A Courtesan’s Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley

Kindle

Genre: Historical Romance

I saw this highly recommend over at Katiebabs place when I was blog hopping during my work breaks. Holy Erotic F Word.  Written in the past and present – I could have done without the side story of Piper. Every one needs to read this books to experience Sir and Ophelia. These authors know how to write erotic love scenes that don’t’ mimic the Spice channel.

A sensuous heart-warming read about a brave woman who wanted to be free to make her own destiny.

Blurb:

Regency London’s most celebrated courtesan, The Blackbird, was a woman before her time—uninhibited, financially independent, and free to live by her own rules. Schooled in the sensual arts by the one man she loved the most, she recorded every wicked detail in her diaries…

When Boston museum curator Piper Chase-Pierpont unearths The Blackbird’s steamy memoirs, she’s aroused

“Say ‘ f*ck.”

Oh heavens. Now he was being truly obscene. I took a breath, determined.” F—“ I took another breath “Fu—“

He grunted a short laugh. “Before the night is over, you will say ‘F*ck my (KC can’t say this word without blushing) with your c*ck.” You will say it over and over again. In fact you will scream it out loud.”

Other Reviews

Katiebabs A-

Nightfall by Ellen Connor

Kindle

I’ve read a lot of mixed reviews on Nightfall, so being the curious reader that I am, I, of course bought it.  AND I really really liked it. I’m such a sucker for end-of-the world, me woman, you man, type of books.  Mason is the kind of dark hero that almost makes me want to have Mr. KC talk mean to me. Almost means never in the KC household. Moving on – I think what stands out the most is the intensity of Jenna and Mason interactions combine that with the creepy dog-like creatures that used to be human and you have yourself a winner in my book. The end gets a little funky but I still think it’s worth a looksie.

“By now, all cell signals have gone down.” Even here.”

“Television station will fail next. Only old analog radios will play, and most likely, by this time next week, we’ll be blanketed in complete radio silence as well…because there won’t be people to man the controls. You wouldn’t believe what it’s like out east right now.” –> I just got chills, people.

Blurb:

Growing up with an unstable, often absent father who preached about the end of the world, Jenna never thought in her wildest nightmares that his predictions would come true. Or that he would have a plan in place to save her-one that includes the strong, stoic man who kidnaps and takes her to a remote cabin in the Pacific Northwest.

The mysterious ex-Marine named Mason owes a life-debt to Jenna’s father. Skilled and steadfast, he’s ready for the prophesied Change, but Jenna proves tough to convince. Until the power grid collapses and mutant dogs attack-vicious things that reek of nature gone wrong.

When five strangers appear, desperate to escape the bloodthirsty packs, Jenna defies her protector and rescues them. As technology fails and the old world falls away, Jenna changes too, forever altered by supernatural forces. To fight for their future, she and Mason must learn to trust their instinctive passion-a flame that will see them through the bitter winter, the endless nights, and the violence of a new Dark Age.

Other Reviews

Hanging With Bells 3.5/5

Smexybooks B+

Yummy Men and Kiss Ass Chicks 2.5/5

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Kindle

Genre Urban Fantasy

#5 Kate Daniels

Ok, I admit, I didn’t think Andrews could suck me in until I read Bookaddict Patti’s review where she mentioned the ‘tension’ was still there between Curran and Kate. There is a killer quote in here in which Curran tells Kate basically why he loves her (whispers) even more than the pack!

He had come for me again.

Curran’s body flowed, snapping into a more humanoid form. He plucked another man from the van, snapped his neck, hurled the broken body aside, and dove into the vehicle. The van rocked. Blood sprayed the windows, someone screamed, and he emerged from the van, bloody, his golden eyes on fire.

I unlocked the door. It swung open and he clenched me to him. I threw my arms around his neck and I kissed him, blood and fur and all.

Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .

Bookaddict Patti 5/5

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Dear Online Diary,

I, book addict that I am, have only read 5 books in the past month (sobs quietly in the corner).  I feel shame, really I do.

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

Kindle

#1 in Elder Races Series

There is not much that rocks our paranormal romance world these days but Dragon Bound managed to do just that.

How can I not heart a book where the main hero calls the heroine a little shit. Can’t wait for book 2 which is due out in August of 2011.

Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful – and passionate – of the Elder races.

As the most feared and respected of the Wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they’ve ignited in each other.

Pia knows she must repay Dragos for her trespass, but refuses to become his slave – although she cannot deny wanting him, body and soul ..

Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan

Genre: Warlord Romance (yes, we made that up)

#1(Best in the Series IMO)

Kindle $6.99

This made our Warlord Lovin list a couple a weeks ago. Man, if you are addicted to Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones you NEED TO READ THIS ONE. It will have you running to Michael’s Craftstore to make your own token and pop a tent.  Ubber awesome warlord romance story.

Blurb:

SHE MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN HER PEOPLE AND HER FREEDOM…

Xylara is the Daughter of the Warrior King, Xyron. With her father dead and her incompetent half-brother on the throne, the kingdom is in danger of falling to the warring Firelanders.

Before she was old enough for a marriage-of-alliance, Xylara was trained as a healer. She can’t usurp her brother or negotiate a peace–but she can heal the brave ones injured in battle.

But not only her countrymen are wounded, and Xylara’s conscience won’t let Firelander warriors die when she can do something to save them. She learns their language and their customs and tries to make them as comfortable as possible, despite their prisoner-of-war status.

She never expects that these deeds, done in good faith, would lead to the handsome and mysterious Firelander Warlord demanding her in exchange for a cease-fire. Xylara knows must trade the life she has always known for the well-being of her people, and so she becomes…

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

Kindle

#10 in Psy-Changeling Series

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Ok, we admit to maybe not liking the past 5 books in this series and…skimming, yes lots of skimming.  That being said since book 1 we have been waiting with waiting online breaths to get our hands on Hawke’s HEA.  Was it worth buying and skimming 9 books, heck yes!  There are a few scenes that’ll really tug on your heart-strings and make you want to pimp slap Hawke for being such an a-hole.

Blurb:

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other’s secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna’s darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…

What’s been  your favorite May/June(ish) read?

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Purchase at Kindle/Amazon

#11 in Immortals After Dark

Genre: Paranormal Romance

515 Pages

To say SHB was excited to read Dreams of Dark Warrior is a vast understatement (think rabid Justin Bieber fangirl). Regin the Radiant was one of the first IAD characters most of us fell in love when we read A Hunger Like No Other.  The last of her kind, Regin the sassy Valkyerie that glows like gold has been avoiding her berserker reincarnation lover for centuries. Cursed some say because of her kiss, Aidan the Fierce always manages to find his ‘Brightling’ but can never manage to stay alive. In Dreams of Dark Warrior we start off with the Order kidnapping beings of the Lore to ride humanity of the evil unnaturals.  Only Aidan the Fierce doesn’t come back quite right. Housed in Declan Chase, second in command of the Order and known for torturing Lore captives; Regin has to find a way for Declan to remember his past memories otherwise serious apocalyptic sh*t will go down.

Dreams of Dark Warrior has probably one of the best prologues I’ve read in a long time. Usually Cole’s IAD characters meet when they are older – Regin meets Aidan when she is 12 where their budding romance spans 9 years until his death.  Ok, that sounds bad; he doesn’t touch her until she is ‘of age’ think Jacob from Twilight peoples.

The bulk of the story takes place on the Island where the Order captures and tortures the Lore. I like how gritty, K. Cole got for this book. This is no light read with hugs and kisses and magic fairy dust; there is torture, vivsection (cut open Lore beings without Anastasia) and betrayal. This could have read really depressing, but this is Kresley  mother effin’ Cole and she knows how to write paranormal romance. If you’ve read the previous book, Demon from the Dark a lot of scenes overlap, but are retold in a keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of way. This is no Bad Moon Rising *coughs Ms. Kenyon*. Although this is 500 plus pages you’ll breeze right through it and ignore all your household chores, your family, and reality until you finish it.

Because SHB couldn’t even put our Kindles down to save quotes; check out some heart breaking quotes from Fiction Vixen’s Review (lump, in my throat!).

Dreams of Dark Warrior is by far one of my favorite IAD books – everything comes together really well and you can tell Kresely Cole loved writing this one.  This is one book that’ll have you staying up past your bed-i-bye time.

Other Reviews

Katiebabs A-

Smexybooks B+

IAD Chat

Who do we think Lotharie’s mate is going to be…..? (Cole confirmed Lotharie’s book is next).  à SBH thinks (her name rhymes with Blurrie)

If you could pick the next IAD book who would it be? à Lanthe and her winged demon torturer

If Cole is only contracted to write four more IAD books who do you think is going to be in the next 3…?

Ulleum and(someone we haven’t met yet)

Lanthie and Thornos

Annaka…? Wow, she like disappeared after book 3 O_o

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Genre: Urban Fantasy

#4 in Fever series (final book)

Pages:594 (don’t worry, it’s a fast read)

Kindle $9.99

We Smokinhotbooks, solemnly swear (on our Kindles) that we did not divulge any spoilers.

Shadowfever IS WORTH THE WAIT. Some of us (ok, moi(s)) maybe sobbed when we read that KMM had pushed the release date to mid January but after reading SH we ask you to bow your head in a moment of silence for it’s awesomeness.

Pink Mac is dead and black, leather, kick-ass Mac 5.0 is here to stay.

We’re back in the battle of Fae versus mankind, Unseelie and Seelie. We begin with the worst day of Mac 5.0 life. IYD (if your dying), aka. the beast is dead, killed by Mac herself, and now she’s alone is the silvers. A murderer.  Lost in her grief, the new Mac is formed and she’s cold, emotionless and will do anything to fix the person she killed. Even if that means teaming up with her sister’s accused murder and the man who facilitated her rape, LM (Darroc).  Her only chance of bringing (who shall not be named) back to life is to find the “book,” Sinsar Dubh.

There’s so much that happened in Shadowfever that when I looked at my kindle and it said i was only 30% through I had to take a knee. Who is/was the beast, Unseelie princes, the Fae Queen, the King’s Concubine, just what the H is Barrons, why is the book attracted to Mac and oh, who Mac really is. There are so many twists and many moments that make you gasp, ‘no effing way’ all your questions are answered in SH.

Who is the Beast

Who did Mac kill at the end of Dreamfever

Who killed Mac’s sister Alina

Who is the 4^th Unseelie prince that participated in making Mac a priya

Where is the King

Where is Christian McKelter

Who is the concubine and why the eff does Mac dream about the White Mansion

I have to hand it to KMM she brought her awesome stick when writing this final book. I like how she weaved in the twists and still left some things a bit of a mystery. I did think, towards the end there were so many ‘OMG moments and twists that it overshadowed what I would have liked Shadowfever to focus on. I wish we could go more into detail, but it might spoil it.  If you’ve been waiting to start this series, now is the time people. Shadowfever is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year (yes it’s only January) and SHB is still reeling after finishing it. I hope to God, we get a spin-off series with the King and his concubine, Ryodan, Christian, and Dani.

What did you think of Shadowfever? If you haven’t read it, do you want to now that we used phrases like awesome stick…?

Dreamfever Review

Other Reviews

Fiction Vixen 5/5

Katiebabs A-

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• Liberating Lacey by Anne Calhoun 5 Star Erotic Romance

Genre: Erotic Romance

Pages: 158

Publisher Ellora’s Cave

Kindle: $9.99

*I believe this book is cheaper if purchased at Ellora’s Cave

I found this book visiting one of my favorite blogs Smexybooks who mentioned it on her addictive (Friday) Top 10 post. When I read ‘favorite erotic romance this year’ I immediately whipped out my iphone Kindle app and hit ‘buy now with one click’ (I swear that thing will bankrupt me). Now, usually when I read ‘older woman…. younger man’ my excitement tends to fizzle and unless I’m peer pressured I don’t tend to read May/Dec romances (my therapist and I are ‘working’ through this issue). Liberating Lacey is a very different kind of erotic romance…

I confess I’ve been a bit bored with my erotica reads lately (I know, I’m broken or something!) and I think its because I want….. more. I want more than just lovin’ and dirty (spells out) s-e-x words and Liberating Lacey has done the impossible and pulled me out of my reading funk.

Do not judge this book by the blurb because it really doesn’t do it justice!

Newly divorced Lacey has put on her revealing going out clothes and is ready to shed her missionary-position -ove life style at hook up club Buff. She shyly bumps into to sexy cop Hunter Green.

“Like what you see?” he asked.

Healthy male musk under the scent of a clean, woodsy cologne remained when he moved back, his green eyes assessing as he waited for her reaction. Despite the cocky arrogance behind them, but rather a challenge.

“Yes,” putting into her smile some of the confidence that served her so well in the brokerage world. “But you must heat that all the time.”

“Not from a woman like you,”

I think why I liked this book so much was the writing style and three-dimensional characters. It didn’t focus so much on Lacey being older than Hunter as a relationship tension builder but more on how the two of them evolved from one sexy encounter against a car (yes, you read that right they have sexy time against a stranger’s SUV) to a relationship.  This author writes male characters REALLY well:

“Honey, you can’t hide class under those f*ck-me clothes”

and contemporary relationship issues between a financially successful woman and a blue collar man. I think one of the more poignant scenes had to be when Hunter was thoughtfully replacing Lacey’s comforter and realized his credit card max limit could barely cover the cost of her comforter. This book intelligently handles the socioeconomic differences (Ah-Ha I knew I would some day use my Sociology degree…in a sentence somewhere) between the two; while keeping you engrossed in the story.

Liberating Lacey is one of those rare erotic romances with a lot of depth and makes me wish for more books out there like this.

Other Reviews

Smexybooks Goodreads 5/5

Katidom A

Smart Bitches B-

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