by Nicole
| Title: | Sneaking Candy |
| Author: | Lisa Burstein |
| Publisher | Entangled Publishing, LLC |
| Publication Date: | December 9, 2013 |
| Publisher's Description | All I ever wanted was to make a name for myself as Candice Salinas, creative writing grad student at the University of Miami. Of course, secretly I already have made a name for myself: as Candy Sloane, self-published erotic romance writer. Though thrilled that my books are selling and I have actual fans, if anyone at UM found out, I could lose my scholarship…and the respect of my faculty advisor, grade-A-asshole Professor Dylan.
Enter James Walker, super-hot local barista and—surprise!—my student. Even though I know a relationship is totally off-limits, I can’t stop myself from sneaking around with James, taking a few cues from my own erotic writing…if you catch my drift. Candy’s showing her stripes for the first time in my real life, and I’ve never had so much fun. But when the sugar high fades, can my secrets stay under wraps? |
| My rating: | **** |
I enjoyed this book; having never been overly steeped in an academic lifestyle (my courses of study never required as much from me as Candice’s did from her) initially, I wasn’t quite sure what the fuss was about, or why Professor Dylan was such a jerk. Over the course of the novel, as I learned more about Candice, I felt like I understood why she struggled the way she did with how to reconcile her erotic and serious writing, and why she was so messed up over her attraction to James. At the end of the book I did have a few questions (how did Candy get so many fans in just one month? how is she on people’s favorite author lists on the strength of only one book? what constituted the fraud that required her to give back part of her stipend? how could the whole situation with Professor Dylan have been resolved so quickly? who pissed in her parents’ cornflakes??), but I generally enjoyed the ride. The secondary characters in this novel were a bit underdeveloped and weren’t as well-realized as Candice and James. I found Amanda to be a especially annoying and unforgivably reckless with Candice’s life. James felt a little too good to be true. It’s good that he was able to stick with Candice long enough for her to determine what she wanted but, even though it wasn’t her intention to hurt him or play with his feelings, she jerked him around a lot in this story and I don’t think that anybody could have blamed him for deciding that he didn’t want to pursue a relationship with her.
I like this New Adult book on its own merits, and also because of the refreshing lack of horrific backstory on the part of either main character (distant, disappointing parents and a crappy ex barely rate when compared to some of the truly awful things other NA characters have experienced).
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
2013 4 Star Books Book Reviews Erotic Romance Netgalley New Adult Romance
by Nicole
| Title: | Just One Night, Part 1: The Stranger |
| Author: | Kyra Davis |
| Publisher | Pocket Star |
| Publication Date: | January 21, 2013 |
| Publisher's Description | Kasie knows who she’s supposed to be. But one passionate night with a mysterious stranger will teach her who she wants to be.
You should sleep with a stranger, her best friend whispers in her ear as they take to Vegas for one last pre-wedding fling. Despite her best intentions, when Kasie Fitzgerald enters the casino and sees him, a man whose tailored clothes belied a powerful, even dangerous, presence, she loses herself to the moment. Maybe it’s the dress, much shorter than she’d ever normally wear, or the Scotch, but something makes her give herself over to him more completely than she's ever done with a man before.
It was supposed to be just one night. But right as she’s thinking she wants more, he shows up in her office with an agenda. As the billionaire CEO of a company that’s engaged her PR firm, his demands just became her reality...and he desires so much more than just some attention in the boardroom. |
| My rating: | *** |
I am a fan of Kyra Davis’s previous books, both her series and standalone titles, so I was exited to see a title by her in the NetGalley catalog. I always like to see authors work in different genres, so I was interested to see what her foray into erotica would bring. After having read Just One Night, I will say that while I don’t think that it is a great read, it interested me enough that I will read the next installment.
Oddly enough, it wasn’t the erotica in this book that didn’t work for me; those were fine. Ms. Davis managed to blend the sexy fun times with an interesting plot. First first thing about this book that annoyed me was the language. This book is full of metaphors. It’s actually bursting with metaphors (that is a metaphor). I like figurative language as much as the next person, but at some point, I want things to be said. I think this problem is directly related to the second thing that bothered me: Kasie. Kasie was the one using most of the metaphors, because she wasn’t a fan of reality, and it seemed like the figurative language gave her another layer to hide behind. Since Kasie was not that into reality, sometimes I was not that into Kasie.
Likewise, Robert Dade is, in the vein of Christian Grey and Gideon Cross, far too good to be true. I know this is fiction, but come on. A super rich, sexy, sexually experienced and adventuresome guy who wants nothing more than to help some undersexed woman rectify her criminal lack of multiple-orgasmic experiences? Give the guy a prize. Obviously, I get why Dade is sexy, and I might even understand why he is attracted to Kasie, but what keeps him coming back? Her indecision got annoying pretty early on, and her fiance was so obviously wrong for who she really was that staying with him seemed more like cruelty than anything else. I award her no points for her selective fidelity or after-the-fact guilty freakouts.
Asha might prove to be interesting in further installments, but in this book, she was kind of annoying. She popped in long enough to say something that was equally insightful and bitchy, and then disappeared for another 40 pages. Alrighty then.
This book had problems, but they’re not insurmountable. The second installment is going to determine whether I stick with this series or call it a day.
2013 2013 NetGalley Challenge 3 Star Books Erotic Romance Netgalley Romance
by Nicole
| Title: | Defying the Odds: A Battered Hearts Series Book 1 |
| Author: | Kele Moon |
| Publisher: | Loose Id |
| Publication Date: | December 2011 |
| Publisher's Description | When struggling waitress Melody Dylan gives a handsome, lonely stranger a simple gift she has no clue her life is about to take a drastic turn.
The stranger ends up being Clay Powers, a famous UFC heavyweight fighter. Clay’s large build and dangerous fists have always intimidated. People in his hometown keep their distance and Clay is fine with that. Everything changes when a new waitress at the local diner buys him a piece of pie on thanksgiving. Touched by the gesture when it’s obvious she can barely afford to survive, her warm smile and lush body churn up powerful feelings that leave Clay wanting more from her than pie.
Melody is running from her past and the small, country town of Garnet is the perfect hiding place. With an ex-husband after her and scars from her abusive marriage etched deep, the last thing she expects is to fall for a man who makes a living with his fists, but she can’t resist Clay or the tender connection they share.
Finding love in the most unlikely of places, the passion is undeniable, but Clay and Melody know their haunted pasts and unpredictable futures leave the odds stacked against them.
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: violence. |
| My rating: | **** |
This book was a pleasure to read. I really liked how Ms. Moon established Melody and Clay’s personalities so quickly and clearly. I felt invested in them immediately, and was interested in every step of their relationship. Part of this was due to Ms. Moon’s keen ear for dialogue; the characters conversed believably, without long passages of backstory exposition. Speaking of dialogue, I normally have trouble getting into novels where the characters’ accents are written phonetically, but not here. I was so interested in this world that I didn’t care how the people sounded; if you knew me, you’d understand what a huge deal this is.
The erotic elements of this book were hot, which is a given in this genre, and well-written, which is not. I felt that they flowed nicely into the narrative bits of this book. It’s so jarring to read an erotic novel where the sexy bits seem as though they take place in a universe disconnected from the rest of the book, and I’m happy that that didn’t happen here.
The woman in danger trope isn’t a new one, but Ms. Moon’s kept it from feeling boringly familiar. In addition to having a way with dialogue, she also has a knack for creating believable and engaging supporting characters. I’d never read anything by Kele Moon before, but this book has made me a fan. I know that Defying the Odds is the beginning of this series, and I’m excited to read the rest of the books in it.
2013 2013 NetGalley Challenge 4 Star Books Erotic Romance Netgalley Romance
by Nicole
| Title: | Erotic Amusements |
| Author: | Justine Elyot |
| Publication Date: | August 2011 |
| Publisher's Description | In Goldsands, there are many amusements to be had for those willing to give in to their deepest desires...
The seaside resort town of Goldsands is a place of dreamers and transients who wash in and out like the tide. But its picture-postcard prettiness conceals some sinister realities. Coldhearted mogul Charles Cordwainer owns most of the local businesses, both legitimate and illicit, and more than a few of its residents.
Michelle, Cordwainer's submissive: despite her loyalty, he plans to turn her over to another man. Flipp, the new girl in town: she has a dark past and a penchant for bondage. Rocky, Cordwainer's right-hand man: a sexy biker with eyes for Flipp. Laura, Goldsands's carnival queen: an über-bitch with her sights fixed on Rocky.
Secrets, betrayals, lovers all become intertwined-and when someone starts digging up the dirt on Cordwainer's empire, nothing will ever be the same... |
| My rating: | ** |
This book was nearly incomprehensible to me. Too much happened in it, and while trying to provide decent erotic romance and compelling mystery, Ms. Elyot really provided neither. What was the deal with Flip and Rocky? I get that they liked to have sex with one another, but I never really believed in their romance. I read this entire book, and didn’t come out of it liking even one character. Well, maybe Flip. Rocky seemed irredeemable. He was the enforcer for a thug, and we’re to understand that he did some awful things in the name of work, so how was he better than any other crook in this novel? I don’t believe in love as redemptive, so to me, he’s just the same scum, only with somebody who knows and (possibly) loves that scumminess. Um, yay?
Also, regardless of how much I didn’t like this book, I do not see how this title was chosen for it. There was an amusement area in the town, but I wouldn’t say that it really factored hugely into what happened in this book. And what happened in other parts of this book is so far away from my idea of amusing that I’m having trouble reconciling the discrepancy. A woman with low self-esteem who allows herself to be owned and traded by men is not something that I find erotic or amusing. So why the title? This may be the only mystery related to this book that I would like to have solved.
Ugh.
2 Star Books Book Reviews Erotic Romance Netgalley
by Nicole
| Title: | IOU Sex |
| Author: | Calista Fox |
| Publication Date: | August 2011 |
| Publisher's Description | Fiona Carlisle didn't think anything could hurt as much as finding her fiancé in bed with her sister. But receiving an invitation to the happy couple's engagement party comes a close second. Determined to prove to her family and herself that she's moved on, Fiona has every intention of attending, looking red-hot and with an even hotter man on her arm. And there's only one man who will do: renowned photographer and reputed playboy Michael Houston.
Fiona's rebound fling with Michael was a brief but erotic romp. Michael has made no secret of the fact that he's still interested. So when Fiona asks him to escort her to the engagement party, he agrees, with one condition: she must spend a sensual weekend with him picking up where they left off.
Intensely attracted to Michael, Fiona can't resist his offer for long. But when the weekend is over, will she be able to resist giving him her heart? |
| My rating: | ***.5 |
First of all, way to undersell a book by saddling it with an inappopriate title. I don’t mean that the implication that one person owes another sex is inappropriate, although I wouldn’t be the hugest fan of such an arrangement. No, my objection is that the title simply doesn’t fit the story. It’s hard to review such a short story without being completely spoileriffic, but I can safely say that sex isn’t really used as a bargaining chip in this story.
Now that I’ve said what this book wasn’t, let me tell you what it was: a really cute short story. IOU Sex (see? ridiculous) was more tender than the faux-racy title might lead one to believe. I thought that Ms. Fox did a great job of conveying to us how deep Fiona and Michael’s feelings were for one another, especially considering that they had quite a history together that predated the story’s opening. Although the majority of their interactions took place before the story began, I never felt like we the audience were playing catch-up. Ms. Fox is an expert at giving exposition without sacrificing the flow of what is happening in the present.
Fiona’s family was a little too vile to be completely belieavable, but it was nice to see her stand up for herself. Ms. Fox packed a lot of relatable feeling and growth into a relatively small amount of space, but I never felt like events were rushed or thoughtlessly tacked on. I think that this length worked fine for ths story, although I personally wouldn’t mind reading more about Fiona and Michael…and possibly Seth and Lizzie, since I get the feeling that that relationship is going to implode in some deliciously awful way.
3.5 Star Books Book Reviews Erotic Romance Netgalley Romance
I enjoyed this book; having never been overly steeped in an academic lifestyle (my courses of study never required as much from me as Candice’s did from her) initially, I wasn’t quite sure what the fuss was about, or why Professor Dylan was such a jerk. Over the course of the novel, as I learned more about Candice, I felt like I understood why she struggled the way she did with how to reconcile her erotic and serious writing, and why she was so messed up over her attraction to James. At the end of the book I did have a few questions (how did Candy get so many fans in just one month? how is she on people’s favorite author lists on the strength of only one book? what constituted the fraud that required her to give back part of her stipend? how could the whole situation with Professor Dylan have been resolved so quickly? who pissed in her parents’ cornflakes??), but I generally enjoyed the ride. The secondary characters in this novel were a bit underdeveloped and weren’t as well-realized as Candice and James. I found Amanda to be a especially annoying and unforgivably reckless with Candice’s life. James felt a little too good to be true. It’s good that he was able to stick with Candice long enough for her to determine what she wanted but, even though it wasn’t her intention to hurt him or play with his feelings, she jerked him around a lot in this story and I don’t think that anybody could have blamed him for deciding that he didn’t want to pursue a relationship with her.
