4 Smooches

Synopsis

Lucas Fournier is only serious about one thing: hockey. The league’s fun-loving charmer, Luc is always up for a good prank or a great lay, and he has no intention of settling down. But being traded to the Carolina Cold Fury—and to play alongside his big brother, Max—is no joke. With another title in sight, the last thing Luc wants is to let his new teammates down. To succeed, Luc will need to keep his head in the game and the most . . . er, demanding member of his anatomy in check. But when temptation hits, Luc hits back harder.

Museum curator Stephanie Frazier has always put business before pleasure, which just about explains her nonexistent sex life. But when Stephanie meets Luc at a champagne-fueled gala, she finds herself flirting like crazy—and going home with the uninhibited athlete. For one night, she learns what passion is all about. She just never counted on the little surprise Luc leaves behind. And that’s when things really start to get . . . interesting.

Review

Who doesn’t love a hot hockey player . . . or a whole team of them. I was initially intrigued by this series because it is based in Raleigh, NC, my hometown. But with each new release it is the characters, their love for the sport and their love for their women that keep me coming back.

Like a lot of stories in this romance series, while it’s clear from the start the attraction is there for Lucas and Stephanie it takes some trials and tribulations for these two to fully admit what they mean to each other. We are eight books into this series and the beauty is that none of these books feel formulaic. They are each their own unique and exciting story and each differs greatly from the one before. Yet, as a whole they read as a cohesive series. I love how close this team is and even more so how some friendships among the players are closer than others. It feels true to the nature of a sports team and I love it.

Lucas was a great read on a Saturday afternoon and I am so excited for Van’s story next!

~miranda

4 Smooches

Syopsis

Control.
For Nathan Alexander it’s not an option. It’s a way of life.
As an attorney he defends the defenseless. But, when the suit comes off and the gloves go on, he finds his passion is teaching others to defend themselves. His life was purposefully methodical. Completely under control. Just the way he likes it. Until Emma McClain stumbles into his gym. Battered. Broken. And utterly breathtaking.

After his last relationship, Alex swore he’d never give another woman the power to hurt him. But with her unforgettable smile and killer legs, Emma has him fighting for control.

Will he be able to save her before it’s too late? Or will an unexpected revelation cost them both the ultimate price?

**Author’s note: Contains intense and emotional depictions of abuse. Please do not read lightly.

Review

Emma is in a relationship that is so killing her on the inside. Consumed by guilt and every aspect of her life being controlled by her abusive boyfriend, Emma sees no way out. Alex is trying to pick up the pieces of his broken heart but it just isn’t working, that is until Emma walks into his life. Alex wants to be her knight in shinning armour and rescue the beautiful Emma from the lonely and sad life she is living. But will Alex be able to win her over and rescue her? Will Emma be able to trust and let someone in? Or will the obstacles in their path be too much and keep them apart for good? 

“To the world, I have my shit together. On the inside, I’m falling apart.”

This was a very emotional and intense read about two broken people trying to overcome the huge obstacles in their path and find love again. It kept you hooked with each page and had me wanting to reach into the story to help Alex save Emma! 

“And the world around us completely stills, as if the universe is taking its own personal moment of silence at the desecration of one of its angels. Or maybe that’s just how it seems because all I can see is her, all I can hear is her, all that exists is her and her utter brokenness.”

Alex was indeed the perfect gentleman- he was the epitome of a white knight in shinning armour, helping to save our beautiful and kind Emma not only from her abusive partner but also herself. I loved how careful and patient he was with her and you could just feel how much he loved her and wanted/needed her. Emma might seem weak to some, but her strength to carry on despite what she is dealing with is so admirable. She never truly gives up on hope or herself, and she knows deep down she deserves so much more. I really liked how real Emma was and instantly felt a connection.

“So, you see, he might be a monster now. But he was once a human being, a kind, gentle human being. I did this. I stole his soul and made him the man he is. So, I have no right to hate him. I created him.”     

The plot was captivating and there were some real moments of not knowing if things were going to work out between them. It was romantic and beautiful and sad all at the same time. Their chemistry was electric and their connection was truly beautiful. They really were perfect for each other and each understood what the other needed. The drama of Emma’s ex added some tension and suspense to the story but overall this was just a love story of two people trying to heal themselves and each other.

“Love isn’t always beautiful. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s complicated. Sometimes it’s senseless and even a little f*****g crazy. You’ll wake up some mornings and you’ll want to quit. But you won’t. You can’t. Because even when it feels like you’re wandering through the forest, you still manage to find yourself. Alive. Redeemed. And you can’t go back to the way you were.”

~Bethany

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4 Smooches

Synopsis

Meet the most wanted players in sports . . . one ridiculously hot alpha male at a time.

Chase: With a nickname like “Sin,” it’s no wonder they call me the bad boy of hockey. Opponents curse me. Fans scream my name—in the arena and in other, much more private places. Penalties or not, I’m not afraid to dish out a little pain. But pleasure? That’s my weakness. And no one knows it better than my best friend, Cassie Desrosiers. I’d have to be blind not to notice her rocking body and teasing grin. So when she invites me along on a trip to Vegas, my curiosity isn’t the only thing that’s aroused.

Cassie: Chase Barrett is a world-class A-hole. As his best friend, I’m allowed to call him on his BS. Who else is going to do it? Certainly not the puck bunnies swooning at every flex of his biceps. Everyone knows that Chase is the love-’em-and-leave-’em type. There’s no such thing as commitment for the king of casual hookups. So why should I care? Maybe because all work and no play makes me a sexually frustrated girl. It’s time to put the hockey stud at my beck and call to good use . . . but after a week in Vegas with Chase, I might never want to go back to the real world.

Review

Bad Reputation is a friends to lovers romance written by the queen of sexy, Nicole Edwards. I have read several books by Nicole and she has proven over and over that she can tackle any subject. Chase and Cassie are best friends and then after a week in Vegas everything changes. The choices they made in the city of sin follow them home and now they aren’t sure they want what happened in Vegas to stay only in Vegas.

As always Nicole gave us an incredibly sexy story with some fun and exciting twists. I personally don’t love when the POVs change in the middle of chapters but I never had a problem following along. Bad Reputation was a fun escape from my day and I look forward to the next OTT alpha she gives us.

~miranda

5 SMOOCHES!

SYNOPSIS:

The light of the future can only be found by stepping out of the darkness of the past…

After leaving her marriage, Juliette Walker wants to accomplish many new things, but meeting a new man certainly isn’t part of her plan.

Plagued with struggles over her past, she seeks the advice of a professional. But after unloading her most intimate thoughts to the handsome stranger with dark hair and glasses at a friend’s party, she discovers he isn’t the man she thinks he is.

Although Juliette comes into Mark Hine’s life like an unexpected tornado, he finds himself intrigued by the bundle of energy who spills her secrets in a drunken barrage.
Despite swearing off dating permanently since the tragic death of his fiancee, he keeps finding excuses to spend time with the single mom who makes him laugh and brings him out of his shell.

In the aftermath of Juliette’s most humiliating experience to date, she’s convinced Mark has permanently friend-zoned her, until the moment it becomes shockingly clear she couldn’t be more wrong.

But will demons of the past threaten to derail the opportunity for love? Or can two damaged hearts overcome their painful histories to find a future of happiness together?

Full Length Standalone book with no cliffhanger.
Fifth book of the “Something Series”.
Recommended for mature readers due to situations of language, and sexual content.

REVIEW:

I adore Aubrey Bondurant’s writing, and the Something series has become a favorite of mine.  She may describe her writing style as adult contemporary erotic romantic comedy—think smutty chick-lit—but whatever way you dice it, this author is talented. Her writing is sharp, smart and witty, and she writes romances that are genuine and sexy within stories that are relationship rich between the romance and the supporting friendships in the background.

Handsome, hardworking attorney Mark Hine hides a great deal behind his crisp suits and hot-nerd glasses. Underneath those buttoned-down shirts lies the body of an Adonis, a kind heart that is filled with pain, a lonely soul and a mouth that offers sweet words of encouragement just as easily as it does huskily-spoken filthy ones. A devastating loss as a young man dramatically altered the life he had planned. Eleven years later, he is still very much mired in his past. Despite the gentle prodding of his friends, he has not moved on, he has not healed, and he is more than just simply reluctant to do so—he flat out refuses to pursue his own happiness. The little that does find him in his otherwise empty life comes from his small, tight circle of long-time friends. That was just fine with him—until a tiny tornado of a woman blows into his world upending everything.

Juliette Walker is in the midst of a personal reboot. The filter-less, sassy southern office manager was known for babbling inappropriately when nervous, and it was during their very first conversation that Juliette laid a humiliating amount of it on Mark. A single mom and the office manager of Mark’s best friend, Josh’s, Charlotte office, Juliette was hiding out in New Haven from her soon-to-be-ex-husband, a drug-dealing dirty cop, while the wheels of justice were in motion to both end her marriage and prosecute him.

What begins as a wonderful friendship builds into much more than that as the attraction between them sizzles. This couple was incredibly sexy together, and I positively adored them together. Juliette is carrying a heavy load of baggage from years of a verbally abusive marriage to a drug addict. But it was depth of Mark’s pain and just how deeply he was stuck in the past that broke my heart—and nearly Juliette’s as well. I ached for them both as Mark readily helped Juliette to overcome her insecurities but couldn’t summon that same strength to take on his own issues. Their love story was emotional, at times difficult, but it also the sweetest, most rewarding happily-ever-after of the series.

Technically all the books in this series can be read as standalones, but it is my opinion that your reading experience will be richer and fuller if you start with the first book and read them all in order. The journey is well worth the trip, each of these books was better than the last, and as I sit here having finished the final book and having had read them all, I’m melancholy. I feel as if I’m saying goodbye to a group of friends—I enjoyed my time with them, but I’m sorry to see them go. Five smooches from me for Aubrey Bondurant’s Show Me Something!

~ Danielle Palumbo

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5 Smooches

Synopsis

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar—where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester—Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

Review

Autoboyography completely grabbed my attention and touched my soul. Tanner and Sebastian’s story was full of pain and hurt, but also full of young love, self discovery and the joys of coming into your own. The story is a young adult coming of age story about the pain of having to remain in the closet while wanting to scream to the world your love for the one person you aren’t supposed to fall for.

‘His voice is both low and quiet, and it has this hypnotic rhythm to it. I wonder whether someday he’ll give sermons with that voice, whether he’ll throw down judgment with that voice.‘

This book took me back  years when I spent most weekends wrapped in blankets on the couch watching the movie, Latter Days, with my two best friends on repeat. Much like this book that movie touched something deep inside me. While the two stories are vastly different the subject matter is quite similar. This reminder of my past warmed my heart and had me in tears. Sadly over five years ago I lost one of those friends to depression. He was unable to deal with the pain that comes from being gay in a society that wants you to be straight.

Reading this story in a day took me through a myriad of emotions. I laughed out loud, had tears streaming down my face, and a sense of joy when it all came to an end. I was left with an epic book hangover and it is going to take something special to pull me out of it. This was a top read for me and I highly recommend it.

~miranda

5 SMOOCHES!

SYNOPSIS:

The start to a sexy new series from New York Times bestselling author, Kendall Ryan…

She’s much too innocent for me, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting the sweet, young librarian. I’m dominating and possessive, and my control streak runs a mile wide.

The way she looks at me—like I’m one of the heroes in the books she loves, like I’m broken, and she wants to be the one to piece me back together—it only complicates things further. I’m nobody’s hero.

But there’s no denying my tragic past reads like one of her favorite literary classics. It’s raw. Visceral. Captivating. And together, we’re a perfect mess.

How can I resist when the sexual sparks zapping between us set me on fire? The need to control, and claim her force my walls to come tumbling down, but when she learns about my dirty little secret, will my world come crashing down with it?

The story continues in Dirty Little Promise, releasing October 9.

REVIEW:

I love Kendall Ryan’s work, and I’ve read and enjoyed many of her books. But Dirty Little Secret is, in my opinion, her best work yet. Written in the same vein as her Filthy Beautiful Lies series, this new series from Ryan, Forbidden Desires, is off to one heck of a thrilling, edgy, sexy start.

Emma Bell, a shy, girl-next-door-sexy librarian, is almost a year out of an abusive relationship when the handsome and smoldering Gavin Kingsley catches her eye…and her imagination. Months pass, however, before one day, out of the blue, he gives her a small opening, and she charges right through. Emma had no idea at the time what she was truly getting into, but one thing she did know for sure was that nothing would ever be the same.

“…like a lightning flash through the darkness, I was undone.”

Brooding, private, high-end escort service CEO Gavin Kingsley is an intense and dominant man. Months of surreptitiously observing the sexy brunette has caught up to him, and his iron-fisted control slips ever so slightly when he finally makes a move. It turns out, though, that Gavin was as utterly unprepared for the unconsciously submissive Emma Bell as he was captivated.

What begins as an unconventional arrangement, quickly develops into much more. Gavin struggles with letting Emma in, and she’s never quite sure which version of him she’s going to get—the sweet and romantic man or the cold, closed-off, commanding one. It doesn’t really matter, though, because despite the warning bells going off in her mind, she’s falling for both of them. In him, Emma finds the darkness she secretly craves, and in her, Gavin finally finds the light he needs. It’s unfortunate that he’s not the only one who is taken with her, though.

“…I was there in the middle of it all, stoking the flames and praying they didn’t take me down with them.”

Everyone has secrets, and some are darker, deeper—dirtier—than others. Gavin’s secrets, however, have left him a broken man, but in Emma he finds a balm for the wounds of his past. Emma has her own secrets, though, and with Gavin, she finds herself exploring them. Secrets always to reveal themselves at the most inopportune times, and when Gavin’s secrets are exposed, Emma is left reeling, panicked and wondering if perhaps her past, or Gavin’s, is repeating itself.

This book was positively riveting! Dirty Little Secret was one of the most intense, exciting, sexy books I’ve read this year. I could not put it down—I devoured it in a single sitting and was left on the edge of my seat, practically panting for the conclusion, Dirty Little Promise. Kendall Ryan’s Dirty Little Secret was absolutely fantastic, and it’s definitely a favorite of the year! Five smooches from me!

~ Danielle Palumbo

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