Review: Archer by Debra Kayn

Title: Archer (A Hard Body Novel)
Series: Hard Body, #1
Author: Debra Kayn
Published: July 1, 2013
Pages: 240
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Forever Yours
Rating: D-
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
She's on the run . . .

Jane Beaumont currently has in her possession: a cat, a hundred grand in cash, and a pistol. She's on her way home to Bay City, Oregon-and away from the nightmare of her violent ex-boyfriend. She'll lay low at Beaumont Body Shop, a car detailer that runs a private investigation agency in the back. The only wrench in her plan is Kage Archer: sexy, strong, and intent on protecting Jane at all costs. She's wanted Kage forever, but putting him in harm's way is not a risk she's willing to take.

He's not going anywhere

Kage is no stranger to the dark side of life, but he's always walked on the right side of the law. Yet when Jane expressed her interest in him years ago, he pushed her away for her own good. Now, after learning of all she's endured, Kage can't leave her side-or hide his need for her. When a frightening situation turns dire, can Kage convince Jane that the safest place to be is in his arms?

DNF: Beautiful Bitch by Christina Lauren

Title: Beautiful Bitch
Series: Beautiful Bastard, #1.5
Author: Christina Lauren
Published: July 9, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Gallery Books
Rating: DNF
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
Picking up where Beautiful Bastard left off, Chloe Mills and Bennett Ryan continue their steamy, combative relationship.

Just when Chloe’s career starts to take off, Bennett wishes it would all slow down long enough to spend a wild night alone with his girlfriend. But after he refuses to take no for an answer, Chloe and Bennett find themselves with two plane tickets, one French Villa, and a surprising conversation that, predictably, leaves them wrestling under the covers.

Review: The Winning Season by Alison Packard

Title: The Winning Season
Author: Alison Packard
Published: July 15, 2013
Pages: 241
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Carina Press
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
Kelly Maxwell has finally landed her dream job as publicist for the San Francisco Blaze. But the team's newest member, handsome bad boy catcher Matt Scanlon, is refusing every interview. She's got to get him to open up before the season ends, or she may not be back next year. And after everything she overcame to achieve her dream, Kelly's not about to let that happen.

Matt Scanlon just wants to be left alone to rebuild his life and his career. After a year of masking the pain of a recent loss with hard partying and fast women, he finally hit rock bottom and was traded to a team he's loathed his entire life—a team with little to no chance at the post-season.

Butting heads is getting Kelly and Matt nowhere but annoyed, and with the team's schedule on the road, they can't avoid close quarters—or their surprising attraction to one another. As the season winds down, Matt finds his growing feelings for Kelly have brought his numbed emotions back to life. But when betrayal shatters their fragile trust, winning it all seems more impossible than ever.

Review: Not Until You Surrender by Roni Loren

Title: Not Until You Part VI: Not Until You Surrender
Series: Loving on the Edge, #3.56
Author: Roni Loren
Published: July 16, 2013
Pages: 57
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: Publisher (Penguin Intermix)
Rating: C
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
Cela willingly accepts Foster’s difficult penalty for what she’s done and finds herself more vulnerable and more attracted to him than ever. Unfortunately, she’s also more confused. She’s drawn to Foster’s dark desires but scared by the intensity of her surrender and her growing need for him. So as outside pressures mount, how is she supposed to make the hardest decision of her life?

Foster is falling further and further for Cela, but right as he’s tempted to tell her how he feels, she approaches him with a heartbreaking proposition. There isn’t much Foster wouldn’t sacrifice for Cela’s happiness, but this time that may mean watching the girl he could truly love walk away...

Review: Making It Last by Ruthie Knox

Title: Making It Last - A Novella (Camelot Series)
Series: Camelot, #4
Author: Ruthie Knox
Published: July 15, 2013
Pages: 136
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Loveswept
Rating: B+
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "You're the reason for everything. Everything I do."

summary from Goodreads
A hotel bar. A sexy stranger. A night of passion. There’s a part of Amber Mazzara that wants those things, wants to have a moment — just one — where life isn’t a complicated tangle of house and husband and kids and careers. Then, after a long, exhausting “vacation” with her family, her husband surprises her with a gift: a few days on the beach . . . alone.

Only she won’t be alone long, because a handsome man just bought her a drink. He’s cool, he’s confident, and he wants to take Amber to bed and keep her there for days. Lucky for them both, he’s her husband. He’s only got a few days in Jamaica to make her wildest desires come true, but if he can pull it off, there’s reason to believe that this fantasy can last a lifetime.

Early Review: Beauty and the Billionaire by Jessica Clare

Title: Beauty and the Billionaire (BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB NOVEL)
Series: Billionaire Boys Club, #2
Author: Jessica Clare
Release Date: July 16, 2013
Pages: 261
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Intermix
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "You bring me back to life."

summary from Goodreads
Real-estate tycoon Hunter Buchanan has a dark past that’s left him scarred and living as a recluse on his family’s palatial estate. Hunter is ready to give up on love—until he spots an enigmatic red-haired beauty and comes up with an elaborate scheme to meet her.

Gretchen Petty is in need of a paycheck—and a change. So when a job opportunity in an upstate New York mansion pops up she accepts. And while she can overlook the oddities of her new job, she can’t ignore her new boss’s delectable body—or his barely leashed temper.

Hunter’s afraid his plan might be unraveling before it’s truly begun, but Gretchen is about to show him that life can be full of surprises…

Review: The Story Guy by Mary Ann Rivers

Title: The Story Guy (Novella)
Author: Mary Ann Rivers
Published: July 8, 2013
Pages: 120
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Loveswept
Rating: A
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "You were the first thing I asked for, just for me, in a long, long time."

summary from Goodreads


I will meet you on Wednesdays at noon in Celebration Park. Kissing only.

Carrie West is happy with her life . . . isn’t she? But when she sees this provocative online ad, the thirtysomething librarian can’t help but be tempted. After all, the photo of the anonymous poster is far too attractive to ignore. And when Wednesday finally arrives, it brings a first kiss that’s hotter than any she’s ever imagined. Brian Newburgh is an attorney, but there’s more to his life . . . that he won't share with Carrie. Determined to have more than just Wednesdays, Carrie embarks on a quest to learn Brian’s story, certain that he will be worth the cost. But is she ready to gamble her heart on a man who just might be The One . . . even though she has no idea how their love story will end?

Review: Pickup Men by L.C. Chase

Title: Pickup Men
Author: L.C. Chase
Published: July 8, 2013
Pages: 166
Genre: M/M Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Riptide
Rating: D
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
It takes a pissed-off Brahma bull named Shockwave to show rodeo pickup man Marty Fairgrave the cold hard truth about champion bull rider Tripp Colby: Tripp will never leave the safety of his closet or acknowledge Marty in public. Sometimes loving someone just isn’t enough, and after a year of hiding what they are, Marty finally sees the light—and it’s no longer shining on Tripp.

Tripp Colby would do anything for Marty. Well . . . almost. He’s never loved anyone before, and isn’t quite sure how to handle it now. But he knows Marty is his everything, and in order to win him back, Tripp will have to overcome his darkest fears and step into the light.

But no matter Tripp’s intentions, the cost might be too high and the effort too late for these two cowboys to ride off into the sunset.

Review: His Roommate's Pleasure by Lana McGregor

Title: His Roommate's Pleasure
Author: Lana McGregor
Published: July 1, 2013
Pages: 84
Genre: M/M Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Carina Press
Rating: C-
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
It started with an accidental click…but where will it end?

Desperate to turn in a paper, Adam borrows his roommate's computer and mistakenly opens a folder that contains Josh's collection of porn. Adam had no idea that his jock roommate was gay—and into leashes, paddles and domination. And Adam, an inexperienced virgin who's only ever kissed one guy, is surprised to find himself curious about submitting…

Josh can't believe that his roommate discovered his spank bank—and he can't believe that Adam is so turned on by the thought of giving up control to someone. Taking a chance, he offers to look through the photos with Adam…and maybe try acting some of them out.

Night after night, the boys delve into their darkest fantasies of domination and submission. And as lust and experimentation grow into the promise of something deeper, Adam must decide if he's brave enough to tell Josh how he feels.

Review: Not Until You Beg by Roni Loren

Title: Not Until You Part V: Not Until You Beg
Series: Loving on the Edge, #3.55
Author: Roni Loren
Published: July 9, 2013
Pages: 73
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Penguin Intermix
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Marq

Favorite quote: "I want to try this--with you."

summary from Goodreads
Foster has been pushed past the point of temptation. So even though he fears Cela’s interest in his world is a passing whim, he agrees to teach her the art of submission. But he’s not going to hold anything back—if she wants to see this side of him, he’s going to show her how deep his dominance runs.

Cela’s initial intrigue begins to give way to doubt as she struggles with the submissive role and the desires it stirs within her. Having spent her whole life being controlled by her domineering father, she’s unsure if she’s ready to put herself under the command of another man. But when she breaks Foster’s most important rule, she puts herself in a situation more intense than she bargained for…

Review: Fangs for Nothing by Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love

Title: Fangs for Nothing
Series: The Fangover, #2
Author: Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love
Published: July 2, 2013
Pages: 305
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Publisher (Berkley Trade)
Rating: C-
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “You make me want to be less of an idiot. More respectable. That’s no small feat.”

summary from Goodreads
When one of their own ties the knot with a dominatrix (no pun intended), The Impalers—a vampire rock band—are ready to party down. But trouble awaits them once again when they wake up…

Attending their bandmate Saxon’s wedding seemed simple enough for Johnny Malone and Drake Hanover. But after waking up in a dominatrix’s dungeon, they realize their cash and cell phones have been stolen—along with the bride’s wedding dress and the groom. And then there’s the matter of the two women in the room…

Loose cannon Johnny is handcuffed to Lizette, an uptight paper pusher. She wants to help save Johnny from the horrible fate in store for him at the hands of the Vampire Alliance, but he won’t sign the paperwork. Then there’s Josie, the waifish caterer from the reception, who rescues Drake from a sex swing. Josie may be cute and make a great cupcake, but Drake knows she might also be the thief. Or it could have been that gang of drag queens all dressed as Cher…

Regardless, Johnny and Lizette need to get out of these handcuffs. Drake and Josie need to find their missing belongings. And Saxon needs to be located before the Vampire Alliance comes down on them hard.

Review: Vicious Moon by Lee Roland

Title: Vicious Moon: A Novel of the Earth Witches
Series: Earth Witches, #3
Author: Lee Roland
Published: July 2, 2013
Pages: 320
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher (Signet)
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “Of course I’m supportive. I haven’t tried to kill you yet.”

summary from Goodreads
Ex-soldier and earth witch Nyx Ianira is working as a PI in San Francisco when she sees the last thing she ever wants to see: the Sisters of Justice—the mysterious earth witch police force. A Triad of Sisters usually means an execution mission, but the Sisters’ only goal is to capture and escort Nyx across the country.

Nyx is badly needed back in Twitch Crossing, Georgia, the place she ran away from ten years ago to escape the stiff rules and duties of being a true witch. She wanted a life of her own. Now she’s being dragged back to her swampy hometown because another life is in danger: Her little sister is missing, and Nyx is the only one who can track her down in Duivel, Missouri.

But the key to finding her may lie with dark and tempting Etienne—a sinister criminal with a fearsome reputation, a ruthless attitude, and a total immunity to magic...

Review: Not Until You Trust by Roni Loren

Title: Not Until You Part IV: Not Until You Trust
Series: Loving on the Edge, #3.54
Author: Roni Loren
Published: July 2, 2013
Pages: 66
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Penguin Intermix
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
Despite desperately wanting to satisfy her curiosity, Foster is not about to introduce Cela to his true dominant side. For one thing, she’s far too innocent to participate in that kind of lifestyle; for another, he doesn’t want to get attached when she’ll be leaving town so soon. But when he comes home after a frustrating day and finds Cela hanging out with Pike, all of Foster’s possessive urges rise to the surface.

Cela is left breathless and shaken after getting a glimpse of Foster’s dominance unleashed. Maybe he was right, and she isn’t ready for something so intense. But when she can’t get her mind off their nights together, she comes up with a daring plan to see just how much they’re both willing to risk…

Review: Werewolf in Alaska by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Title: Werewolf in Alaska: A Wild About You Novel
Series: Wild About You, #5
Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson
Published: July 2, 2013
Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Publisher (Signet)
Rating: B-
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “You don’t have to be anything more than you already are to be everything I’ve always wanted.”

summary from Goodreads
He’s a lone wolf—for now.

In Polecat, Alaska, Rachel Miller and Jake Hunter have a mutual admiration for each other—from across a lake. There’s nothing Rachel likes more than spying on the very fit wilderness guide when he skinny-dips each night. And Jake has always been curious about his reclusive artist neighbor. He even bought Rachel’s first wood carving: a wolf who looks suspiciously like him...

Jake is a werewolf, but not just any werewolf. He’s the founder of WARM (Werewolves Against Random Mating). And that means a human like Rachel is off-limits, no matter how attractive he finds her.

But when Rachel is threatened by a bear, and Jake shifts to save her, their lives collide with an intense passion, one that could change everything they’ve ever felt about themselves—and each other...

Review: Down to You by M. Leighton

Title: Down to You (A BAD BOYS NOVEL)
Series: The Bad Boys, #1
Author: M. Leighton
Published: July 1, 2013 (reissue)
Pages: 304
Genre: New Adult
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Rating: C
Reviewed by: Ellie

Favorite quote: “Shhh, just let me love you, okay? Don’t think. Just feel.”

summary from Goodreads
One girl. Twin brothers. An uncommon triangle.

When college student Olivia Townsend returned home to help her father run his business, she never imagined a complication like Cash and Nash Davenport—twin brothers different in so many ways but with one thing in common: an uncontrollable desire for Olivia.

Cash is dangerous, sexy, and bad to the bone—a man whose kisses make Olivia forget she is playing with fire. Nash is successful, reliable and intensely passionate—and already taken. But all it takes is one soft stroke to make Olivia forget he belongs to someone else.

However, Olivia is in for a surprise. These boys have a secret that should make her run away as far and as fast as she can. If only it wasn’t too late. A sensual game between three players has begun, and it’s about to spin deliriously out of control.

Quickie Review: Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

Title: Any Duchess Will Do (Spindle Cove)
Series: Spindle Cove, #4
Author: Tessa Dare
Published: May 28, 2013
Pages: 384
Genre: Historical Romance
Source: Edelweiss
Publisher: Avon
Rating: A
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
What’s a duke to do, when the girl who’s perfectly wrong becomes the woman he can’t live without?

Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, has no desire to wed this season—or any season—but his diabolical mother abducts him to “Spinster Cove” and insists he select a bride from the ladies in residence. Griff decides to teach her a lesson that will end the marriage debate forever. He chooses the serving girl.

Overworked and struggling, Pauline Simms doesn’t dream about dukes. All she wants is to hang up her barmaid apron and open a bookshop. That dream becomes a possibility when an arrogant, sinfully attractive duke offers her a small fortune for a week’s employment. Her duties are simple: submit to his mother’s “duchess training”… and fail miserably.

But in London, Pauline isn’t a miserable failure. She’s a brave, quick-witted, beguiling failure—a woman who ignites Griff’s desire and soothes the darkness in his soul. Keeping Pauline by his side won’t be easy. Even if Society could accept a serving girl duchess—can a roguish duke convince a serving girl to trust him with her heart?

Review: Wilde Nights in Paradise by Tonya Burrows

Title: Wilde Nights in Paradise
Series: Wilde Security, #1
Author: Tonya Burrows
Published: June 10, 2013
Pages: 250
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Entangled (Brazen)
Rating: C
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
He’ll guard her body all night long.

Former Marine Jude Wilde’s motto has always been “burn bridges and never look back,” so nobody is more surprised when Wilde Security is hired to protect assistant district attorney Libby Pruitt, the woman he loved and left. Although she makes it clear she wants nothing to do with Jude, they’re forced to fake a relationship for her safety. He can’t ignore the heat still simmering between them, and when her stalker’s threats escalate to attempted murder, he’s left with no choice but to whisk her away to a friend’s safe house in Key West, FL.

Cooped up in paradise together, Jude begins to chip away at Libby’s resolve to hate him. But even as she gives in to his proximity and her body’s demands for his, she refuses to fall for his charms again. Maybe a torrid affair in the sun is exactly what she needs to get him out of her system. But when her stalker tracks them down, can they escape the steamy Key West night without anyone getting hurt?

Review: Playing the Part by Robin Covington

Title: Playing the Part (Entangled Brazen)
Author: Robin Covington
Published: June 10, 2013
Pages: 250
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Entangled (Brazen)
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
After publicly self-destructing over a heartbreak a year ago, bestselling romance writer Piper James is now making nice with her publisher by agreeing to teach Hollywood's favorite action star how to act like he's in love. Only playboy Mick Blackwell has no clue what love looks like. When a seductive heat ignites between Piper and Mick, she jumps at the chance for a bit of fun between the sheets, but with two stipulations: she's kept out of the public eye and things end when she returns to New York. Only Mick keeps changing the rules on her. Tempted by America's favorite bad boy, Piper is wondering how far she's willing to bend...

Review: Finding Master Right by L.A. Witt

Title: Finding Master Right
Author: L.A. Witt
Published: June 17, 2013
Pages: 170
Genre: M/M Romance
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Rating: D
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
It's all fun and games until somebody falls in love.

Chase has just arrived at a much anticipated leather convention, and he’s about to lose his mind. Not only is his ex attending, but Chase is also rooming with Derek, a submissive he’s been dying to top. Although Derek is in search of a Dom, he made it painfully clear when the two of them hooked up for a very hot—but very vanilla—night just before the convention that he wasn’t interested in submitting to Chase.

Derek isn’t stupid. No matter how desperate he is to submit to Chase, he wants no part of a rebound relationship. As long as Chase is still pining after the sub who broke his heart a few months ago, Derek’s keeping him at arm’s length. Besides, there’s another Dom at this convention, the gorgeous Master Raul, who Derek is determined to attract.

But when Chase and Derek are confronted with all their kinks, from ropes to leather, bondage to flogging—not to mention each other—they can only ignore their mutual attraction for so long.

Review: Dirty Distractions by Cari Quinn

Title: Dirty Distractions
Series: Afternoon Delight, #1
Author: Cari Quinn
Published: June 18, 2013
Pages: 166
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Samhain
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Marq

summary from Goodreads
She wants a fling, and he wants forever…

Zoologist Sara Carmichael’s active social life is the envy of all her friends, but she has a secret. She’s bored senseless. If she has to go to one more bird sanctuary fundraiser with some guy who thinks his little sports car makes him “hip,” she'll scream.

Enter Brad O’Halloran, her best friend Kim’s much younger brother. A guy who’s picking up the pieces after a quickie marriage and even quicker divorce. A guy so hot he makes her body scream with frustration.

Until Sara’s apartment is renovated, they’re all living at Kim’s place. Despite her determination to not to salivate at glimpses of Brad’s finer-than-fine body in nothing but a low-slung towel, flirtation escalates to the brink of something more.

Now one of them has to back down…or ante up for some good, dirty fun with the unspoken understanding that when the time comes, they’ll make a clean break. Neither anticipated they’d make the most complicated connection of all—love.