3 Smooches

Synopsis

Peace by Piece deals with unshakable first love, family, relationships, the difficulties of being a stepparent—all shadowed by the curse of anorexia/bulimia. 
Six years after fleeing college and Thomas’s betrayal, Maggie has nearly given up on love. 
Enter Izzie, a motherless eight year old, and every maternal instinct kicks-in. With Donald, Izzie’s dad, Maggie waits for the thrill—for anything magic: a spark, a quickening, a quiver racing up her spine. The magic never comes, but it is precisely the ordinariness of his kisses and subsequent proposal that make her feel safe. She imagines that loving Izzie is enough to finally lock Thomas out of her heart.

Review

When I began reading Peace by Piece, I thought I was going to be consumed by many emotions but sadly it didn’t. I felt no connection to these characters. Especially Genevieve. I did not relate to her at all she was a 30-year-old woman that  was diagnosed with cancer, refuse treatment, and had a one year life expectancy. I can’t necessarily say the book lacked emotions. Because I was constantly reminded of how much they loved each other and how they simply couldn’t live without one another. The book felt so outlined that the flow wasn’t there. It was step after step after step. These two, Genevieve and Levi, had an instant attraction but I couldn’t feel why. Very quick jump to sex and then bam….they are soul mates. I was told a story to my face but not reeled in. I wanted to fall in love with the characters, not be spoon fed. I would improve the story with a few flashbacks. Remind the reader why V loves the ranch. Why would she return to an aunt and uncle, or even a happier time on the ranch. The character description of V is she’s strong and sassy. But in the book I viewed her as weak and the only defense is she has cancer. Perhaps reading a cancer book wasn’t what I needed and could be why I’m rating as “an okay read.” I needed sustenance, even more glue to hold these characters together would have been good. A few romantic gestures, a cowboy, and a happily ever after made this book rate as 3 smooches. 

~Sarah

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4 Smooches!

Synopsis

Julia is a young book editor on the rise. Jack is a British rock star at the pinnacle of his fame. 
Can they both get what they want—when what they need threatens to tear them apart? 
It’s January, 1982. Twenty-four-year-old Julia Nash has just moved in with her boyfriend, rock and roll guitarist extraordinaire Jack Kipling. Their connection deepens as Jack takes her to England to meet his intimidating mother, and afterwards to a private Caribbean island for a sensual retreat. 
But back in New York City, they hit a turbulent patch. Julia is in the running for a new job, while Jack prepares for a thirty-city tour and butts heads with the band’s lead singer. Things get more chaotic when Jack’s six-year-old nephew comes for a visit, Julia makes a disastrous attempt at cooking, and a new puppy wreaks havoc in the penthouse. Although free-spirited Jack likes to keep things loose, he craves more support on the home front. But Julia isn’t sure if she can ever be a domestic goddess—or if her wild boyfriend can ever be domesticated. 
On tour, Julia experiences the glittering excesses of private jets, mind-blowing concerts, shocking hotel room antics, and screaming headlines. Back home, she has to decide if their relationship can withstand the ravages of fame and conflicting interests—not to mention a suave bestselling author who seems to like more than her grammar sense. And when her long-lost father resurfaces, the bookish young woman must choose whether to listen to her heart, or to her head. 
Hilarious, entertaining and steamy, Keep Dancing will delight brand-new readers as a stand-alone novel, and serves up even more of what fans raved about in Come Dancing, the first book about Jack and Julia. 

Review

This is the follow up to Jack and Julia’s story, Come Dancing #1. They pick up right where they left off, exclusively in a relationship and moving in together. Jack a big rock star and Julia trying to work hard to get where she wants to be as an editor.

 Again I loved it was set in the 80’s. It was fun and suited this story really well. In this they are exclusive and really giving the relationship a go. Jack, being a big, well known rock star and Julia trying to get to the top in editing is difficult on their relationship sometimes and they have some fights over that but when they are together you can’t help but have a smile on your face, they are so sweet and sexy, too. Along with their professions, there is also pressure from friends, managers and to take another big step in their relationship, from eachother and from family. Julia and her mother’s relationship is still a big factor in this story also.

 Julia, unfortunately was really difficult for me to like in this book. I tried, but I didn’t love her. At times she was just down right judgmental. I get why she has insecurities, but judging others because of it just took away from her character. She had a lot of concerns because of Jack’s lifestyle, so she was skeptical at times but that’s where she pissed me off a bit, she was bordering on doing what she was sure Jack was going to do. The one thing I did like was she wanted her independence, she may have liked the luxuries of Jack’s life that he spoiled her with but she still held on to her independence. She just lacked some personality at times.

 “I’ve worked so hard to get this new position; I can’t let it slide through my hands.”

 Jack, on the other hand, I loved! I’m not saying he was perfect, because he wasn’t. He is a rock star after all so he did get wild, and was known to throw a little tantrum when he wasn’t getting what he wanted. Saying that, though, he was so laid back and easy going. His playfulness made me smile and laugh so much. He had such a boyish charm that was cute and sweet and a nice comparison to his rock star side. He really proves himself in this one, not that he needed to, but I did fall harder for him in this one. He didn’t always deal with things in the best way but he sure did try his best with the circumstances of the things they faced.

 “I’d take care of you, baby. You wouldn’t have to worry about supporting yourself.”

 I did really enjoy this. At some stage they were going to have to compromise with their busy schedules. Things did, at one point get a bit too hectic. It was fun to see how that would play out. In this book, Jack’s band mate and manager become such nuisance’s, like really. I would’ve liked their behavior explained more. They were just nuisance’s without a purpose that caused trouble, time and time again, it wasn’t really solved. I did, However, enjoy how it ended, it was sweet. I think that could be the end for them, happily and easily. Yes, the author has left the door open for another book, for more to their story, but I enjoyed how it was wrapped up in this one. I’m not sure if there is another book planned for Jack and Julia, but I would definitely love a book from Sammy, he was a really interesting character that you love almost immediately and I would love to get to know his character more!

-Jade x

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5 Smooches!

Synopsis

There are many rules a priest can’t break. 
A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God.

I’ve always been good at following rules. 
Until she came. 
My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I’m twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again. 
I am a priest and this is my confession.

***
***Priest is a standalone, full-length novel with an HEA.  For mature audiences only.***

Review

 I am not going to lie, I took this book on a whim because I thought it would be silly to read a priest book.  It seemed taboo and kind of ridiculous and I was in the mood for both.  Five percent in I messaged my co-blogger and told her this book was amazing.  When I finished, I called her and told her it was going to be one my absolute top favorites of 2015.  Sierra Simone, you shocked me in the best possible way.  Yes, this book was ridiculously taboo and yes, it was insanely sexy.  But the story.  The writing.  Those two things were phenomenal and took this erotic book to a whole new level of wonderful.

One woman, no matter how hot, was not going to unravel everything I held sacred about the priesthood. She was not going to destroy everything I’d worked so hard to create.

I know, I know.  You are probably thinking what I was.  That this priest has to be douchey and smarmy.  But the truth is that Father Bell blew me away.  He was a real man.  A good priest.  A loving son.  An even more loving brother.  He is plagued with insurmountable guilt right away for wanting Poppie.

Don’t jump her bones.  Don’t fantasize about fucking her tits.  Be a good priest.

Poor Father Bell.  He wants her as much as he wants to help her;  these two parts of him warring the entirety of the novel.  That was the best part.  Not knowing who Father Bell would chose.  God or Poppie.

A baptism by kiss rather than a baptism by water.

The sex in this book was some of the very best I have ever read.  It was sensual and spiritual and so dirty that I could barely wrap my mind around it all.

“How does it feel?”

“It feels like heaven.”

I often felt the heat crawl up face while reading these scenes.  Father Bell would go from a sweet and caring man of the cloth to alpha Tyler in two seconds flat.  He had one of filthiest mouths I have ever read and I loved every second of it.  He was the perfect blend of good and bad and he stole my heart right away.

I wanted to make her crawl, make her beg, I wanted to scrape the skin of her inner thighs raw with my stubble.

The whole of this book is told from Father Bell’s point of view and that was my very favorite thing about this book.  Sierra did a fabulous job writing him.  I sympathized with him.  I loved him.  I understood his need to be faithful to God and his need for Poppie.  He is a character that will forever stay with me and that is because he was written so darn beautifully.  Speaking of writing, I LOVED THE WAY THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN.  Sierra’s style is very classic and flowery and lovely.  Where did you come from with your beautiful writing, lady?!  I highlighted half the book because it was all so incredibly emotion provoking and lyrical.  I loved this book and I venture to say that it will remain in my top 10 of 2015.  It is going to be a hard act to follow as far as erotica goes.  It is one that I will read again and again and again.

The closeness of her and the closeness of the divine all at the same time was euphoria, bliss, and I was almost dizzy with it, feeling both at once, intoxicated by her and intoxicated by my God.

~Amie

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