5 stars

It’s you. It’s always been you.
It’ll always be you. Fuckin’ always.

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HOLY WOW!!!! 

This is easily one of the best books Kristen Ashley has written! I loved every single word in every single scene. From the gorgeously heartfelt romance that made me swoon over and over again, to the thrilling cameos that will have any true KA fan jumping for joy, and the intensely badass showdowns, this was pure Alpha male romance perfection!! 5 STARS!

This is Joker’s book. He was in love from afar with a girl named Carissa in high school, but unfortunately their lives took them in different directions for many years. Carissa married a pretentious and powerful guy who cheated on her and left her alone and pregnant with their son, while Joker escaped his abusive home and joined the brotherhood of the Chaos Motorcycle Club to create a new life for himself.

They met again by chance one day. Carissa was stranded alone on the side of the road with a flat tire and her baby in the back seat when Joker rode up to them and offered to help, effectively entwining their lives once again…

I honestly have to say, KA truly writes all kinds of relationships — be they romantic, of brotherhoods, or just regular friendships — in such a way that you feel the depth of their connection in your heart and soul. The Chaos characters have each others’ backs in a way where you believe they’ll stand by each other come what may. You mess with one of these badass Alphas, you’ve messed with all of them.

And let me tell you, Joker was about as badass and Alpha as you could imagine. This guy was a survivor, a bad boy, a biker, and a fighter, who not only knew how to protect those he cared about, but proved that through his actions he would do so no matter what. He’ll have you swooning in no time — just be a little forgiving of him at the start. He’s swoon-worthy, but like so many of the best heroes, he’s also just a little rough around the edges as well. But in an interesting KA twist, we actually had a scenario here where the girl went after the guy (initially, at least). Don’t get me wrong, he was as badass as they come, but he had a very intense, all consuming case of I’m-not-good-enough-for-her. It wasn’t that he didn’t think of himself as a good guy, it was more that he didn’t think his mannerisms and lifestyle were right for her.

Tack put his forearms on the bar… “Joke, your story to tell when you wanna tell it. Your story to keep if you don’t ever wanna tell. Thought you had secrets. Way you’re holdin’ back with this girl, think I’m wrong. You don’t have secrets. You got demons.” …

“It’s me protecting her, Tack.”
“Against what?”
“Demons.”

They were opposites. He was the rough bad boy, she was the delicate prom queen. But don’t you worry. This girl was strong and badass in her own right and she had no problem showing them just how good they could be together. Gah. It was just so heart-warming seeing them slowly become them.

Once they official got together, their romance was just beyond heart-melting. It was hot and sexy, the banter had me laughing, the way they supported each other in their respective lives made me want to cheer out loud. They were such polar opposites, but I totally loved them as a couple!

“What the fuck are you doin’?” he asked…
“That’s twenty cents,” I returned.
“Hunh?” he grunted.
“Regular curse words are a nickel,” I told him. “Bad curse words are a dime. Everyone knows the f-word is a bad one and since, starting now, you’re paying me every time you curse, that’s twenty cents you owe me… I’ll give it to charity or something. The way you cuss, we’ll probably be able to build a homeless shelter in a week.” 

There’s a lot of drama (naturally) with Carissa’s douchebag ex-husband who seemed to make it his life’s mission to make her miserable. But I absolutely loved seeing the way she didn’t let anything get her down and the way she was willing to go to the ends of the earth to make a good, safe life for her son.

“You created this situation, Aaron… You’re no longer dealing with a girl who lost half her world by the time she was eighteen… You’re dealing with a mother. That’s an entirely different breed. So I’d advise you to change your tactics and your goals. Because your current fight is a fight there is no way in hell you can win.”

Gah. There was just so much heart and soul behind each one of the conversations in this book. Didn’t matter who it was between. It just hit so deep each time. Quite literally delivering all the feels!!!!

“I’m in love with your ex-wife,” he returned, no amusement in his voice… “I’ve loved her since high school, man. She means everything to me. You gotta drag her down, that’ll suck, but I’ll pick her back up. You gotta rip her apart, I’ll fuckin’ hate watchin’ it, but I’ll put her back together… But know this, in the end, it’s gonna be me and her.”

Among the many heart-melting things in this book was little baby Travis’ gleeful obsession with Joker (and Joker’s beard). Let me tell you: big Alpha biker + baby (that isn’t even his but that he loves openly and completely and accepts as his own without question) = PURE SWOON!!!!

Joker sauntered right past me.
And he did this to go straight to Big Petey.
And he did this so he could firmly pull Travis from Pete’s arms, lift him so they were face to fact, and ask, “How goes it, kid?”
Taking that in, I suddenly had trouble breathing.
Travis screamed with glee and latched on with both hands to Joker’s beard.

And HOLY KA REUNION TIME!!! If you’re a long-time KA fan, you’ll be thrilled to know that this book is chock-full of the most badass cameos you can imagine. Here’s an idea… there is a scene with Joker, Tack, Hawk Delgado, Mitch Lawson, Brock Lucas, Lee Nightingale, Luke Stark, Hank Nightingale, Hector Chaves, Shy, Hop, and a special appearance from Knight all together! Holyyyyyy badass!!!!! This was badass upon badass. I mean each one of these guys is an epic badass in their own right, but all of them coming together like that was just………. *fans self* almost more epic than I could handle! Plus, other amazing characters we’ve come to love like Elvira, Tyra, Indy, and more are present in the book as well.

At one look, I saw Elvira wasn’t feeling upset about a mother done wrong.
She was just flat furious.
“Your man’s got T-minus a month to sort that jackass, then I’m settin’ Hawk on him,” she warned.

Ohhh and guys, make a note of this. There’s a very specific line right near the very end of Chapter 20 that literally represents everything a KA Alpha really is. Seriously. I read it and just got chills and immediately tears sprang to my eyes. It’s a line from Knight and I’m not quoting it here because just trust me, it’ll have more impact if you read it in the context he says it in but yeah… make note. I read it over and over again — just this one little line — and each time I read it, I got shivers. That one simply line to me is  the very reason why Kristen Ashley is the unparalleled queen of Alpha male romance.

This book was such a smooth read. Each scene just flowed right into the next. There were no good stopping points. It was just the kind of book where I started reading but then suddenly looked up four hours later barely noticing how much time had gone by. And luckily, KA is not known for her short novels so there is enough goodness to last you a long time! Honestly though, I read this book as slowly as I could because I didn’t want it to end and I tried to make the awesomeness last as long as humanly possible.

As I’m sure you can tell by the 37 other reviews (holy shit!!!) I’ve written of Kristen Ashley’s books, I’m a huge fan of her writing. Something about the way she writes, the characters she creates, and the stories she tells is just magical to me. If you’re new to her writing just click here for a full and very detailed  list of all her books (separated into series) and my personal suggestions as to the order they should be read in.

From start to finish, this book kept my heart racing. I couldn’t stop smiling and swooning and just feeling everything that happened with all my heart and soul. It was a super-charged badass, romantic thrill ride and I loved every single word. KA rocks my world!!!

Rating: 5 stars!! Contemporary Adult romance.

• Purchase RIDE STEADY (Kindle)
• Purchase RIDE STEADY (Paperback)

______________________________________________

*** FULL “CHAOS” SERIES ***
This series is a spin-off of the Dream Man series (specifically, the last book in that series) so while you can read this series, or any of these books, alone it is still recommended to read everything in order for the full emotional impact.

Book #1 — OWN THE WIND (Shy & Tabby)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Buy in Audiobook | Read my Review

Book #2 — FIRE INSIDE (Hop & Lanie)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Buy in Audiobook | Read my Review

Book #3 — RIDE STEADY (Joker & Carissa)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Buy in Audiobook | Read my Review

Book #4 — WALK THROUGH FIRE (High & Millie)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

“I know it’s against session rules, but I’m fucking dyin’ to kiss you.”

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I loved everything about this book!! It was sexy, addictive, and kept my heart racing from beginning to end! This is one of my top favorites of the year! 5 STARS!!

It’s a story about “a strong-minded prison tutor who discovers that her sexy bad-boy student is far more than he appears to be…” — C’mon, tell me you don’t just want to drop everything to read that!! 😀

From the moment I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it! That gorgeous cover and blurb called to me. I just knew this would be a story I’d adore and I was right because…. I LOVED IT!!!!!

And, from the moment I started reading, I was captivated and completely drawn into the story.

Wesley James Carter had been in and out of jail since he was a kid, accumulating a rap sheet several pages long and a reputation as the prison bad boy. Now, at twenty-seven years old, he was doing time again but what few people knew was that he didn’t commit the crime he was jailed for. Needless to say, his cocky, arrogant, reckless attitude made him the “poster boy for rebellious deviants” and that was how the world saw — and judged — him. His tattoos and buzz cut and fuck-with-me-if-you-dare aura just solidifying his image. In reality though, there was so much more to this guy than met the eye…

Kat Lane was haunted by the memory of her father’s brutal murder by street thugs when she was just twelve years old. She’d been there that night and were it not for a mysterious boy whose face she never saw who pulled her away from the scene and hid her, she would have met the same fate. Now, at twenty-five years old, she was facing her fears head on by tutoring inmates at a prison. And her newest student was none other than than Wesley Carter.

“She had no idea what it was about him. He was, after all, just like the other men she taught. Well, that wasn’t exactly true; he was a lot more combative and exceedingly more aggressive and — she winced at the thought — a lot more attractive, too. She tried hard not to see him in any other way than as her student, but it was too hard to ignore the man who drove her crazy…

As scared as she was when he’d flung the desk at the wall during her class, she’d been unable to tear her eyes from him, watching with fascination as the beast inside him roared. He was animalistic and, for that brief time, utterly uncaged.”

Carter had essentially been forced to take on extra classes in an effort to help him get early parole, and Kat had no choice but to include the cocky inmate in her lessons. But it soon became clear that a classroom environment wouldn’t work for him and so began their one-on-one lessons… a place that allowed them to both get to know each other on a much deeper level without the constant scrutiny of the outside world.

“And why should I be scared of you?”

He moved forward in his seat… “You should be scared,” he murmured. “I’ve done thing that would make your pretty little head spin, and, you being this close” — he gestured between them — “well, let’s just say… it just makes me want to be bad all over again.”

The more they got to know each other, the more Carter revealed his true nature — he was very well read, well educated, and highly intelligent, not to mention he had a very good heart. They were drawn to each other on a very deep level but with the strict non-fraternization policy of the prison in place, they had no choice but to hide their growing feelings for one another.

“She watched the ire in his eyes dim and his strong, large chest began to slow. He swallowed hard and Kat stared at his Adams apple bobbing at the front of his throat. She shook her head free of the inappropriate thoughts entering it. Not least, the one where her tongue traveled the length of the black neck tattoo that was teasing her mercilessly. She wondered how far down his body it went…”

Ohhhhhh how I love forbidden romances!!! This was a deliciously slow build that teased the intensity of their connection along with the thrill of having to keep it a secret. All the subtle but intense glances, the flirtatious banter, and even just a brush of the hand became supercharged with this sizzling chemistry that made my heart race! It was an intoxicating mix of danger, desire, and forbidden temptation.

“Carter stared at Jack, silently accepting the line that lay between himself and his tutor. As blurred as it had become, he knew he couldn’t cross it. He knew he shouldn’t cross it.

The silent question that hung between them was whether he had the strength to remember that or, rules be damned, cross it anyway.”

Once Carter was released, we also got to see much more about his real life which again both surprised an intrigued me to see how a guy like him ended up where he was. His past was heart breaking but I am so strongly drawn to broken, tortured heroes. I fall for them every time and I certainly fell hard for him.

And let me just say…. I will never look at an Oreo the same way again! *fans self*

I loved seeing them get to know each other outside the constraints of the prison walls. They were still bound by their working relationship, but granted more freedoms. It allowed them more room to be playful and flirtatious even though they still had to keep them true feelings hidden.

I was smiling, laughing, swooooooooning. My heart was fluttering as I hung off of every word I read.

“Is everything all right, Miss Lane.”

The two of them startled at Mrs. Latham’s voice. Carter blinked, realizing how close they’d been standing to each other.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She told the old woman, who was eyeing Carter. He smirked.

“I heard a scream.” She adjusted her glasses.

“Yeah,” Carter interrupted. “That was me. I saw a spider. Fucking huge. I’m terrified of them. Kat saved me.”

He flashed her his trademark smile to seal the deal.

This book just had a *spark* to it. I don’t know how to describe it better. There are good stories, and there are well written stories, but the best ones just have this extra spark to them that, for me, is that almost magical quality that turns them into top favorite reads. This book absolutely had the SPARK!!

The sexual tension between Carter and Kat just rolled off the page!! I mean… wow!!!

“Can I tell you something?”

Kat could do nothing but nod. Carter’s stare prowled down her face, coming to a dead stop at her mouth.

“I really, really, really want to kiss you right now.”

“Cart—“

“I know I shouldn’t, and I don’t usually kiss, but, fuck, I want to.” He trailed his thumb across her mouth. “I want to find out what your top lip tastes like,” He licked his own. “And then compare it to the bottom.” He exhaled. “I’m desperate to know if your tongue tastes of peaches.”

**** SWOOOOOON ****

Oh, and this….

“Carter,” she whispered again, in one final attempt to stop what she knew in her heart was inevitable. “We can’t do this.”

“I know,” he answered, cupping the side of her face. He tilted his head, his mouth a luscious whisper across the edge of hers. “Just one taste. Just one. That’s all I want.”

And then his lips pressed against hers.

Gah. LOVE THAT!!

And not only did they have to keep their relationship hidden because of her work, they also faced extreme judgment on all sides — her family just saw Carter as a worthless criminal. They couldn’t see past his label. It didn’t matter how he felt about Kat, or what kind of person he actually was, it didn’t even matter how much money he had, all they saw was his criminal past. But I loved that Kat looked right past his labels and just saw him. I loved the way she stood up for what she felt and I loved the way he didn’t let people walk all over him just because he went to prison.  I loved the message that not every criminal is a bad man. And not every free person deserves their freedom.

Carter let his nose touch the tip of hers. “I’m not a good person, Kat —“

“Bullshit.” She turned in his arms.

Before he could argue, Kat pressed on. “You saved my life.” She traced his lips with the tips of her fingers. “Don’t ever tell me you’re not good.”

Honestly, I have absolutely no complaints about this book. Not one. It had a gorgeous (and unique!!) love story, beautiful writing, and had a fully resolved ending. There was no ‘stupid drama’ at all. Everything that happened made complete sense and I respected/understood everything that both Carter and Kat did every step of the way. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes, but even their mistakes were understandable and realistic. To be completely blunt, I think it’s the sign of a very strong author when they’re able to write a 450 page book without a single thing in it that makes my eyes roll, lol.

I felt this story! The emotions, the romance, the pure raw sexiness, the desire, the complications of their position, the forbidden nature of their love, the depth of their feelings for each other, I felt it all.

“I want you,” he murmured into her ear, before placing another kiss in the hollow behind her ear. “God help me, I don’t care if it’s against the rules. I want you so fucking much.”

Many readers have asked me about this book’s origins as fan fiction so I just wanted to explain that here. Back when Twilight was first released, it inspired a lot of authors (who weren’t already authors) to begin writing. So they came up with completely unique stories (that had nothing to do with Twilight) but used the Edward/Bella names. They just completely changed everything else about them. Those developed over time into what could be a full book (or series). Just like how Fifty Shades was originally a TwiFic called Master Of The Universe (with Edward & Bella instead of Christian & Ana). Many of those were so popular and unique that they’ve now become independently or traditionally published novels (of course, with now changed names). A few examples are Fifty Shades, Bad Romeo, Wallbanger, Clipped Wings, Beautiful Bastard, Seduction & Snacks, Sempre, Poughkeepsie, and so many more. The books that resulted from these fanfictions are a HUGE part of what started the reading craze that brought so many readers back into reading. I personally love them! And A Pound Of Flesh is absolutely one of my new top favorites!

This can easily be read as standalone. It has a resolved ending, with a gorgeous epilogue, so no cliffhanger! There will be a follow-up novella later in the year though for readers who want ‘more’ and the next book in the series will be about Carter’s best friend Max, so a totally different couple. But you don’t have to wait to read this. A Pound Of Flesh is essentially a complete story, or standalone.

And one more time (because a lot of you have asked), he’s 27 and she’s 25. There’s nothing taboo about their relationship, it’s only forbidden because of her work. There is no cheating and no cliffhanger.

Bottom line, I absolutely LOVED this book! It was perfect to me. The thrill of the forbidden romance kept my heart racing the whole way through. I could not stop reading! If you love sexy bad boy heroes and unique love stories that’ll make you swoon, you have to read this and meet Wes Carter!

Rating: 5 stars. Contemporary NA/Adult romance. Can be a standalone.

• Buy A POUND OF FLESH (Kindle)
• Buy A POUND OF FLESH (Paperback)

__________________________________

*** FULL SERIES ***

A POUND OF FLESH — full length novel
(Carter & Kat. Can be a standalone. Resolved ending, no cliffhanger.)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback

LOVE AND ALWAYS — novella
(Carter & Kat. Follow-up story.)
Pre-order for Kindle | Not in Paperback

AN OUNCE OF HOPE — full length novel
(Max & Grace. Spin-off standalone.)
Pre-order for Kindle | Pre-order in Paperback

FATE AND FOREVER — novella
Pre-order for Kindle

A MEASURE OF FATE — full length novel
Pre-order for Kindle

“Whatever it is, let’s figure it out together. Let’s find a way through it… You’re safe with me. I promise.”

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SQUEE!!!! I’m in LOVE with this trilogy!!

This is the first book of a complete trilogy (how exciting is that — all the books are out!!!) and I read it in one non-stop sitting. My heart was RACING from the first chapter and I literally could not stop smiling!! It’s an erotic contemporary romance (with BDSM). The hero was a SWOONY world famous movie star who was also a sexual Dominant… and he fell in love with a young teacher he ran into at a park one day, who had sworn off sex after a scarring experience in her past. So, these two were total opposites but their CHEMISTRY was off-the-charts and this story was about them trying to make a relationship work. The dialogue was GOLD and I honestly loved EVERYTHING about this book. Total BOOK HEAVEN!!!

“Join Flynn and Natalie as their story unfolds in three full-length books. From New York to Los Angeles, from Hollywood to Las Vegas, their whirlwind love affair has it all — romance, passion, steamy hot sex, relentless paparazzi and a murder that could be their undoing…”

Ok I need to explain why exactly I loved this so much. The main reason (apart from the fantastic writing) was honestly the structure of the story. To be really blunt, there was absolutely no stupidity from either character ever and all the drama came from sources external to the relationship. That’s such an important thing for me! Don’t get me wrong, they had issues to overcome, but I felt like I could understand where they both were coming from every step of the way. Their concerns all felt valid and I respected the way they dealt with their problems. There is absolutely angst and drama but it came from things like relentless paparazzi and not from miscommunication. Gah. THIS is the kind of story I most love reading!

Apart from that, I also felt like I believed them falling in love with each other.  Yes, you could argue that their feelings grew quickly, but I personally really do believe that when you meet the right person you just know. So why not act on it? Even though they had instant chemistry, I actually loved the way Flynn never ever ever rushed Natalie into anything she wasn’t ready for. Even before he knew her secrets, and the real reason she didn’t want sex, he still respected her and was willing to wait until she was ready for it.

“He laughs and takes hold of my free hand. I love the easy, casual way he does that, as if we’ve been holding hands forever. It feels natural to me, like my hand belongs wrapped in his.”

Speaking of Natalie. A few things I immediately loved about her: she had strong boundaries and wasn’t going to budge just because a man made her swoon, she was smart (like telling her friend exactly where she was going on her first date with Flynn and not just automatically trusting him because he was hot and famous), and even though she’d been through a lot in her life she was such a strong character. I loved her!

You know when you literally can’t stop smiling as you read because of how awesome the story is?? That’s exactly what happened here.

Oh, and Flynn made me swooooooon!!! He was immediately captivated by her and wanted to get to know her better. He worked so hard to gain her trust and put her at ease in his world. He was gentle, kind and considerate… charming and totally heart melting. This guy rode a motorcycle like a bad boy but cleaned up sharp in a tux on the red carpet. He was this gorgeous, world famous movie star to the outside world, but in private he was just this down-to-earth, all-round good guy …. and also a dirty talking Dominant who was stepping completely outside of his world and lifestyle to be with this woman who he was falling completely in love with. You just got the feeling off him that he’d go to the ends of the earth to protect her. Pure swoon and hotness!! He was impossible not to fall in love with!! YOU HAVE TO MEET HIM!!!

“The more time I spend with her, the more I want her. I want her to be mine. It doesn’t matter that I might not be good for her. I can be someone different for her. I’ll be anyone she needs me to be if it means I get to have her in my life.”

The dialogue was smart and witty! I loved the way both Flynn and Natalie handled their growing relationship. I feel like they asked all the right questions, had all the reasonable fears and doubts, but also took understandable risks to follow their hearts. It felt very realistic despite it’s almost fairy-tale nature.

I was so relieved by how open and honest Flynn and Natalie were with each other. They each had secrets in their pasts that they weren’t yet ready to share but they just came right out and openly admitted that too!! What a welcome relief! No secrecy or lies, just two people falling in love and trying to make it work.

OMG and there was some hilarious stuff in there too!! Natalie has this old dog named Fluff who  hated Flynn’s guts. That’s actually how they met… she was walking Fluff and fell, then Fluff bit Flynn but I’ll just let you read that for yourself cuz it was so fun!! But LOL, the scenes with this little hateful (but adorable) dog VS this charming movie star who was trying to win her over were just too funny!!!

He leans in so he’s nose to nose with Fluff. “Get used to me. I’m not going away.”
She replies by showing the ten teeth she has left and growling again.

This is an erotic romance but I loved that the story did not revolve around the sex.  The heart of the story was them and the sex complimented the story, but it was not the center of it. Every scene drove the story forward and was (in some way) character building. THIS is how a strong erotic romance should be!

And holy freaking hotness!!! Much of the story feels vanilla because he’s trying to make her comfortable and move at her pace but we do see glimpses of his world in his dreams and ohhhhh my is it HOT!!!!

Despite the fact that being a Dom was such a strong part of who he was as a person, Flynn was endlessly  patient with Natalie — never once pushing her outside of her comfort zone. I loved the way he constantly reassured her that nothing she could tell him about her would change the way he felt about her — THAT is the foundation of a solid relationship. Yet another thing that impressed me so much in this book.

He gathers me in even closer to him, his arms tight around me, and all I feel is loved and protected…. “We’re going to figure this out together. One day at a time, one step at a time. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. I’m in this so deep, Nat.”

Ohhhhhh and it got intense towards the ending!!!! But can I just say how much I appreciated that the cliffhanger wasn’t drama between them but rather something that happened to them. Again, LOVED that!

I’d definitely recommend this for fans of Fifty Shades and Love Unscripted (with maybe a dash of The Original Sinners mixed in). I’m absolutely loving the trilogy and am planning to read all three books back to back. I mean, I feel like this review is just a giant list of things I loved about this book but I honestly don’t have even one single complaint to make. This book  just had everything I love it in. It had amazing writing, a gripping story, characters I fell in love with and respected, and a romance that made my heart melt. I read it cover to cover in one sitting and can’t wait to go right on and read the next one immediately.

If you’re looking for sexy, swoony, and utterly addictive series to fall in love with, try this!!

Rating: 5 stars!! Erotic contemporary romance.

PS: I apologize if there are any typos, I don’t think I’ve ever written a review this fast before but I just really desperately want to go on to the next book so… I typed as quick as I could. Hehe.

• Buy VIRTUOUS (Kindle)
• Buy VIRTUOUS (Paperback)

______________________

*** FULL TRILOGY READING ORDER ***

Note: all the books are already out, all about the same couple.

Book #1 — VIRTUOUS (Flynn & Natalie)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my review

Book #2 — VALOROUS (Flynn & Natalie)
Buy in Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my review

Book #3 — VICTORIOUS (Flynn & Natalie)
Buy in Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my review

Spin-off Book #4 — RAPTUROUS (Hayden & Addison)
Pre-order in Kindle

“You are mine. No matter what happens between us, that will never change. I knew, the first time you looked up at me with those amazing eyes… I knew you were mine.”

• Buy VALOROUS (Kindle)
• Buy VALOROUS (Paperback)

Woohooo!!! I’m totally addicted to this trilogy!!

Be sure that you’ve read Book #1 Virtuous (read my review) before you read this book! This is a complete trilogy with all the books already released and all about same couple so you have to read them in order!

“Join Flynn and Natalie as their story unfolds in three full-length books. From New York to Los Angeles, from Hollywood to Las Vegas, their whirlwind love affair has it all — romance, passion, steamy hot sex, relentless paparazzi and a murder that could be their undoing…”

The story is a romance between a young school teacher, Natalie, and the world’s most famous movie star, Flynn. They’ve already come so far since the first book — she was a woman who’d forged a new identity for herself to escape her painful past and she’d sworn to never sleep with any man who she wasn’t married to, and he was as opposite as you get — a sexual Dominant who’d publicly stated that he would never get married again after his disasterous first marriage. But love changes people… and Natalie and Flynn fell so hard for each other that it made them reconsider everything that they’d feared from their pasts.

So this book begins right in the aftermath of the events that ended book one…. with Natalie reeling in shock and Flynn desperately trying to be there and support her in anyway he could.

When the details of Natalie’s past came into the light, even though my heart broke for her, I honestly just felt so proud of the way she’d chosen to handle it and fight back. I mean, wow! What an incredible strong girl (and now woman)!! I know she’s just a fictional character but goddamnit, I was proud of her!

Flynn was there for her every single step of the way — protecting her, reassuring her, showing her through every single one of his actions that he loved her and would do anything in his power to help her. What they were going through wasn’t easy, but I loved the way they supported each other. This was the ultimate example of showing, not telling, which (to me) is extraordinarily important part of telling a strong story.

His chest has become my favorite place to lay my head, and wrapped up by his embrace, I find my happy place. Even in the midst of my worst nightmare, I feel safe and loved because of him.

And OHHHHH THE FEELS!!!! I felt them all!!! I loved the way the whole Quantum team and the Godfrey family backed Flynn and Natalie through their ordeal. Talk about heart-warming!

I could honestly cry from happiness over finding a series like this with such a functional couple who genuinely are trying their hardest to work together to create a strong, solid relationship based on trust and surrounded by their love for each other. THIS is the kind of story I most love reading. Where even the bad things just bring them even closer together as they support each other in facing their troubles. LOVE IT!!

Fluff, Natalie’s tiny little dog, continued her hilariously hateful attacks on Flynn. Heehee!

I’m greeted by a snarl and a bark that remind me we’re not completely alone. “Fluff, you and I need to come to an understanding.”

The little brat shows me her pathetic fangs.

But of course, there’s one secret left that they haven’t yet dealt with…. and that’s Flynn’s Dominant side. While he is willing to sacrifice that lifestyle to be with the woman he loves, it’s still a huge part of who he is. He’s being vanilla for her out of love. Knowing all the details of her traumatic past, the last thing he’d ever want to do would be to trigger a memory… but it’s still a sacrifice he’s making for her. It’s in his nature to be dominant, but he just loves Natalie enough to try to be exactly what she needs at the moment until she’s ready to be with all of who he really is. And I have no doubt we’ll see all of that in the next book!

It had come down to a choice — her or the lifestyle. I’d chosen her. I’d choose her every time. I need her more. It’s that simple. She’s everything I didn’t know I needed until she literally slammed into me and turned my life upside down….

My inner dominant hovers on the razor’s edge, wanting to break free and take what’s mine. I want to own her, possess her, rule her. I want every part of her, and I want her to surrender to me in every possible way.

But more than all of that, I want her to never be afraid of me, so I suppress my driving natural inclinations and give her the softness, the sweetness, and the love she needs and deserves.

I have to say, this book was even hotter than the last. And it just kept getting hotter and hotter!!! I’ve had a few people ask me so I’ll just state here that there is no cheating and no triangles at all in this story. The drama has all come from sources entirely external to the relationship. It’s just them. And IT IS HOT!

Now, because I know that someone is probably going to comment on this at some point, I’m going to address it outright: YES, this whole romance is a total whirlwind. Was it a little fast by “normal” standards? Suuuure. Was it a little over-the-top at times? Yup. But more importantly… who cares?? This is escapism. It’s fantasy. It’s thrilling, heart-racing, belly-fluttering romance and I just loved it. I didn’t over think it. I just went with it and escaped into this truly addictive story that just swept me away.

Oh, and one more random thing — I really loved the way that Flynn wouldn’t let their jobs keep them apart. It was SUCH an incredibly welcome relief to see couples not allow distance and personal pursuits to come between them and instead found ways to always stay together and follow their dreams.

The ending was a total cliffhanger but the next book is available (YAY!!) so I’m starting it right away. But the important thing really is that, even though I’m desperate to start the next one, it’s more because I’m just incredibly excited to see what happens next, not because I’m fearing what will happen next. Yes, the ending was both a misunderstanding and a mistake — but it was clearly one made out of love and since both Natalie and Flynn are very level headed and since they both clearly love each other so deeply, I have total faith that they’ll get through this just like they’ve gotten through everything — together.

Seriously… What a fantastically ADDICTIVE and thrilling series. And like I said, oh-my is it ever HOT!!!! Can I just say how totally awesome it is to literally have the entire trilogy available at once so that you can read straight through all the books with no stopping!! This is pure BOOK HEAVEN!!

If you’re a fan of Fifty Shades, Love Unscripted, and/or Crossfire, then you HAVE to read these!!!!

• Buy VALOROUS (Kindle)
• Buy VALOROUS (Paperback)

PS: again with this review, I’ve written it way faster than I usually write them because I just literally don’t want to stop reading so I apologize if there are typos. I’ll fix them after I’m done the series!

______________________

*** FULL TRILOGY READING ORDER ***

Note: all the books are already out, all about the same couple.

Book #1 — VIRTUOUS (Flynn & Natalie)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my review

Book #2 — VALOROUS (Flynn & Natalie)
Buy in Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my review

Book #3 — VICTORIOUS (Flynn & Natalie)
Buy in Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my review

Spin-off Book #4 — RAPTUROUS (Hayden & Addison)
Pre-order in Kindle

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Natalie. Nothing at all.”

• Buy VICTORIOUS (Kindle)
• Buy VICTORIOUS (Paperback)

Holy WOW!!! What an incredible trilogy!!!

I’ve read all three books in three days and loved every minute of the reading experience! I think it’s safe to call this series scorching hot and unputdownable!!  This is definitely a top favorite of the year!

So this book was the third in this amazing trilogy and it concluded Flynn and Natalie’s story beautifully! If you’re new to the Quantum Trilogy, be sure to read #1 Virtuous (my review) and #2 Valorous (my review) first and definititely check out my reviews if you want to see more about the start of the story too!

This one begins right where the last one left off. Now that Natalie knows all of Flynn’s secrets — about his Dominant side and the BDSM lifestyle that he was willing to sacrifice for her — she’s both curious and intrigued. And now it’s up to him to show her everything his world has to offer.

And let me tell you…. IT. IS. HOT.

I mean holy freaking hotness, I fanned myself for pages on end!!! This is an erotic romance so we get all the details and oh my gosh, just WOW!!! But — I want to say that the most important part of it for me, and the thing that I felt strengthened the series as a whole, was that it was always the love story that was at the center and focus of every single scene. This is truly an example of how erotic romance should be. The sex is mind-blowingly hot, but it always serves to drive the story forward in some way, or to strengthen the relationship between the main couple. I was beyond impressed with the way it was written.

“People don’t understand that it’s not all about the sex. It’s much more about the emotion. When two people are fully invested in a scene, it can be the most intensely emotional experience you’ll ever have — and that’s before anyone has sex.” He cups my face and slides his thumb over my cheekbone. “That’s magnified a thousand times when you’re in a scene with someone you love.”

It is such a rare and precious thing to find a story with a couple as truly functional as Flynn and Natalie. Both of them were very level-headed people with their hearts in the right place. They came from polar opposite worlds and were falling in love with each other despite all their differences. And yes, they each made mistakes and there were miscommunications but it was done in such realistic way that I felt like I could always understand where they were coming from, and I was always thrilled at the way they chose to resolve their issues.

In my last review I mentioned that yes, their romance is definitely (and quite possibly unrealistically) fast paced and a fantastical in it’s nature (not that it couldn’t happen because I honestly do believe in this kind of love where you just know when you’ve met the right person) but its just still all just a bit of a fairy tale. Yes, there’s oodles and oodles of sex but it’s an erotic romance — that is to be expected! To me, this is just meant to be a story that sweeps you away, that you escape into, and just enjoy and revel in. And for me, I found the way that Flynn and Natalie acted throughout the whole story was what made this story feel so real. The way they worked together to create a relationship in open, honest, communicative ways made it so that I couldn’t help but respect and understand their choices every step of the way.

Just on a personal note, I really loved beyond all words the way they came right out and said that no matter what would happen between them, they agreed to never walk away from each other, and always agree to work through their issues together. By making it so that their relationship was never at stake, it gave them a safety net within which to genuinely learn to trust each other. I have endless respect for the author for choosing to create such a story in this manner. Vast endless oceans of respect.

“Can we promise each other to never walk away when the going gets tough? That we’ll stay together and work it out no matter what it is?”

This is really the book where everything gets laid out — its about pushing past the last boundaries and testing all the limits. I don’t want to give anything away, but I’ll just say that it was both HOT and full of intensity and emotions. I really genuinely loved it!

I flew through these books. If I hadn’t stopped to review them, I probably would have just read straight  through without any stopping at all. They were an absolute romantic thrill ride from start to finish. My heart never stopped racing and I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. I highly recommend them!!

To clarify a few things that I mentioned in previous reviews: there is no cheating, no triangle, no stupid drama. All three books are out and it is a complete story about the same couple. It’s hot, erotic BDSM romance. And I’d most highly recommend it for fans of Fifty Shades, Love Unscripted, and Crossfire.

Series rating: 5 STARS!!! Erotic contemporary romance.

• Buy VICTORIOUS (Kindle)
• Buy VICTORIOUS (Paperback)

______________________

*** FULL TRILOGY READING ORDER ***

Note: all the books are already out, all about the same couple.

Book #1 — VIRTUOUS (Flynn & Natalie)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my review

Book #2 — VALOROUS (Flynn & Natalie)
Buy in Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my review

Book #3 — VICTORIOUS (Flynn & Natalie)
Buy in Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my review

Spin-off Book #4 — RAPTUROUS (Hayden & Addison)
Pre-order in Kindle

“I want to own you.”
“You already do.”

• Buy THE ANGEL (Kindle)
• Buy THE ANGEL (Paperback)

OMG. OMG!!! So, I read this book right after The Siren and and holyyy hell, it was fucking BRILLIANT!!! Gah. Wow. Ok, I did love the first book but now I seriously GET why so many of you absolutely L.O.V.E. this series. I get it. The feels. THE FEELS!!! Holy intensity!!!! I have tears in my eyes, my heart is racing and full to bursting. Ahhhh!! Yes, a few scenes definitely had me going WhatTheFuckDidIJustRead?! but that’s all part of the thrill. This may not be a romance series, but my gosh is there ever LOVE on such a strong level. And LAYERS. Layers upon layers to this intricate story. I’m in pure awe. This is 5 STARS!!!

Note: this is not a standalone. You must read The Siren (my review) first. I’m going to keep this review pretty much spoiler-free so anyone can read it but naturally it’ll make more sense after reading The Siren.

The first page of this book alone hooked me right into the story! Ha!! This book is just so bold and I love it!! I have so many quotes highlighted (they’re all at the bottom of the review though).

I’d spent most of the first book eyeing Søren warily, but I did really start to warm up to him in the beginning of this book especially. Sadist or no, there was no doubt that he genuinely loved Nora. But juuuuuuust when I started to think that maybe I could join #TeamSøren, he did something to her that, in his defence, she totally was okay with, but made my insides shrivel up into a little ball while my poor mind was just like WTFJustHappened?! Did I really read that?!  So… that put me back on the fence with him. Ish. The thing is that I do really like him. He’s an infinitely complex character that I truly believe is one of the good guys… but, I’m still rooting for Wesley (and I have from the start). Gah, I’m so rooting for Wesley even though a part of me fears it could never work out between him and Nora. Still, I harbor a secret hope!

There’s a very fine line in my opinion between being a monster and being a sadist. Søren is a sadist — he becomes sexually aroused by causing pain to others. Soren doesn’t ever take what isn’t willingly given to him, and he’s extraordinarily careful to stay within the boundaries of his submissive’s wishes. That is what separates him… but that damn line is just so fine that the whole thing relies purely on trust and even though I like him, it does make me uncomfortable that he has to cause pain to get aroused.

The story in this book begins with Søren’s position at the church coming under scrutiny as he’s considered for a promotion and so, to avoid any questioning, he sends Nora away to the countryside to spend time at Griffin’s mansion. And he also sends Michael with her (a young, troubled sub who we met in The Siren and who was such an amazing character!) to train him over the summer months.

I find the whole lack of jealousy between Søren and Nora fascinating. He’ll literally tell her to go  sleep with someone else, but it won’t bother him at all because he knows full well that she belongs to him and his heart belongs to her. It’s this incredibly strong commitment mixed with equally strong detachment.

Haha I definitely went through a lot of ups and downs and conflicting emotions and questioning the characters and myself and how I felt about various things but ultimately I just LOVED the story!

Griffin was totally awesome! I liked him from the first book even though we’d just seen him briefly but he really shone here! I totally fell for his playful, informal nature. He was the charming, kinky bad boy of the Underground and the whole storyline with Michael totally made me swoooooon!! What intensity and beauty there was there!! And that scene at the end where Griffin had that big confrontation and all those things to you know who…. OMG!! Bad ass!!! I highlighted endlessly! It was GOLD.

This book had a ton of reveals about Nora and Søren’s pasts. Holy crap is Søren history ever messed up. Like… shockingly, disturbingly, heart-breakingly so.  But learning it has made me understand him more. Oh and we got to see more of Kingsley (YAY!) and the little bits that we’ve seen have me desperate to know more about him. Like, the wrist thing? Ahhh, I can’t wait for more of his character!

And you know I’ve been rooting for  Wes from the start but after that scene at 75%, I just…. OMG. Oh. Em. Gee. Gah. I know, I know, I know that Søren loves Nora too but the way Wesley loves her just tugs each and every one of my heart strings!!!!! I’m sorry #TeamSoren, I get that you all love him (and I like him too, I really do) but I’m #TeamWesley all the way!!! Especially after that scene. THAT SCENE!!!!! I mean really…. First — PURE FUCKING AMAZING WRITING!!! Second — holy intensity!!! Third — I seriously can’t handle those feels. I can’t. Dammit. SO MANY FEELS!!!!! And just… I LOVE WESLEY!!!!!! *sob*

And I just want to point out that Wes is the only guy that Nora has actually shown real jealousy for. No one else in their world (including her) seems to even have the jealousy gene (heh) but even the mere suggestion of Wes being with someone else  made her heart hurt. There’s something there, people!!

That being said, I’m kind of rooting for everyone honestly. I don’t think there’s a single character I’ve met yet that I didn’t like so … I’m rooting for everyone to find their happy ending 🙂

I want to note that I’m generally very wary of religion in books because so often it feels a little “preachy”, but I really want to applaud this author for the way she has incorporated this huge religious aspect into this series in a way that only ever seems like she’s showing us what the characters’ beliefs are and that’s it. I think she’s handled it very tastefully and it’s something I’ve been really impressed with overall.

This is such a richly layered story. Yes, it’s extremely erotic but the beauty of it is that each sex scene only serves to support the story or drive it forward. And not only are these extremely graphic and sensual scenes extremely well written, but they always serve a purpose. In my opinion, this is erotica done right.

And I stand by what I said earlier that this is not a romance series but oh my holy heavens is there ever some of the deepest, strongest, most intense LOVE I’ve ever read. It’s just gorgeous!

In so many ways this series is literally the opposite of what I’d usually read or even recommend on my blog but this seems to be the exception to every one of my rules because I am absolutely LOVING this story. If you have any worries holding you back from starting it, I’d honestly suggest not overthinking it. Just dive right in and let the story show you what it is. It might not be for you, but if you remain very open minded and accepting, you might fall in love with it too! I’d say it’s definitely worth a shot!

I, for one, am beyond addicted to this series and will be starting the next book right away!

Rating: 5 STARS!! Contemporary erotica.

• Buy THE ANGEL (Kindle)
• Buy THE ANGEL (Paperback)

*** SERIES READING ORDER ***

Click the titles or covers to purchase.

 

*** FAVORITE QUOTES ***

Note: I “hid” these in a spoiler tag but they are NOT spoilers. I only hid them because there are a lot and I thought it would be annoying to just have them out there. Have a look if you want, it’s perfectly safe 🙂

• Buy THE ANGEL (Kindle)
• Buy THE ANGEL (Paperback)