Hollywood Lies
By: N.K. Smith
Publisher: The Writer's Coffee Shop
Published: June 20, 2013
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
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In a world where make
believe is a multibillion dollar industry, it’s hard to know where the
fantasy ends and real life begins. When Collette Stroud, an influential
Hollywood actor and director, takes a chance on two young actors for her
romantic teen movie, three lives converge in a complicated web of
publicity, passion, lust, and lies.
The web is cast when Stroud, a
woman with a few skeletons in her closet, hires two young artists in
her low-budget film. She handpicks Liliana Addison and Devon Maddox to
be Hollywood’s next big stars. Former child star Liliana has had limited
success with her previous roles but hopes to take the world by storm
under Collette’s tutelage. While Devon is an out of work actor, he never
stops dreaming about making it big. The director’s interest in him
assures Devon his dreams are about to become reality.
Sparks
between Collette and Devon set their lives ablaze, but the studio has
other plans. Executives concoct a fictitious romance in order to drive
box office sales and launch careers between Devon and Liliana. When the
studio offers to make the young actors into bona fide stars, will the
price be too high to pay, or will the deal be too sweet to pass up?
Can
the trio handle the pressure of a hidden romance coupled with a phony
public relationship? Will love be enough to conquer the promise of fame,
fortune, and a lasting legacy, or will it be an easy sacrifice?
All three will tread the thin line of Hollywood Lies and genuine passion on the most important red carpet walk of their lives.
This
wasn't my cup of tea. At first I wasn't overly sure that I was going to
finish it. I had to put the book down and come back to it a few weeks
later. I was really hoping for a story about an up-and-coming actor who
falls for his director but must pretend to date his co-star in order to
hype up the movie. However, I found the story to revolve more around the
sex and less around the actual story.
You see Devon is a really
horny guy. When he's picked for the role, he starts banging Cole's
assistant. However, when Cole starts to show interest in him, he starts
banging Cole instead. As things as starting to look good for the couple,
he finds himself wanting to go out and be exclusive with Cole but Cole
is wholeheartedly against that and wants to keep their private life,
private. So when Devon is under contract to pretend to secretly date his
co-star Liliana, he finds himself attracted to her instead. Basically,
Devon is a hot mess and is allowing his wiener to direct him.
I
liked the concept of the story but in the end this just didn't work for
me. The story didn't flow well and it was more like back to back sex
scenes with little story to hold it together. I would have liked a bit
more character building and maybe more scenes about their work mixed in.
"I don't want anyone else. I want you. You're my beer, remember? Everyone else is just peanuts."- Devon
The Flesh Cartel
(Season 2 : Fragmentation)
By: Rachel Haimowitz & Heidi Belleau
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Published: Jan. 7, 2013
Genre: Horror Erotica
Rating:
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Nikolai Petrovic is a man of refinement. He collects fine art, enjoys
gourmet cuisine, and trains boutique sex slaves for some of the
wealthiest—and most morally dubious—men and women in the world.
Charged
by a wealthy client to buy a man to train but not break—to shape into a
skilled, obedient slave who will yield with hatred rather than love in
his eyes—Nikolai finds the perfect raw material in Mathias Carmichael.
But there’s a problem: he was auctioned off in a lot with his beautiful
younger brother.
Douglas Carmichael is a lovely, trainable thing,
but Nikolai never takes on more than one slave at a time. As a master
trainer who’s never once failed in his task, he knows he’s up to the
challenge, but it will take formidable skill and planning to mold these
drastically different brothers into their best selves. And in order to
make them obedient to Nikolai and their future masters above all others,
he’ll first have to break their greatest loyalty of all: their
dedication to each other.
Episode #3: Choices
This is such a heart
wrenching story. Luckily the brothers get somewhat of a break in this
one (if you can even call it that). Their new Master is Nikolai, and he
kind of refurbishes the slaves he buys and molds them into what a
potential buyer would like. So unlike the brutal men who raped Mat and
Dougie, this man is all about training. His goal is to beat them down
and then reshape them into the perfect slaves for their owners.
Poor
poor Mat. Due to his fighters pride, he always seems to get the most
brutal attention. Nikolai is no exception. He plans to condition Mat to
keep his fighting spirit but to still be subservient to his Master,
which is proving to be a difficult task. Mat is shot up with drugs that
make his nervous system go haywire anytime he does something that
dissatisfies Nikolai. Meanwhile Dougie is isolated at treated like a
baby bird. He's cherished by Nikolai and is given a tender hand by him.
But of course, one wrong misstep on Dougie's part will come with
ramifications and he soon learns to make sure Nikolai is happy with him.
Episode #4: Consequences
The brother's are learning
their roles and realizing what Nikolai wants from them. Dougie is
turning out to be quite the little slave while Mat still fights against
Nikolai every chance he gets. However, Mat knows that escaping is a lost
cause and by not pissing Nikolai off too much, he doesn't have to get
injected with that horrible drug again. He'd do anything to keep that
from happening to both himself and his brother.
I thought it was
interesting the way Nikolai treated each of the brothers. He's
gentle with Dougie but the second Dougie does something that displeases
him, he is quick with a punishment but then turns around and comforts
him. However, with Mat, he's amused by the fight in him. He doesn't
coddle him or even try to show compassion towards him like he does
with Dougie. He seems almost, more real with Mat. He buys Mat all this
workout equipment to give him something to do and focus on. Nikolai is a
very complex character. He adapts himself based off of the brother that
he's dealing with. However, regardless of how he treats the brothers,
it's clear that he favors Dougie and is showing interest in keeping him
for himself.
Gosh, this was another great episode to the story.
It wasn't as horrific as the first season was but that could also be
because I knew what to expect this time around. I've never read a story
before that had me so shocked and disgusted the entire time but still
managed to keep me from putting the book down. It's like driving by an
accident on the road. We've all done it, rubbernecked to see all the
horrible details, this story is no exception.
"That's
what he was, wasn't he- what he's always been. The big brother. The
protector. That's what he would live for. Because obviously this whole
mess was bigger than him and Dougie. Was huge. Frighteningly organized-
he ran gentle fingers over his forearm, where the microchip sat just
beneath his skin- and nationwide at least. Maybe worldwide at least. So
he'd live, Dougie or no Dougie, to get out of here. To help everyone
else stuck in hellholes like this one and like Madame's to get out too.
He'd be the fighter Nikolai wanted him to be. Except secretly, he'd be
fighting for his own cause."
The Flesh Cartel
(Season 1: Damnation)
By: Rachel Haimowitz & Heidi Belleau
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Published: Jan. 17, 2013
Genre: Horror Erotica
Rating:
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The Flesh Cartel: an international, multi-billion-dollar black market
that trades in lost souls. Or more specifically, their bodies.
Highly
organized and frighteningly efficient, the Flesh Cartel could teach
even the KGB a thing or two about breaking a human mind. Fortunately for
their ultra-rich clients, they’re just as skilled at putting people
back together again—as perfect pets, well-trained and eager to please.
No
matter what your secret tastes or dark desires, the Flesh Cartel—for
the right price, of course—will hand-design the plaything of your
dreams.
The first season has two stories back to back.
My thoughts on Capture...
Dougie and Mat are beaten
and kidnapped from their house and taken to a place where they are
locked up and raped for what seems like weeks. They've no idea why
they've been taken or what will happen to them but what they do know is
that Dougie is the prized one and Mat will do anything he can to keep
the monsters away from his brother even if it means that he takes the beating.
Is
there even an emoticon of your jaw dropping the floor? (yes there is, and I found it) 
I don't normally
read this type of novel but I had seen such high reviews and my
curiosity got the best of me when I saw it available on NetGalley. Not
that it's poorly written but it's just so graphic and horrific that the
majority of the time I read it with my eyes wide open. I couldn't
imagine being one of the brothers and going through what they went
though. Even though we don't get a lot of back story on the characters
and there isn't a ton of character development before the abduction, my
heart broke for them. Both brothers would rather gain the attention of the
guards so that the other brother won't have to endure the pain. I just felt so
bad for these characters and humiliated for them. This short novel
evoked so much emotion from me that I literally could not put the story
down.
Favorite quote...
"A beautiful young
woman, as naked as he was, was coming at him with a scrub brush, and he
couldn't help it - he laughed. What a fantasy this might've been - him
helpless at the mercy of a nude supermodel while she soaped him down -
if only he hadn't been, oh, kidnapped and gang-raped. That's what it
took to get a woman like this to notice him?" -Douggie
My thoughts on Auction...
We find out that the
brothers were abducted for human trafficking but why Dougie was targeted
specifically was still unclear. I don't quite know how they find the
people that they do, other than you realize that the people that they take
have been fostered or have gone through the system somehow. So therefor they have
no family looking for them if they were to disappear. Even though they didn't want Mat to begin with
they have decided to present him to the potential buyers at the auction.
Dougie is determined to do whatever he can to keep them together and to
get auctioned off as a pair.
Not only was the first part about
their horrible treatment while in captivity bad enough but then the auction is even more
horrific. First they are cleaned up... well Dougie is. Mat is bruised
and battered, drugged and then, to make him look more "bad-ass", they
shave his head and take a razor to his eyebrow and stitch him up to give
him a scar. I mean, seriously?! I just felt so bad for him. Then the
things that they are made to do on stage for the potential buyers to try
to get higher bids is just vile. My brain just couldn't wrap around it.
I would classify this series as "horror erotica" if there even is such a
thing. I mean, not only was it very graphic but like I said my eyes were
bugging out of my head the entire time. Kudos to the authors though. It's rare that a book evokes such emotion out of me and they definitely had my brain reeling. Right from page one I was shocked and the shock factor just kept going up with every page. This story is like a gruesome car crash that you just can't look away from. I will definitely be "rubber necking" it to see how this story ends for the two brothers.
Favorite quote...
"How many times could you rape a boy, beat and humiliate and taunt him, before you just... broke him?" -Mat
Naked
(The Blackstone Affair, #1)
By: Raine Miller
Publisher: Atria
Published: Dec. 21, 2012
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Brynne Bennett is
living the good life. An American art student at the University of
London and part-time photographic model, she’s putting her life back on
track with school and lots of hard work. When ultra successful London
businessman, Ethan Blackstone, buys her nude portrait, he isn’t taking
‘no’ for an answer. He wants Brynne in his bed and makes plans to keep
her there no matter what. His dominant nature captivates and ensnares
despite the demons she carries inside her. But there are secrets in this
relationship. Huge ones. Can Ethan free Brynne from the past that has
marked her? Will Brynne let him or will the specters tormenting her
resurface to destroy them both.
My thoughts...
Not sure why but I didn't
fall into this story like I thought I would. It started out good but it
felt like the author was trying too hard and the story seemed a bit
choppy at times. The sex scenes were nice but I found that a lot of
Ethan's "dirty talk" was a bit too much. He would go on and on about how
he felt and what he wanted to do with her that I sort of forgot what
they were talking about originally and not in a swoon worthy way. I also
found what I would consider a nod to 50 Shades (which for me isn't a
good thing) with an insane amount of texting back and forth.
It
wasn't a horrible read but I wasn't clamoring to read what happened
next. However, I will still give it a go because at the end we are left
with a spin that may help change the way the book was going and give it
more back story.
All In
(The Blackstone Affair, #2)
By: Raine Miller
Publisher: Atria
Published: Dec. 21, 2012
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
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The second part in The Blackstone Affair series! Looming danger. A love worth fighting for. A man who’ll go all in.
Ethan
Blackstone has a problem on his hands. He’s broken Brynne’s trust and
she’s left him. He’s unwilling to live without her and isn’t giving
up—he’s dead-set on getting his beautiful American girl back. The
passion between them was explosive, but the secrets they hid from each
other are dark and chilling and are powerful enough to destroy their
shot at a life together. With political threats now directed at Brynne,
Ethan is running out of time and he’ll need to gather all his strength
and agility to protect her from the dangers that could take her away
from him forever. Will Ethan be able to save Brynne from a past that
keeps her locked in fear? Will he ever feel the warmth of her touch, the
solidity of her trust again? This is a love-struck man who is willing
to do whatever it takes to possess the heart of the woman he loves.
He’ll go to any lengths to protect her. He’ll go all in.
Here is
the fiery story of what happens when two people surrender to a love so
great it can heal the scars of the past and give way to a life of pure,
rapturous ecstasy.
My thoughts...
In
book one we read through Brynne's point of view but in All In, it's all
done in Ethan's point of view. I was hopeful that I would enjoy the
second story more than the first since we start off with Brynne knowing
that Ethan was hired to protect her. However, it isn't long that they
are back together and everything is back to where it was before. Not
only is the dialogue still choppy but Ethan is a simpering jealous mess.
What was once a rough Special Forces vet, is now more like a 19 year
old boy. Not to mention his bedroom lines read more like something from
"Smooth Talking for Dummies". And I think that's what got me. The
dialogue seemed incredibly fake that I found myself skipping over the
long talk sessions and just trying to get back to the story and that is
when I decided to just stop.
What little bit of story it did have was not for me. It consisted of bedroom talk and
play rather than an actual storyline. Had I known that beforehand, I wouldn't have read it. I like a solid story with my romance/erotica.
Favorite quote...
"It
happens that way sometimes. You find the one for you and that's all
there is to it. Men have been falling in love with women since time
began, son. You just finally made it to the head of the queue."
It Stings So Sweet
By: Stephanie Draven
Publisher: Berkley
Published: Feb. 5, 2013
Genre: Historical Erotic Romance
Rating:
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They vibrated with incendiary Jazz. They teemed with sexual abandon.
The Twenties were roaring and the women—young, open, rebellious, and
willing—set the pace and pushed the limits with every man they met… In
the aftermath of a wild, liquor-soaked party, three women from very
different social classes are about to live out their forbidden desires.
Society
girl, Nora Richardson's passionate nature has always been a challenge
to her ever-patient husband. Now he wants out of the marriage and she
has just this one night to win him back. The catch? He wants to punish
her for her bad behavior. Nora is offended by her husband's
increasingly depraved demands, but as the night unfolds, she discovers
her own true nature and that the line between pain and pleasure is very
thin indeed.
Meanwhile, Clara Cartwright, sultry siren of the
silent screen, is introduced to a mysterious WWI Flying Ace. If Clara,
darling of the scandal sheets, knows anything, it’s men. And she’s known
plenty. But none of them push her boundaries like the aviator, who
lures her into a ménage with a stranger in a darkened cinema then steals
her jaded heart.
Working class girl Sophie O'Brien has more
important things on her mind than pleasures of the flesh. But when her
playboy boss, the wealthy heir to the Aster family fortune, confronts
her with her diary of secret sex fantasies, she could die of shame. To
her surprise, he doesn't fire her; instead, he dares her to re-enact her
boldest fantasies and Sophie is utterly seduced.
One party
serves as a catalyst of sexual awakening. And in an age when anything
goes, three women discover that anything is possible
At home, from the safe height of my fancy penthouse apartment with its gilded furniture and velvet drapes, I find my stash in the sideboard and pour myself a shot of hooch. Downing it too quickly, I cough at the burn. Then I wipe my lips and hurriedly hide the evidence of my distress only moments before the doorman brings me the red roses and the note attached.
The man who sent them is waiting downstairs.
“Can’t you shoo him away, Charlie?”
“He’s not the sort to be given the bum’s rush, madam,” the doorman replies.
No, I don’t suppose he is. Leo Vanderberg has come at the worst time, but I find that I want to see him. Maybe the reckless aviator is just the tonic I need. “Alright, send him up. Wait fifteen minutes, then have the car brought around, won’t you?”
The penthouse, the doorman, and the driver are all perks of being a kept woman. I can afford without Teddy Morgan’s generosity, of course. But like I said before, I never turn down a gift. The days when I was clawing for crumbs in a cold one-bedroom apartment are over, but I haven’t forgotten them and I’m never going back.
When I hear the aviator’s footsteps in the hall, my pulse quickens. I can see his lean body in my mind’s eye, and those dark looks, hot and heavy. I still remember what he whispered in my ear, and it makes me a little shaky to think of it. I don’t have to guess what he wants.
When he comes in, I don’t turn around right away. “Why, Mr. Vanderberg, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon, much less bearing gifts,” I say, arranging the roses so that blooms are on fine display. I have to admit, their perfume lifts my spirits. “Are you falling in love with me?”
“Of course not. That would ruin the whole arrangement.”
I want to turn around and look him in the eye, but I don’t. “What arrangement would that be?”
“The one where I’m planning to debauch you and you’re planning to let me.”
My lips part in amusement. “I’m afraid I was thoroughly debauched long ago.”
“I’d like to test that—” He catches his breath when I finally turn from the mirror. He has both hands in his pockets, a languid slope to his shoulders, a snappy hat shadowing his face, but he can’t hide his surprise.
And his wide-eyed astonishment makes me laugh. “What’s the matter, Ace? Haven’t you ever seen a girl without powder on her nose before?”
“I—I just . . . I just need a second to get used to it, is all.”
“Is my skirt too long, my hat too wide, or don’t you recognize me without my war paint?”
“You look younger . . .”
“Like a farm-fresh freckled milkmaid? Like a sweet daisy ready to be plucked from a field?”
He shrugs. “Something like that.”
“Well, don’t let the baby face fool you. I only go out like this when I don’t want anyone to recognize me.”
“You’re Clara Cartwright. Why the devil wouldn’t you want anyone to recognize you?”
There is nothing I can do but lie. “Because, I’m going to a matinee at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. I can’t go there looking like myself. My handprints are in the concrete forecourt right next to Charlie Chaplin’s. I’d spend the whole afternoon signing autographs.”
He smirks. “Must be hard to be you.”
“Positively a trial.”
He’s still smirking—and I see it’s his natural expression, as if he has the utmost contempt for the whole world. “If you’re going to the matinee, Clara, let me take you. My treat.”
My voice is low and husky with regret. “I’m not interested, Mr. Vanderberg.”
“Yes you are. And like I said before, you can call me Leo.”
“I haven’t decided if I want to be on a first-name basis. At the party I got the impression you weren’t just another wet blanket . . . you seemed reckless. A little bit dangerous. But flowers and a movie? Rather conventional, wouldn’t you say?”
“The courtship’s for your benefit, doll, not mine.” Then he leans in and everything turns deadly serious. “See, it’s like this. When you’re in bed with me, squirming in embarrassment for all the filthy things you’ve let me do to you, it should comfort you to remember that I did court you as a lady . . . even though I intend to treat you as anything but.”
This
book contains 3 separate but entwined stories. Some characters from the
main story make appearances in the others and everything always comes
back to the party that started it all.
Love Me or Leave Me
Nora
and Jonathan are on the brink of a divorce due to Nora kissing another
man. Jonathan is livid and when Nora claims that she'll do whatever he
wants to prove that she loves him, he has her dance with other men at
the party to see if he can figure out who the mystery man is. But when
he finds out who that guy is, he punches the guy which starts a fight.
I
must say that I wasn't overly sympathetic to Nora. She was spoiled and
well, I'm not a huge fan of cheating. However, towards the end of the
story I was rooting for them.
When I'm Bad I'm Better
Clara
is a big name movie star. The party that takes place is in honor of
her. She's not one for serious relationships. In fact she's content to
be the mistress to the biggest pocket. Leo has admired her on screen
well before they met. He actually has a sex tape that she starred in. In
fact, Clara would like nothing more than destroy the tape and forget
about it. However, Leo has other plans. If Clara lets Leo take the
reigns on her sex life for a little while he will give her back the
tape.
Leo and Clara were interesting characters. Leo knew how to
push Clara to new limits and always seemed to know what she'd like.
Their exploration of each other was an interesting read. I must admit
that I wasn't a whole fan of the blackmailing that takes place in the
beginning but once Leo started to show his feelings towards her, it
lessened the blow.
Let's Misbehave
Sophie's
boss calls her into his office to discuss something that's been brought
to his attention. Her fantasy diary was confiscated from her work
locker. However, instead of reprimanding her, Robert suggest they play a
game. They will act out the fantasies in her diary.
Robert was
in all three stories and it was nice to see him get his own story. Their
encounter is innocent and a lot slower moving than the previous two.
However, it doesn't take long for things to heat up.
Considering that I'm not a
short stories person, I really enjoyed this. I think it helped that all
the stories were intertwined, so we got to meet the characters before
their stories began. Even though a couple of the circumstances were less than ideal, I still really enjoyed the book as a whole. Since it is 3 short stories, there isn't a lot of filler. The author gets right down to business, sometimes quite literally, with her writing. This is a great story for anyone who is a fan of romance and novellas containing a bit of smut.
"I hope your list numbers in the hundreds... this way, when you admit I'm the best you've ever had, it'll really mean something?" -Leo
STEPHANIE DRAVEN is a bestselling, award-winning and RITA-nominated author of historical, paranormal, and contemporary romance. Her newest project, IT STINGS SO SWEET is a collection of 1920s historical erotic romances that celebrate sex, women, and the Jazz Age. Her most recent novel with Entangled Publishing, IN BED WITH THE OPPOSITION, is a mix of humor and sex-appeal set against the backdrop of a zany political campaign inspired by the career of Baltimore legend William Donald Schaefer. Both novels are fun departures from her more serious Greek mythology-inspired series for Harlequin's Nocturne line, the debut novel of which was nominated by Romantic Times for Best First Series. The series has earned critical praise for its originality and awareness of social issues and garnered the 2012 SWIRL award for excellence in multi-cultural romance literature as well as the CataRomance's Reviewers Choice Award. Writing historical fiction about Cleopatra’s daughter as Stephanie Dray, she won the Golden Leaf Award for SONG OF THE NILE. Stephanie is currently a denizen of Baltimore, that city of ravens and purple night skies. She lives there with her favorite nocturnal creatures–three scheming cats and a deliciously wicked husband. And when she is not busy with dark domestic rituals, she writes her books.
Fall Into You
(Loving on the Edge, #3)
By: Roni Loren
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Published: Dec. 31, 2012
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
He’ll do anything for you. But you’d better say please.
When
tomboy sports reporter Charli Beaumonde loses a dream TV job because
she’s not girly enough for primetime, she’s determined to land a big
scoop and prove her boss made a mistake. But when she gets too close to a
football scandal and finds her life threatened, Charli accepts an offer
from family friend Grant Waters to hide out at his place—even if Grant
predicts nothing but trouble from his buddy’s hard-headed,
uncompromising, irrepressible, younger sister. There’s one more problem…
Grant’s
“place” is The Ranch, a BDSM resort in Texas, and he’s used to being in
charge —even if that means trying to keep Charli in line. But much to
Grant’s surprise, she’s intrigued—even envious—of his trainees. They’re
the epitome of what she’s never been: sexy, beguiling, and totally
irresistible to a man. Still, Grant doesn’t believe for a minute that
the sharp-tongued Charli has it in her to be anyone’s submissive. But
Charli’s already on her knees vying for the chance to prove that even
the Master can be wrong sometimes.
My thoughts...
Wow,
I've never read any of Roni's books before and jumping in on the 3rd
book of a series made me a little nervous but I fell in love with not
only the story and the characters but the author's writing as well. I'm
assuming that each of the books in the series can be read as a stand
alone. However, looking back and reading the synopsis' for the previous
books, I realized that some previous characters make appearances in this
story. So even though you don't have to read the previous books, it
would still be fun to see the older characters making cameos in the
future books.
Grant owns not only a winery but a BDSM resort on
his property. He not only runs these two establishments but also trains
subs and then finds them a matching dom. However, he hasn't taken on a
trainee in months and no matter how hard he looks, he's unable to find
one that he is willing to take on. That is... until Charli. One night
after meeting a source on a huge scandal that she's working on
uncovering, Charli is run off the road on the way back to her house.
Luckily for her, she crashes not far from Grant's property. They've
never met each other but Grant used to serve in the military with
Charli's brother where he took a bullet and saved Grant's life. When he
realizes who Charli is, he quickly tries to put the breaks on his
lust. There is no way he is going to seduce the little sister of the man
who saved his life.
Charli is a great character. She is a
stubborn tomboy by nature and isn't overly girly. She isn't afraid to
say what's on her mind and she curses like a sailor. She knows her lack
of femininity is what effects her from getting dates but it is who she
is. So when she's staying on Grant's property waiting for the smoke to
blow over, she follows him onto the resort property and finds herself being mistaken for a trainee and thrown in
a "class" learning how to kneel and be a better submissive. It isn't
until that point that she decides that she wants to change a little bit
and become more demure. However, once Grant takes her on as his trainee,
she finds that she likes being a sub and not only that but particularly Grant's sub.
But their training session has a 2 week expiration date and once
everything dies down with the scandal, she will be back to her old life.
Grant
is as alpha as one can be. He's not only a Dom but he's THE Dom. He
runs the BDSM resort. He trains subs to pass onto their future Doms and
everyone knows not to challenge him. When he meets Charli he is torn. He
is highly attracted to her but there is no way he can repay the man who
saved his life by seducing his younger sister. However, when he finds
Charli in the beginners class and she tells him that she wants to be his
trainee, the wheels start turning. At first he thinks that she will bow
out the first time he lets his Dom side out but not only does she not
yell out the safe word, she responds to his Dom nature. Pretty soon he
finds himself battling his past. He's never kissed a woman since his
wife, who was brutally murdered in front of him... until Charli. He's
never wanted any of his trainee's to stay with him until Charli. And he
sure as heck has never been jealous over a trainee until Charli. But regardless, he
feels like if he lets Charli into his life he will be pissing on the
memory of his wife and that is something that he refuses to do.
If
you can't tell already, I really loved these characters. They were so
complex and had issues of their own but they also had revelations as
well. You have Charli who goes from a outspoken tomboy to a demure
submissive and Grant who goes from a bullheaded Dom to a loving and
caring gentleman. I liked that the author wrote the book in both Grant
and Charli's perspective. It was interesting to see Grant's thought
process when it came to his Dom nature, since I am fairly new to the
subject. The characters in this story reminded me a lot of Master of the Mountain
by Cherise Sinclair. You have a Dom with a painful past who runs a
kinky resort and takes on a woman who is new to the culture and brings
out the sub in her. If you are a fan of Sinclair's than you will love
this book. I personally can't wait to go back and read the previous
books in this series. I will be impatiently waiting for the next books
to come out.
I'd also like to say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the
cover. I'm a cover snob, I will be the first to admit it and I love that
this book doesn't scream BDSM or even Romance. The author didn't take
the easy route and go with a sexy couple dry humping on the cover. So
I'm able to take it to work and the doctors office without people
looking at me like I'm a perv. There is also a sexy shower scene in the
story, so this cover isn't totally out of place either. I love the
anonymity of it while still keeping true to the story.
*I'd also like to thank the author for providing me with a review copy. She has definitely earned a new fan.
Favorite quotes...
"Charli-freaking-Beaumode.
He'd been on the verge of asking her out--a stupid move in the first
place because he didn't mess with women who weren't part of the scene.
That was setting up disaster from step one. Nothing like springing on a
vanilla person-- Hey, I'm a dominant and a sexual sadist. Oh, and I run a BDSM resort where I have submissives offering themselves to me daily. Yeah, fun conversation."
Game Plan
By: Karla Doyle
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Published: Feb. 15, 2012
Genre : Erotica
Rating:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Recently divorced from
seventeen years with a snooty, uptight, controlling man, forty-year-old
Andie is definitely ready for some casual, sexy fun when a hot younger
man “accidentally” hits her with a baseball. Mason’s interest is clear
and he looks like a lot more fun than her overworked vibrator
collection, so she goes for it, despite the obvious age gap. The young
veterinarian is as easy to be with as he is on the eyes, making him an
ideal summer diversion and the perfect man to help her make up for lost
time and missed orgasms.
Mason had to meet the sexy woman
at the ball diamond. The chemistry between them is instant and
completely addictive. Andie is more than beautiful, she’s uninhibited
and independent—totally unlike the needy twenty-somethings he’s been
dating since his ex-fiancée deceived him five years ago. And yeah, Andie
is ten years older than him, big deal. The more they’re together, the
more his heart wants her as badly as his cock. Too bad Andie isn’t
playing for keeps.
My thoughts...
When
I read the synopsis I automatically think novella. For some reason, I
just didn't see how the book could have that much interesting story to
it... but I was wrong. I was entertained the entire time, flipping as
fast as I could to try and finish the book before bed.
Andie has
been divorced for 2 years and is looking to get back into the dating
world. She isn't looking for anything too serious since she just came
out of a marriage from hell but she is looking to have a little fun.
What she isn't expecting is to find a young man who is as interested in
her as she is in him. However, when they start seeing each other more
and more, she starts to become incredibly self conscious of her age.
Mason refuses to tell her his age, saying that it doesn't matter but she
can't help to think how odd of a pair they make.
Mason was a
fun character to read. When he sets his mind to something, he gets it.
Like meeting Andie for instance. When he is warming up for a baseball
game he notices her cheering for a team on one of the other diamonds. So
what does he do? He tosses a ball at her which was supposed to only
roll up to her, not whack her in the ankle. Even though his move wasn't
smooth, he got what he wanted, a date with Andie.
I liked the
connection between these two characters and the way the author wrote
them. At no point did I feel like things were rushed. I thought it was
perfectly normal for a woman to question a relationship with a younger
man. After all she was married and had a kid when he was in high school.
However, I did agree with Mason, that even though there was a decent
age gap, they were old enough that it wasn't creepy. Now if she were 60
and he 25... then I'd be a little creeped out. The only thing I wasn't
on board with was the ending. I felt like the obsessive controlling
ex-husband gave up way too easily. He had been holding out hope that
Andie would come back for 2 years... 2 years! He called her his wife
when addressing Mason but he all of a sudden see's how wrong he was and
apologizes for his ways and backs off. I just felt like maybe the author
started to run out of time in her story and quickly threw that in at
the end. Especially considering all the fuss he created over Andie.
Regardless of that little bit, I really enjoyed this story. If you are
looking a good smutty book with a good story to boot, than you've got to
pick up Game Plan. I cannot wait to read more from this author.
Favorite part...
"Do you think your friends and family will judge me because of my age?"
"It's not the same Mason."
"Sure it is. They might think I'm taking advantage of you... given you're so old and feeble."
