Review: Loose Ends by Lucy Felthouse

Loose Ends by Lucy Felthouse

Publisher: Summerhouse Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

When Jonathan and Lauren met at University, it should have been the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Sadly, it wasn’t to be, and Jonathan became ‘the one that got away.’ Years later, at a University reunion, Jonathan shows up unexpectedly throwing Lauren into turmoil. The pair start talking, and soon all the old feelings come back. But will this time be different, or will their mutual affection continue to be unrequited?



Lily's Review

Loose Ends is a great little read that pulls together all the dirty hopes and wanton desires that I’m sure many people have when they go to School/Uni reunions. The idea of hooking up with ‘the one that got away’ and getting seriously sweaty and naked is just too delicious not to be written about and I am so glad Ms Felthouse, in her ‘get to the point’, incredibly visual and witty style chose to do so.

It’s not a wildly complicated plot, but it doesn’t need to be, the snappy dialogue and the sexual chemistry between Lauren and Jonathan is a page turner in itself. As a reader I got to know Lauren very quickly and could relate to her nervousness, lusty thoughts and ultimately her decisions. I was totally invested in her having a seriously good time and thoroughly enjoyed hanging on for the ride when she did.

Verdict:

A lovely tale that has history and a future with characters who are not strangers, making it all the more believable and emotional when they finally get it together. I wanted more but I was happy with the outcome, it was after all just a peep into Lauren’s life, one very sexy peep on one very hot night of her life.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Always You by Karen Stivali

Always You by Karen Stivali

Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

When Shari discovers that her fiancé has been cheating on her, she lets the wedding go on according to plan. Except while everyone else is at the church, Shari is heading to the airport to fly off on her honeymoon with her best friend, Jon.

Jon is only too happy to help Shari escape what he knew would have been an awful marriage. Plus he’s thrilled by the prospect of time alone with her in a tropical paradise. He’s always loved her, and desired her as a lot more than a friend.

A steamy, romantic night on the beach turns into a whirlwind of desire as they take their friendship to multiple new levels of passion. But when Shari’s apologetic ex tries to win her back, she must choose between the life she thought she was going to have with him and the possibility of love with Jon.



Lily's Review

Always You is the debut novel from Ms Stivali and I have to say what a wonderful fresh new voice in the world of erotic romance. The characters are likeable and believable, the plot flows seamlessly and the sex is smokin’ hot.

When Shari leaves her fiancé but still heads off on her honeymoon, best friend Jon in tow, you just know things are going to get complicated. And right from that very first chapter, hilarious and so the kind of thing that could happen, I just knew I was going to enjoy watching Jon struggle with his love for Shari and Shari struggle with her sudden lust for Jon.

Jon is a great hero, at first I didn’t think of him as wildly sexy, he’s best friend not boyfriend material, but the way the author begins to describe him through Shari’s eyes soon makes you realize that not only is Jon a complete hunk he is also completely bedable. Phew!

I particularly adored the dialogue in this book. It’s witty but with a genuine feel to it. There is nothing jarring and both Shari and Jon act true to themselves. I was completely lost in them and invested in their outcome.

Verdict:

A great read that ticks all the boxes of an erotic romance. This is certainly an author to look out for in the future and if you want sassy, sexy and HEA, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Always You.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Love’s Deceit by Joyee Flynn

Love’s Deceit by Joyee Flynn

Publisher: Silver Publishing
Genre: Alternative Romance

Heat Rating: 4

Blurb

Dimitri Anslow has been in love with Alexander since he came to the warrior camp as a twenty-four year old pre-transition trainee. Fifty years later, he finally has the perfect plan to be with Alexander… at least physically.

After their life changing sex, Alexander tells Dimitri that he doesn't love or want him. Crushed, Dimitri tries everything he can to forget the man, jumping from guy to guy. As Alexander gives him mixed signals, Dimitri tries to come to terms with the fact that his mate may never be his. Can Dimitri move on from the one that owns his heart or is there something worth fighting for?


Lily's Review

Love’s Deceit is a lovely read which you can really get your teeth into – excuse the pun – the story length is long enough to get to know the characters, invest in their happiness and fall happily into the world of vampires and warriors.

Dimitri is a great character and you really feel the strength of his love for Alexander. The pain of having such powerful feelings for someone but not having them returned smokes off the page. I could have cried for him a few times; about how he was used and discarded, how he flitted from one mad sexual encounter to another.
Alexander is how many men are, aloof and confident on the outside, but on the inside confused and just wanting what everyone else wants. I could almost see him standing before me, the descriptions of his sublime physical appearance were so intense.

The vampire/warrior world Ms Flynn creates is very believable, the secondary characters add wealth and depth to the story. The fact that their customs and practices are so ancient heightens the tension and the need, as a reader, to have a happy outcome.

Verdict:

The first book I have read by this author and I am certainly impressed. The voice is smooth and believable, the characters well rounded and the plot flows well. Great job.

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: A Gentleman’s Harlot by Natalie Dae

A Gentleman’s Harlot by Natalie Dae


Publisher: Total E-Bound
Genre: Historical Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

Pearl longs for something more from her staid life. When her friend Frances suggests they become a gentleman’s harlot for the evening, Pearl’s life changes forever.

Pearl feels trapped by society’s rules and longs to let out the wanton woman inside her. Her friend, Frances, secures them a night of work in a gentleman’s club in Whitechapel, London, where Pearl must act like a harlot and wait tables. With the threat of Jack the Ripper too close for comfort, Pearl meets Seth, who makes her feel all kinds of sexual longings.

Seth has heard rumours of Pearl hating him, but he vows to make her love him. He tells her his name is James, and when she arrives at his club to begin work, he knows he will make her his. As he teaches her the act of lovemaking, he’s also hiding two secrets. One, that he is the man she is supposed to hate, and two, that he knows who Jack the Ripper is…


Lily's Review

I completely lost myself in this saucy historical romance. The setting, dialogue and characters transported me to London Town when Jack the Ripper’s crimes were haunting society. However, this is a romance and Ms Dae skillfully weaves a sexy, seductive tale into this tense period in time by creating a heroine you can’t help but sympathize with and ultimately admire, and a hero who you simply have to root for - the way Seth’s thoughts and actions were written in diary style made me feel very close, very intimate with him. It worked incredibly well.

I found myself wishing I was a daring as Pearl, she really shunned what was expected of her and grabbed what she wanted. It was risky, it was daring and ultimately it was very satisfying. The story told the journey of her sexual awakening, at times shocking but in balance sweet and loving.

Seth, or as he’s known to Pearl, James, started off in difficult situation, despite being a gentleman of standing the girl of his dreams doesn’t like him, even though she had never met him. I loved how he worked his way into her life, seducing her, showing her what she wanted and ultimately winning her heart. He was sexy in a completely open hearted, all male, salt of the earth kind of way, until he decided to show his kinky side, and then he became damn sexy with a capital D and a capital S!

Verdict:

A splendidly elegant and unusually written historical which contains all the elements of a great plot, a wonderful love story and a steamy read. As you can always guarantee with Ms Dae’s vivid style your heart strings will be pulled and your breath will be snatched. If you want a book that has a mystery to keep you guessing, allows you to really delve into the minds of both the main characters, understand what they want and what they feel, then A Gentleman’s Harlot is the book for you. I highly recommend it.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: One Thing to Give by Lynn Lafleur

One Thing to Give by Lynn Lafleur


Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

Lindsay Cunningham’s 30th birthday is far from happy. Tired of always being meek, she picks up a man in a bar for a wild night of uninhibited sex.

The night was much more than simply sex for Sam McKeifer. He wants a future with Lindsay. Now he has to convince her the only thing he wants her to give him is her heart.


Lily's Review

One Thing to Give is a great modern romance which really captured my imagination and I read it one sitting. The characters from the outset are engaging and likeable and I adored how Lindsay sat in the bar and plucked up the courage to approach Sam. When she did – Phew! – there were sparks flying and temperatures rocketing.

Sam was a great hero, sexy and vulnerable with a delicious imagination for treating Lindsay’s poor neglected body to some serious steaminess. There one night together was full of surprises and perfectly satisfying. The writing is elegant and flows well, the dialogue punchy and witty and the end will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling.

Verdict:

If you enjoy contemporary erotic romance don’t miss this one. It ticks all the boxes and is a treat for lovers of this author and her straight to the action style. I will certainly be recommending it to friends and may even have to go back and devour the story again myself.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Horsing Around by Sheila Stewart

Horsing Around by Sheila Stewart

Publisher: Breathless Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

Sara Miller needs a real man. One who can give her what she desires - in and out of bed. So far, none have met her expectations. She’s hoping all that will change after submitting her application to Carnal Desire’s internet dating service.

As the owner of several prize-winning horses and more money than he knows what to do with, Andy McDonald has it all. Except for the love a good woman. He’s sick of flighty bimbos wanting only his money and not satisfying his sexual desires. After a friend pressures him into looking online for a woman, Andy gives in and submits his application.

Sex takes on a new twist when Sara and Andy get together and nothing is taboo.


Lily's Review

Horsing Around is the first story in a series by this author, and I have to say, I felt it set up for more books quite nicely. It tells the tale of Sara, unlucky in love and looking for “The One”. She calls upon the help of Mistress Bella who runs Carnal Desires Match-Making Services, and luckily for Sara, she is matched with delectable, but lonely rancher, Andy.

Mistress Bella, who I get the feeling is going to be the consistent character in the series, orchestrates their meeting and dates at her sumptuous hotel designed just for the purpose of couples getting it together.

When Sara and Andy come face to face, Phew!, its explosive. I’m not going to spoil any plot but I will say the sex is hot, the wealth of emotions Sara experiences are told very nicely, and the outcome satisfying. It’s a long enough book to be able to get your teeth into, connect with the characters and invest in the storyline.

Verdict:
An enjoyable read that has me looking forward to seeking out more by this author. If you enjoy love and romance with steamily written sex scenes Horsing Around is a book for you. Dig in and enjoy.

4 Tea Cups!

   

Review: Back on Track by S.E. Holden

Back on Track by S.E. Holden

Publisher: Breathless Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 2

Blurb

Julie and Ray, a young couple, trying to bring some semblance of normalcy back to their lives after the birth of their son, are finding it exceedingly difficult. And while Jayden is the type of child young parents dream about, his arrival has created a potentially devastating rift between his parents. Will their love and commitment to each other be strong enough to bridge that gap and get their intimacy back on track?



Lily's Review

I loved Back on Track. It was one of those books which I read in two sittings. The characters, the plot and the seamless writing were completely addictive and I found myself very quickly invested in the outcome.
Julie and Ray are such an average couple and I am sure many people who are lucky enough to stumble on this book will sympathize with their predicament. I felt the majority of the story was told from Ray’s POV, though I didn’t analyze this, I just enjoyed it. And I loved his emotional turmoil, he knew his feelings were irrational but he just couldn’t help it – his mate, when they are driving along looking at women out exercising, is hilarious, but I won’t spoil that moment for future readers.

Julie, I adored, thank goodness she stuck with him. What they had was too special to throw away. And when the story drew to a close it was with immense satisfaction, and S E Holden really proves how the emotion behind a sex scene is what makes it truly awesome and thoroughly erotic.

Verdict:
If you want a realistic, sexy romance, with feelings, desires and problems you can relate to, pick this one up, you won’t be disappointed. I look forward to reading more by this author.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Prescription for Passion by Jamaica Layne

Prescription for Passion by Jamaica Layne

Publisher: Silver Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 3

Blurb

Joanna Watson and Harlan Wilkinson are married now, and also working together every day at Covington Community Hospital. But the long hours and busy schedules are starting to take their toll on the relationship----they’re both soon finding that married life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. With almost no private time to themselves any longer, Joanna and Harlan search for ways to spice up their sexual relationship on the job.

Meanwhile, the nursing shortage has led Covington Community Hospital to do something it’s never done in its 85-year history----hire a male nurse. Billy Hartzell----a handsome, athletic 22-year-old fresh out of a big-city nursing school----is a fish-out-of-water in small-town Statesville. The young female nurses don’t exactly know what to think of Billy, but the one thing they do know is he’s smoking-hot. Soon, all the single ladies at Covington Community Hospital are jockeying ruthlessly for Billy’s affections. Billy jumps right in, and partakes of the pleasures that are offered him by the flirty young Starla Berring. But in the end, he only has eyes for one nurse in particular----a shy, virginal young woman named Dana.


Lily's Review

Prescription for Passion is a really good book, not only that it’s a long read that gives you the time to sink your teeth into the wonderful characters and invest in their happy ending. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the people and found myself thinking about them when I wasn’t reading - when I was doing my chores and walking the dog - for me this is a sign of a book well thought out and right up my street.

This is the first in the series I’ve read but that didn’t seem to affect my enjoyment. Ms Layne does a nice job of filling in the back story of Harlan and Joanna without making the reader feel like it’s an information dump. I adored reading about these two characters but it was Billy and Dana who really captured my imagination.
Billy was lovely, and bless him, not having much fun on his first nursing job. Dana is a sweet little thing with just the right amount of feistiness to not me a push over. I did think her and Billy fell for one another a little quickly to be believable but hey, I wanted them to get together so it didn’t really matter.

There were a few medical points I wasn’t one hundred percent sure on but being in the UK I am not absolutely certain of US practice so wouldn’t really want to comment. But all in all I got the impression the author knew what she was talking about when it came to writing medical drama. Oh, and did I mention the secondary characters – fabulous in a nasty, scheming way!

Verdict:
Prescription for Passion is a book I would happily pass on to friends. The sex is hot, descriptive and woven with emotion. The plot and characters were fulfilling and the writing elegant. A great read and I look forward to getting my hands on the others in the series.

4 Tea Cups!