Follow by Tessa Bailey

Title: Follow

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publication Date: TODAY

Blurb:

He wants her soul. Too bad she already sold it.

Family is everything to gambling den darling, Teresa Valentini. Blood comes first, especially before men. So when her brother lands himself in hot water, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to save him. And showing up topless in her unwitting savior’s motel room is turning out to be the furthest thing from a hardship…

Will Caruso is the bad boy of New York’s financial scene…and he just found out the very thing that drives his success is a damn lie. Now, he’s exchanged his high-stress life for the open road, no one but his Great Dane…and half a million Instagram followers to keep him company. When a mysterious beauty arrives, her secrecy prods his suspicions, even while she tempts his lust to the breaking point.

Teresa met Will under false pretenses, but the bond consuming them is real. They’re strong enough to overcome a little betrayal…aren’t they?

Review:

Wowza.  Wow, wow, wow.  WOW.  Did I say wow?  Tessa Bailey’s Follow came out of nowhere for me.  There I was still recovering from her last novel Indecent Exposure (review can be found here) when all of a sudden I received an email asking if I wanted to read and review her upcoming novel Follow.  Uh, yes, sign me up immediately.

I didn’t even read a blurb about Follow before picking it up.  I just instantly downloaded it and began reading.  I was drawn in by the idea of mob threats, and deception, and family before everything.  It was intriguing from the get-go.  There was only a brief moment where the speed with which the characters moved had me wondering whether this story was going to seem like someone’s wet dream fantasy rather than a romance novel, but that was quickly overtaken with the hilarity of the dialogue and the passion between the characters.

Teresa is a relatable woman.  Sure, she works at an illegal gambling den, she’s got a history with the mob, and she’s working one last job to save her brother… but other than those things she’s totally relatable.  It was so refreshing to have a female character who knows she’s attractive and isn’t afraid to use that to her advantage.  Too often I feel like female protagonists are forced to do the whole “I’m attractive but I don’t know it” song and dance.  How exhausting.  Teresa don’t play that game.

Will is drop dead gorgeous, of course.  And rich.  Oh, and he loves his dog.  I would be rolling my eyes at his perfection, but he was just too damn likeable.  His personality eventually won me over and his attraction for Teresa was the cherry on top.

I love their relationship.  Tessa Bailey’s characters always have the hottest sex, but Will and Teresa take it to another level.  There is some incredibly sexy role-playing but what is even sexier is Will’s dedication to ensuring that Teresa is always okay.  That their relationship is unaffected by the dangerous nature of their role play.  His checking up on her was without a doubt the most amazing part of the novel.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a male character do that and it made me realize that maybe I’ve been expecting too little from my men.

Overall, fabulous read.  Just fabulous.  It had action.  It had passionate sex scene after passionate sex scene.  It had draaammmmaaa.  It had… everything, basically.  Nothing was lacking from this book.  It had me reeling time and time again.  When Tessa Bailey’s name comes across my computer screen I put down whatever I’m doing and I start reading.  Immediately.  You will, too.

Third Son's a Charm by Shana Galen

Title: Third Son’s a Charm

Author: Shana Galen

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Publication Date: November 7, 2017

Blurb: Fiercely loyal to his friends and comrades, Ewan Mostyn is the toughest in a group of younger sons of nobility who met as soldiers and are now trying desperately to settle back into peaceful Society. Ewan trusts his brawn more than his brains, but when he's offered a job watching the Duke of Ridlington's stubbornly independent daughter, he finds both are challenged.

Lady Lorraine wants none of her father's high-handed ways, and she'll do everything in her power to avoid her distressingly attractive bodyguard―until she lands herself in real trouble. Lorraine begins to see Ewan's protectiveness in a new light, and she can only hope that her stoic guardian will do for her what he's always done―fight for what he wants.

Review: Third Son’s a Charm by Shana Galen is a breath of fresh air among regency novels.  I love regency novels, but I have found lately that they’ve been getting a little stale.  We’ve always got the young woman who’s unacceptable by societal standards and the rake who wants her.  Don’t get me wrong though, I love that plotline, but I was looking for something a little more exciting.

Enter Lorraine and Ewan.  Lorraine was quite an interesting character.  She was both innocent and daring, bold and reserved.  I never knew what she was going to say when she opened her mouth.   She was a delightful person, if not a bit dense at times but really… who isn’t?  Throughout the novel she became more confident in herself and in being herself.

Ewan was the star of the show though.  He was everything you want your male protagonist to be and more.  I love handsome rakes who have everything going for them, but for once it was nice to get a guy whose only fault isn’t that he finds it hard to express his feelings.  Rakes are always clever, intelligent men who know how to charm their way into or out of any situation they’d like.  That’s not Ewan.

Ewan’s entire life he’s been shamed for his lack of intelligence.  He’s told over and over again that his only redeeming quality is his large size and people expect very little from him other than brute strength in bad situations.  He’s a man with a learning disability, a slight stutter, and low self-esteem.  When have you ever read a romance novel with a man like that?

It was such an amazing treat to get to know Ewan. I loved delving deeper into Ewan’s past and watching the effect that Lorraine had on his belief in himself and his confidence in his own brain.  He was a brilliant character that brought forth a lot of emotion from myself (and I’m sure he’ll do the same for other readers).

I think people will be excited to read about the relationship between Lorraine and Ewan.  They were complete opposites who filled voids in one another that they each didn’t know they even had.  I loved watching the barriers between them break down… and I loved watching Lorraine get a little smarter with each interaction with Ewan.

Pre-order this book if you’re looking mix up your regency collection or even looking to start it. You’re going to want to read it over and over again.

Soft Limits by Brianna Hale

Title: Soft Limits

Author: Brianna Hale

Publisher: Carina Press

Publication Date: October 30^th, 2017

Blurb:  Graduate student Evie Bell spends her days ghostwriting memoirs and her nights playing out her most intimate sexual fantasies by penning fan fiction. When a famous stage actor bursts into her life, she's drawn to his dark, sensual presence, despite herself.

He calls me chérie, ma princesse, minette.

In Paris, Frederic takes Evie firmly in hand, leading her down a sensual path neither of them could have imagined, and pushing them both dangerously near their limits.

I call him Daddy.

Evie is wary—fearing Frederic is a villain both onstage and off—but again and again, Frederic draws her in. Yet the closer they become, the more Frederic holds back, wanting to protect Evie from his despicable truth. He isn’t the man she believes him to be, and his secret may very well destroy them.

Review:  As is becoming a habit with my reviews, this is the first novel I’ve read by Brianna Hale and one of the first romance novel I’ve read of its kind.  Period.  I didn’t read the blurb before scooping up this book, so I wrongly thought that this would be your average, every day romance.  I was horribly, wonderfully wrong on that front.

Soft Limits is a Daddy BDSM romance with an eighteen year difference in age between Evie and Frederic.  Two new experiences in my reading repertoire.  I want to let you readers know right off the bat what you’re getting into because if you go into this expecting a light romantic read you’re going to be really surprised when Frederic comes out dressed like a neurotic priest (slight spoiler here, ladies).  I don’t want any of you being blind-sided by the erotic nature.

Soft Limits is a contemporary novel, but the way Brianna Hale writes had me wondering if I’d fallen straight into a dirty version of Pride and Prejudice.  The whole thing screamed 1800s England, so I was incredibly confused when they referenced things like Instagram and electric cars.  The writing style was to die for though and I truly enjoyed the way Ms. Hale weaves her stories and draws in the reader through her character’s dialogue.

Evie is a wonderful character who really resonated with me in some ways, but in other ways she was a total foreign concept to me.  She was quirky and odd, but also strong and empowering.  A walking contradiction, to say the least.  I’m sure every woman can commiserate with the internal battle we face between wanting to be strong feminists, but also longing to be cared for and trying to come to terms with the battle within us.

Frederic is… well, he’s Frederic.  He’s dangerous, intriguing, warm, and welcoming.  He understands boundaries, but knows when to push them.  He’s the ultimate male protagonist.  The one you’ve been searching for.  Sexy, domineering, loving, and tortured by a secret that will ruin him.

The whole novel was honestly amazing.  I started off thinking that the Daddy Dom thing would be awful strange, given that it’s not exactly something I’ve sought out before… or even thought of before, but as I read it my opinion began changing.  By the end I found myself slack-jawed and totally wrecked for other novels.  Quite a delightful read in the dirtiest, dirtiest way.

The book comes out October 30^th and if you’re a fan of some darker BDSM then I suggest you check it out. Only 2.99!

So Over You (Chicago Rebels series) by Kate Meader

Title: So Over You

Author: Kate Meader

Release Date: December 19, 2017

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Blurb: Three estranged sisters struggle to sustain their late father’s failing hockey franchise in Kate Meader’s sizzling Chicago Rebels series. In this second entry, middle sister Isobel is at a crossroads in her personal and professional lives. But both are about to get a significant boost with the addition of a domineering Russian powerhouse to the Rebels...

Isobel Chase knows hockey. She played NCAA, won silver at the Games, and made it thirty-seven minutes into the new National Women’s Hockey League before an injury sidelined her dreams. Those who can’t, coach, and a position as a skating consultant to her late father’s hockey franchise, the Chicago Rebels, seems like a perfect fit. Until she’s assigned her first job: the man who skated into her heart as a teen and relieved her of her pesky virginity. These days, left-winger Vadim Petrov is known as the Czar of Pleasure, a magnet for puck bunnies and the tabloids alike. But back then... let’s just say his inability to sink the puck left Isobel frustratingly scoreless.

Vadim has a first name that means “ruler,” and it doesn’t stop at his birth certificate. He dominates on the ice, the practice rink, and in the backseat of a limo. But a knee injury has produced a bad year, and bad years in the NHL don’t go unrewarded. His penance? To be traded to a troubled team where his personal coach is Isobel Chase, the woman who drove him wild years ago when they were hormonal teens. But apparently the feeling was not entirely mutual.

That Vadim might have failed to give Isobel the pleasure that was her right is intolerable, and he plans to make it up to her—one bone-melting orgasm at a time. After all, no player can perfect his game without a helluva lot of practice...

Review:  Holy %&$#.  If I could end my review of So Over You by Kate Meader with those words (and symbols) I would, but I feel I owe it to you to describe what an outstanding novel this was. 

First off, I didn’t read the first novel in the series because I didn’t even know there was one until I read the blurb and saw “second entry”.  Whoops.  All that means is that I’ve got more reading to do.  This book was so amazing that I have no doubt that the ones about her sisters and other members of the hockey team will be equally as spectacular.

The only part of the book that I didn’t like was the cover because I didn’t feel that it accurately encompassed what I was about to fall into.  I went into this read reluctantly thinking I was about to read a so-so sports novel and was just hoping that it wasn’t a complete waste of my time.  Oh my god.  I need to stop judging books by their covers because my life would be so much worse if I’d never read So Over You.

Maybe I’ve got a thing for Russian men?  I’ve found that some of my favorite books involve Russian men.  Vadim is definitely in my “Top Ten Hottest Men Ever” list.  Whether it was his accent (that I picked up on throughout the entire novel), his penchant for speaking Russian, or that internal dialogue of his… long, drawn out sigh.  He is something else.  Whenever he opened up that beautiful mouth of his and spoke dirty I found myself whispering, “Holy shit” out loud in my empty living room.

Isobel was a wonderful protagonist.  She was strong and confident and a star on the ice, but she also had those insecurities we all like to see within our characters.  I really enjoyed learning more about her and getting to watch her work her way out of the dark and into Vadim’s arms.  The best part was that she gave as much as she got… and what a treat that was.

And the two of them together?  Some of the best scenes I’ve ever read.  There wasn’t a spark… there was a full out forest fire happening between those pages.  I kept expecting the book to turn to ash in my hands.

The way Kate Meader writes is like a song and it was a song that I wanted to go on forever and ever.  I finished the book right before bed and Vadim hummed through my dreams all night.  If you’re going to pick this book as your next read (please do!) then make sure that you’re alone, that you’ve got wine nearby, and that you’ve got all night to get it done.  You will not be able to put it down.

P.S. Did I mention the next book is actually a male/male novel about their team manager?  Somebody needs to come and pick me up off the floor.

Pre-order your copy from your local independent bookstore or get it for your Kindle here.

Bad For Her (A Bad Boys Gone Good Novel) by Christi Barth

Title: Bad For Her

Author: Christi Barth

Release Date: October 3, 2017

Publisher: HarperCollins

Blurb: Doctor Mollie Vickers loves the tight-knit community of her tiny Oregon town. But she’s not a fan of the limited dating options. Sleep with a guy who tried to copy off her in junior high? Pass. Mollie’s sex life is flat-lining… until a deliciously handsome man she’s never seen before stops to help her fix a flat tire.

As an ex-mobster, Rafe Maguire’s no saint. But he’s trying to turn over a new leaf. Although he probably shouldn’t kiss the hot doctor on the side of the highway. Or suggest a no-strings fling with a woman he has no business pursuing. Rafe’s life is too complicated for love—his new WITSEC-provided identity doesn’t fit him at all and there’s a U.S. Marshal watching his every move. He can’t tell Mollie the truth… but their chemistry is scorching and being good doesn’t mean he can’t be a little bad.

Mollie can’t resist the guy who looks rough, talks tough, and is loyal to the bone. But it’s obvious Rafe is keeping secrets. When the truth comes out, Mollie must decide if she could ever love an ex-mobster… or if this bad boy has truly gone good.

Review: Ex-mobsters, witness protection, and a hint of danger… I expected Bad For Her by Christi Barth to be a fast-paced, crime-filled suspense novel with a hint of danger and a lot of sex.  What I got was something completely different.  Bad For Her is slower-paced, overwhelmingly hilarious, filled with adorable family moments, and… well, yeah, some hot sex.

I absolutely loved the characters in this novel which takes place in a small Oregon town.  Usually too many quirky characters feels forced, but somehow the author gives each character their own spin so that they’re entertaining and loveable rather than stale and overdone.  This is obviously the first in a series so I’m excited to delve further into the lives of these wonderful characters and see what other secrets they’re hiding.

Let’s talk about Rafe.  Serious, sexy, incredibly hot Rafe whose life in the mob has left him overly confident and wonderfully fit.  The confidence wasn’t annoying, however, and neither were his muscles and those romantic moves of his.  I about died and went to heaven every time he made an advance on Mollie.

Mollie is smart, attractive, witty and kind.  She’s a fantastic woman and the best part about her is that she seemed so real.  She had so much charm and love to give to those around her.  She’s the sort of woman you want to be your friend and that’s the sort of person I like reading about.  Nothing worse than a character you want nothing to do with, it makes it so much harder to get into the novel.

Together the two of them have unbelievable chemistry.  It certainly got my blood pumping a few times and then there were a couple times that had my blood boiling and those moments were even better.  Woosh.  If you pick up this novel make sure you have a cold glass of water—or better yet a beer—nearby to quench that thirst you’ll develop.  In the end though it’s clear that the relationship between them isn’t just heat in the bedroom… there’s a real relationship developing there and it’s a great thing to get to watch it happen.  You find yourself more eager for them to finally admit their feelings than for another bedroom scene.

This is the perfect read for those who aren’t just looking for hot sex, but who also don’t want a soft, happy read with implied sex, if you know what I mean.  It’s a great compromise.

You can purchase the novel at your local independent bookstore or a Kindle edition here.

Inked Hearts by Lindsay Detwiler

Title: Inked Hearts

Author: Lindsay Detwiler

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing

Publication Date:  October 21, 2017

Blurb:

Suffering from the sting of betrayal, twenty-eight-year-old Avery Johannas quits her job and moves hundreds of miles away to Ocean City, the beach town of her dreams. With the help of her zany roommate, Jodie, Avery finds a new career, home, and freedom. Throughout her self-exploration, she makes only one rule: She won’t give her heart to a man again. She’s living for herself this time.

But then she meets Jesse.

A tattoo shop owner, the green-eyed Jesse Pearce is wild with a touch of mystery. As Jesse and Avery explore Ocean City and their friendship, they’ll have a hard time drawing a line in the sand between their hearts.

When summer nights get a little more heated than either expected, they’ll have to ask themselves: Can they let go of their notions of love, or will their hearts be permanently inked by past pain?

Review:

If you’re looking for a soft, romantic read with limited drama and some real emotion then look no further.  Inked Hearts by Lindsay Detwiler is the sort of novel you’d want to read in the bath with candles and some classical music playing.  That’s not how I read it.  I actually read it while splayed out on my couch with a cat across my abdomen, but that’s how I wish I read it.

Finally we have a woman who has been cheated on who isn’t a total cliché.  It’s a beautiful thing.  Avery’s emotions of anger and sadness and confusion are real and honest.  I wanted to reach through the pages and embrace her in a hug at times and other times I wanted to throttle her for her missteps. I found myself flipping through the book desperately hoping that Avery got what she wanted—what she needed—in the end.

Jesse is a breath of fresh-air among male protagonists.  He was funny, confident, and sexy and I completely believed that he could successfully convince a woman, who had sworn off men, to give love another try.  Let me tell you.  Something about a nice, tatted guy who doesn’t mind showing his emotions gets me all fired up.

Avery and Jesse make such an authentic couple.  I love stories where the couple is wildly attracted to each other and fall into bed the first instant they can and have passionate, wild sex… but this isn’t that story and I didn’t even care.  Avery and Jesse are wildly into each other, that’s for sure, but due to Avery’s sense of betrayal they approach their relationship as though it’s their first.  There’s all that innocence and harmony that makes you remember your own first.

The title might make you think you’re about to fall into a tattoo-filled book but in reality the tattooing falls by the wayside to make room for sweet romance, cute dogs, and boisterous secondary characters.  It was a delight.

You can pre-order Lindsay Detwiler's novel here for a mere $2.49!

Indecent Exposure (The Academy) by Tessa Bailey

Title: Indecent Exposure (The Academy)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publication Date: February 2018

Publisher: HarperCollins

Blurb: Jack Garrett isn’t a police officer yet, but there’s already an emergency. His new firearms instructor—the one who just dropped every jaw in the academy gym—is the same sexy Irish stranger Jack locked lips with last night. The Olympic gold medalist and expert markswoman is now officially off-limits, but Jack’s never cared much for rules . . .

Katie McCoy’s been cooped up in a shooting range for too long. A wild love affair is just what she needs to let loose, though she never imagined it would be with her smokin’ hot trainee. She cannot get involved with Jack—but a quick fling? Perfect. Falling hard for a charismatic recruit with an equal amount of sex appeal and secrets? Bloody stupid.

Jack’s charmed the pants off plenty of women (literally), yet few have ever looked beyond his perfect surface. Until Katie. He’ll do anything to keep her in his life . . . except tell her about his past. But a tiny lie of omission never hurt anyone, right?

Review: Wow, wow, wow.  Tessa Bailey has gone and done it again.  This book was naughty, heart-wrenching, silly, and dramatic… everything you want out of a romance novel and more.  Indecent Exposure caught me up in its web from the very first word and held me captivated the entire time.

There is nothing more satisfying than feeling as though you’re reading someone’s autobiography.  Reading Jack’s chapters was an emotional experience for me.  I could feel the pain radiating straight off the pages and into my chest and it was a wholly uncomfortable experience of which I loved every minute.  I don’t want to get into spoilers (I pride myself on keeping those out of my reviews) but Jack’s situation was incredibly personal for me, as I’m sure it will be for many people, and I loved that there was an author brave enough to put that experience to paper.

Katie was an adorable character with some unique personality traits that had me laughing out loud frequently throughout this novel.  She was a delightful person and I never had any reason to wonder why Jack was falling so madly in love with her.  In fact, I was doing a little of the same.

The relationship between Jack and Katie was a fabulous ride of ups and downs that felt just the right amount of dramatic.  No drama=bad.  Too much drama=stressful.  You know how it is.  Their love for one another was something special and I loved that I was able to be a part of it if only for a short time.

The first book in the series Disorderly Conduct was a great read—you can read my review here—but Indecent Exposure blew it out of the water and I’m anticipating the third book, Disturbing His Peace, in the series to be the best of all.  The worst thing about my life right now is that I can’t read it yet.  I consider myself the luckiest person in the world to have discovered Tessa Bailey and I hope that others will take this as a sign to pick up her books.