Monday, April 30, 2012

Review: Bejeweled


Bejeweled
Bejeweled by Miranda George

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Poor Bryan Carroll goes from worried about being fired, to thinking he's going to make easy points with his boss, and back to worry. This is the first of two stories. The next one comes out in May. It's a cute story with a good blend of humor, romance, and adventure. Jordan Starr wants to get back at her father but she ends up over her head and now she has to deal with Bryan as well. Can she ever work things out with her dad, cousin, and Bryan, too? This one is a lot of fun and I can't wait until Bryan, Jordan, and Zach catch up with Jordon's cousin Sherri in the next installment.



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Review: Spanking Required


Spanking Required
Spanking Required by Bree Jandora

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Short, dark, and erotic. I feel so unsure about this one. Nothing happened that Brooke didn't allow but it could have gone so badly so in some ways maybe it can be a caution to others. I feel for Brooke who is torn because I feel she really cares for her ex but has such a strong need to not only spanked but dominated as well. I kept hoping that end the end when her ex called he would get demanding or show up when she hung up and start taking control so she could have the best of both worlds.



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Review: Stranded


Stranded
Stranded by Kate Page

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Short and sweet love story of a couple with young children being forced to reconnect with the handiwork of family. They start out at odds but soon find the way back to each other.



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Sunday, April 29, 2012

Review: The Spanking Hotel


The Spanking Hotel
The Spanking Hotel by Perry Perez

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I think if you took this book serious you might find it very disturbing and severe. But the characters were so outrageous and really caricatures that seemed to be reminiscent of some old B movie. The few little illustrations reinforced that feeling. The over-the-top actions and reactions really gave it more a fun and campy feel. My obsession with relationships and HEA's is what keep this from getting a 5 rating. But if you looking for something that a bit over done for some fun reading that lets you laugh at yourself and the idea of those old B movies you should enjoy this book.



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Review: Power Play: Resistance


Power Play: Resistance
Power Play: Resistance by Rachel Haimowitz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Wow. This book packs a powerful emotional punch. Other reviewers have said it so much better but the story is compelling and yet terrifying all at the same time. Both characters are so strong and so strongly written that you are drawn into their lives and the action. There were times when I especially wanted to yell at Brandon don't you get. Just.Let.Go. Or to beg Jonathan to not become Brandon's father in Brandon's mind. There is hope in the ending and I look forward to the next book.



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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Review: Dance of the Seven Veils


Dance of the Seven Veils
Dance of the Seven Veils by Cris Anson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Good story of a woman overcome the emotional abuse of a long marriage and learning to embrace her own sexuality.



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Friday, April 27, 2012

Review: Try It Anyway


Try It Anyway
Try It Anyway by Emma Bruce

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Like may other stories where it seems unlikely that these people could ever work things out Hope and Brad seem like star-crossed lovers at the start of the book. She is the owner of the store where Brad is employed part-time while trying to earn his law degree. I was almost ready to give up on the pair of them and the book after the first couple of chapters because Hope seemed like such a B**ch and in his own way Brad was kind of a B***rd. But it was worth getting past that point. Brad seems to realize his feelings and acknowledge them first which is a bit of change. In fact you really have to hang on until the very end to see that there is hope (no pun intended) for this couple. Their sex life seems a bit rough for my taste but it works for them and that makes it work for the story. The 3 star rating comes from the hard start and then the end that seemed a bit abrupt but it is still a good story and worth the read.



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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Review: Under One Roof


Under One Roof
Under One Roof by Diana DeRicci

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Sweet story about two people who seem to be just what the other one needed.



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Review: Dissonance


Dissonance
Dissonance by Sonja Spencer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Matthias is broken and hurting and Kent is drawn to him. I love how Kurt even though he is a young man himself can recognize the needs in Matthias and show so much patience and gentleness. This story ends leaving you feeling that the is hope and a future for these young men.



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Review: Caught Running


Caught Running
Caught Running by Madeleine Urban

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is a really sweet love story about two guys who never got to know each other when they were younger even though they graduated together. As they moved into their adult roles they still seemed to be in separate circles. When Brandon is giving no choice in helping out Jake with the baseball team they connect for the first time and get to know one another and develop a friendship. It was fun knowing how they each felt about each other bouncing around what they were feeling. The only negative was the way that homeschooling was portrayed as leading to Brandon's shyness and feelings for being an outsider. Having raised several homeschool boys so far I can tell you that it's their personalities that lead them to be outgoing or shy not how they were schooled.



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Review: Cop Out


Cop Out
Cop Out by K.C. Burn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



After Kurt's partner is killed in the line of duty he finds out about Ben's double life and what he finds out upsets him because he's found out he had a life partner that he was treating really crappy. Kurt decides to help Davy out and a friendship begins to grow between the men. I really like how the author allowed the friendship and the help that came with it develop in a natural way. Poor Kurt gets confused when his feelings seem to become something more for Davy and he must battle with himself because no matter what he wants the best for Davy.



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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Review: The Wicked Wanderer


The Wicked Wanderer
The Wicked Wanderer by Sharon Green

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I love it when a book surprises me and this one did. First it wasn't my typical genre but I gave it chance. This story has lots of humor along with the adventure. Poor Tor Rego has really messed up with his little stowaway and the it seemed the more he tried to fix things the worse he seemed to make things. And Chayara seems to be her own worse enemy. It was fun to see in the middle of the adventurer of a life time they still make starts and stops as they work their way to a HEA.



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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Review: Digging Up Bones


Digging Up Bones
Digging Up Bones by Robin Smith

My rating: 0 of 5 stars



Kasia is homeless and could use a good job. Ez is short an assistant and could use the help so its a great match. This story is full of humor and dry wit especially when dealing with Ez's evil nemesis. I felt that the reactions of Kasia were very real. While this story isn't a traditional tearjerker there were some emotional moments as Kasia comes to terms with her own internal struggles as she journeys to come home for maybe the first time.



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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Review: Admit One


Admit One
Admit One by Jenna Hilary Sinclair

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This story surprised me in how much it effected me on an emotional level. It was so much more than a romance story. Maybe because I live in a smaller, conservative town and I can easily picture some of those things happening if the school tried to put on a play like Rent that makes the story very believable. I love how the story is about two people Tom and Kevin but that the story is really an ensemble story where all the characters are important to the whole of the story. All the characters seem well developed and real. It takes a special writer to really make you feel both the pain and the triumph of the characters from Tom's despair to Robbie's moment of bravery in coming out. This is a very powerful story.



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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Review: Attitudes: A Collection of Real-Life Spanking Stories


Attitudes: A Collection of Real-Life Spanking Stories
Attitudes: A Collection of Real-Life Spanking Stories by Assorted Authors

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This was a great collection of stories and I think it's great that the authors are willing to be honest and share their own stories. The impression that really struck me as I read through this collection are how much the love the couples have for each other shine through their stories even when the tears are falling. That every couple has a unique approach as to what method or style fit them and there relationship. There is no one right way to approach a spanking life style. Especially interesting was to hear it from the spanker's point of view instead of just the spankees. And the smoke detector story was really funny and was made even more so because the ones in the kids rooms were going off yesterday because the batteries were low.



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Review: A Captured Maiden


A Captured Maiden
A Captured Maiden by Nattie Jones

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Lali is spending the day away from home and comes home to find total chaos. Her whole life is burning away and now she is in the hands of Master Gresham. She has trouble dealing with her grief and her feelings as she tries to adjust to this new world. I like that it does appear as though she just accepts everything but has to grow into her acceptance and feelings. It really feels that there is hope for Lali's future as the story draws to a close. Fantasy is my normal first pick put I'll be reading more of this series to she how it unfolds.



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Review: Saying I Do


Saying I Do
Saying I Do by Cameron Dane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Adam and Rhone are back and this time they are staying in Vermont for about a week before they get married. It's all about relaxing, kicking back, and enjoying each other or is it. Not only are there still some issues that Adam and Rhone have to deal with, there is a couple they have to bring back together, a family reunion to conduct, and a mystery to resolve. For these guys and their rest of the Quinn crew its no problem to get it all done and still make it to the chapel on time.



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Friday, April 13, 2012

Review: Deakeny's Bride


Deakeny's Bride
Deakeny's Bride by Darla Phelps

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I found this a gripping story and read it straight through. Margot has turned 18 and thinks she is about to enter the world of adult with her husband. She looks forward to leaving behind the harsh punishment of the sisters in the school she grew up. But when Miss Della arrives to escort her to her new home she begins to realize that things are not what she expected. Margot is left confused by what role she is to play and the manipulation of her SIL Celia only complicate and confuse matters for poor Margot. It seems that just as Margot is settling in Celia puts things into play that turn from mean to dangerous.

Early in the story I almost felt as confused as Margot as to what the true intentions and feelings of both her husband Thomas and her nanny Miss Della are toward Margot. But as the story progress you get a sense that these people truly do care for Margot. And while we might find it disturbing in some ways compared to how we thing of marriage and kink choices now days wives really were their husbands property and some were treated much worse. Truly you come to feel that despite the oddity of treating a wife as a child Thomas and to some extent Miss Della are the only people who have ever truly cared for Margot.



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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Review: All He Wants For Christmas


All He Wants For Christmas
All He Wants For Christmas by Starla Kaye

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved this lighthearted but strong story. Merry Noel Kringle has been a mischief maker all her life and often ends up on Santa's naughty list and when Santa is your dad well that makes it so much worse because instead of a lump of coal you get a pretty pink paddle with her name on it warming your seat. Now Merry has one more chance to prove herself to her dad. She has to help Nick Holiday and his Grinch like attitude to embrace the Christmas spirit. What happens after Merry arrives was beyond what even Santa expected. This is a fun story with lots of humor but some really sweet and tender moments. Through in Santa stirring up his own little additions and the result is nothing short of Christmas Magic.



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Review: Shattered Glass


Shattered Glass
Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Wow this story took me longer to read than anything else I've read lately. There were so many twists and turns in this story. And just when you think you are finally winding down there are a few more bombshells that need to explode. This story really keeps you on the edge of sheet.



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Review: Western Ties


Western Ties
Western Ties by Mari Carr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Lucy and Sawyer knew each other in school and reconnect just when it seems that Sawyer would need her the most. It was great to see a strong woman give in to both her need to submit and her partners need to dominate. I love how JD still has such strength of character despite the circumstances. I expected to be crying through this whole book but instead it wasn't really until the end that I was shedding tears. The rest of the story was really a strong story of love, healing, and admitting your feelings.



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Review: Cinder


Cinder
Cinder by Marie Sexton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I really love this take on the classic Cinderella story. They way the story was adapted to fit the character was perfect. I appreciated the way that the friendship came first. It made you feel that the prince was just as worthy of a happily ever after as Eldon (Cinder). I stayed up late to finish in one day. You can't help but believe in the magic of this story.



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Review: Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Three


Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Three
Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Three by Damon Suede

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Another great mix of M/M stories and at the price can't be beat that's for sure. I did break reading of this book with reading some other books and that made it really easy to enjoy.



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Review: Christina's Tapestry


Christina's Tapestry
Christina's Tapestry by N.J. Walters

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Christina is drawn to a strange tapestry in a shop window and buys it on impulse. With the help of the tapestry she finds herself in another world and having to choose between leaving or choosing a husband between the two brothers Marc and Jerek. The story was fun and enjoyable and in the send very sweet. But frankly I think her easy acceptance of waking up in another world a bit hard to believe.



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Review: Suddenly a Spy


Suddenly a Spy
Suddenly a Spy by Heather Huffman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is another one of those books I picked up free a while ago. It isn't so much a romance as a mystery/crime story with some romance thrown in. Veronica is enjoying her wedding reception with everything changes the instant a mysterious woman shows up and starts talking to her new husband Rick. Now all she wants to know is what is going on. From that moment on her life takes on a new direction that she seems to not only embrace but enjoy. I don't think I would react as well to such a sudden change in my life. Maybe it just shows she wasn't really cut out for the ordinary life she was about to embark on.



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Review: Kiss and Tell


Kiss and Tell
Kiss and Tell by Cherie Noel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Tony gives so much of himself and feels so deeply. Kevin puts Tony's needs first. I liked how it showed their imperfections. Loved the hope I felt as I finished the story.



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Monday, April 9, 2012

If It's Free It's For Me....Or Is It?

I remember when I first started to do digital scrapbooking.  I picked up every free kit that was offered.  Some were high quality and I made use of them, some were good quality but they didn't really reflect my personality or the pictures I had to work with so I never used them, and some were just low quality and frankly just junk. After about six months I discovered what style kits matched my style and while I still downloaded freebies from time to time I do it much more rarely and I don't make a purchase unless I have a specific use for it.

So when I got my first Nook I was a freebie hound.  I signed up for every blog/group I could find.  I entered every contest, etc.  By the time I moved to my Nook Touch I slowed down a bit but I was still downloading a lot of freebies.

At the beginning of the year I got my third Nook the Nook Tablet and as I was re-shelving my book yet again and really looking at all the books on my Good Reads To Be Read shelf I realized I had a huge backlog.  So I've noticed that I have now become way more picking about picking up those freebies or entering those contests.  It really came home to me this week when All Romance started their book a day give away for Earth Day.  So far I've only picked up 3 of the books offered and 1 I had already read before so I didn't need that one.  I'm also more likely to enter a contest where the winner has either a choice of books or the prize is a gift certificate to allow you to choose what you really want.

I don't regret all the freebies I picked up in the past because I discovered writers and genre's I might not have tried out otherwise but I've also noticed that about half the freebies I picked up I've had to force myself to finish reading.  They might be well written but they just don't click with me for whatever reason.  And I'm still picking up a freebie here and there but I've gotten better at knowing what I find entertaining and with such a backlog of books with new ones coming out everyday that I really want to read I think I'll pick up less freebies for now and go ahead and spend money on something I know I'll enjoy reading.  When I want to explore my comfort levels or different genre's I can do that some of the different challenges at Good Reads or by taking the recommendation of a review by someone who's opinion I appreciate.

But I'll still be trying to get through the freebies I already have even if they don't really seem that great to me because we all have our own OCD issues and apparently that is one of mine.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Review: By His Rules


By His Rules
By His Rules by J.A. Rock

My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Not sure what happened but that should be 5 of 5 starts.  Off to fix it at Good Reads.

Aiden is so sure of what he needs and even though he feels some kind of attraction to the guy in the bar he falls for Scott's allure and gets drawn into a dangerous situation. I love that he got himself out but then he seems to just be stuck. I love how his friends are there for him and do their best to help. Scott has such patience and strength to help Aiden even when it gets tough.

It was interesting to see domestic discipline from a m/m point of view and as part of a darker story. I also appreciate the way that the story has a happily ever after but you can tell that the relationship is still very much a work in progress.



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Review: The Librarian


The Librarian
The Librarian by Courage Knight

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Bailey feels very insecure and unsure of herself and even why her husband could really care about her. Ajay loves his wife deeply and wants to encourage her to do her best. I love how he uses different methods to help her grow and to encourage her. The neatest thing was to see her finally catch on for herself. The outcome of the story was so special and so very sweet. A big confirmation for both Bailey and Ajay.



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Review: Reinventing Ivy


Reinventing Ivy
Reinventing Ivy by Kimber Davis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Ivy arrives in Scotland with a chip on her shoulder and anger in her heart. It is not without justification but at first she refuses to think about anyone's point of view but her own. Stuart does not have the patience to deal with her drama. But as the story develops so does Ivy and Stuart both in their understanding of themselves but also in their understanding of the other people as well. And when something they care about is threatened they learn to work together they learn even more. This story leaves you with a wonderful warm feeling.



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Review: Stolen


Stolen
Stolen by Jinx Jamison

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This turned out to just be a scene to advertise a new series so there was really nothing there. The series might be interesting but this just left me feeling flat.



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Review: Safe Words


Safe Words
Safe Words by Chris Owen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



While there was some of the drama you expect with Phan and some scenes between the principal characters and their friends neither one seemed to be the main focus of this final installment in the Deviations series. Overall it was a good look at all the men involved and to see that they have made an unlikely situation work well for all of them. Very beautiful story.



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Review: Maid for It


Maid for It
Maid for It by Lucy Rodgers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Gabriela is taken advantage of and used without her consent. Evan Daniel is a horrible user. Benjamin Hardcastle appears at first to be just as bad as the rest of the men we have met but when the truth of the full level of deception is uncovered he turns out to one of the good guys. This story if full of layers and complications. When you start you can see nothing but sadness and tragedy but the last third of the book delivers a powerful HEA.



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Review: Whitetail Rock


Whitetail Rock
Whitetail Rock by Anne Tenino

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Nik and Jurgen seem to tap dance around their feelings. It takes them a while to settle down and realize what they feel.



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