so it’s really completely up to you and you’ll be fine either way.

Now, the final thing to mention is the author is very generously donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book to animal charities this week only (first week of release). Charities include Best Friends Animal Society, Battersea Dogs & Cats, Bad Rap, ASPCA and others that focus on rescues, adoption and fostering for dogs and cats. Right now, this book is priced at $2.99 with $1.00 from each sale being donated. Next week, price will go up to $4.99. So if you’re planning to read this book, get your copy now and help contribute towards the animal charity donations 🙂