ARC Review: His Temptation by Amber Barden

I'm giving this book 3 stars to be fair to this particular sub-genre and people who might enjoy it. This book is from a subset of erotic romance for readers who enjoy "Daddy-Little Girl" themes. I've discovered something about myself, I don't enjoy this. So if you're like me this book is not going to be 3 stars for you. It's going to be closer to a 2 star or just something that you wouldn't read. I tell you all that to let you know that my perspective is somewhat skewed and may not be reflective of a more accepting outlook on this brand of erotica.

This is a novella, it's only about 90 pages and there isn't all that much of a story. I have to say though, for this to be as short as it is there was actually pretty decent character development. Katie is Clay's dog walker who also has other odd jobs. Katie is the daughter of a mother with 7 children and no Dads who stuck around. Even though Katie claims that she does not have "Daddy" issues, she has spent her whole life caring for other people and has never had anyone to protect her or make her feel special. Clay is a retired baseball player who lost his first career when he got injured. As a result Clay has kind of lost himself. He is trying his best to live his new life but he doesn't own it the way he owned his life as an athlete and he's struggling.  Katie thinks that Clay is cold and disapproving but she soon discovers that he is conflicted. Clay loves the way that Katie calls him Daddy (she does it more as a joke but that's hard to explain) and it makes him realize how much he wants to take care of her. Clay and Katie embark on a super hot exploration of their chemistry that quickly turns into exactly what both of them were looking for in and out of the bedroom.

I really had to take a minute to figure out what about these books I don't like and I got it. I can handle the "Daddy" part of the equation. I have no problem with a bossy man who wants to take care of a woman. I'm totally into that. What is a major turn off for me is the "little girl" part of the story. Katie bouncing around like a 10 year old in pigtails purposely goading "Daddy" and make him chase her....I get that may be hot for some of ya'll and I am not here to judge. But that part skeeves me all the way out. There is nothing sexual, in my mind, about little kid behavior and the more the characters behave in that way or are attracted to that, the more I check out of the book. I get that someone like Katie needed a chance to be a little girl because she never really had that. What I can't go for is Clay wanting to be the Daddy to the little girl...and also bang her. Yeah, this sub-genre is definitely not for me. But if it's your thing, dive right in. There is nothing wrong with the writing and the story is well put together.

**ARC provided by Ardent PRose**

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ARC Review: Twice As Hard by Amber Bardan

It is really hard to give this book a numerical rating. It was a really strange trip. It's also hard to write a review without spoiling anything because....I don't even know how to say it without spoiling the big thing in this book. I'm going to do my best to pick around the edges but I'm warning you that it's difficult to give you a full view of what this book is about without giving away some pretty significant twists.

What I can tell you is that the premise of this book is that a married woman goes on a solo expedition. She is ordered to do so by her husband who sends her daily instructions on what to do. She meets two men in the woods and is immediately terrified of them and is also attracted to them. Both of them. Even though her husband is back at home and she loves him so much... The two men are clearly threatening but still let Gabby escape with a warning not to come back to their woods. When Gabby's dog runs off to the woods she has no choice but to venture back into the woods. Gabby immediately run into her two assailants who "force" her into rough sex. It turns out that Gabby has always had a fantasy of things happening the way they do with her captors. They control her completely even going as far as to feed and bathe her and she enjoys all of it.The two men plan to keep Gabby for their own which seems kinda far fetched. And then the book takes a shift and it's impossible to describe what happens next without spoilers. 

If you like very erotic stories with BDSM and control elements, this is a good book for you. Of course you need to also be in to 3 ways and ok with questionable extra marital activities. This isn't very long, I estimate it's about 150 pages and it really isn't a romance novel or novella. This is more like a longer version of a story you might find on literotica dot com. The writing is pretty good and I think maybe if the book was longer and included more contextual information I might have liked it more. As it is, I just got a really weird vibe from the first half of this story and spent the whole second half going wtf, wtf, wtf. If you are in to the super freaky stuff you might want to give this a try but pass this one up if you enjoy the storytelling aspect more.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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Feature and Giveaway: Don't Lie to Me by Amber Bardan

Amber Bardan returns with a heart-stopping third installment in her high-octane, highly addictive Bad For You series

A fling with her best friend's reclusive business partner should've been harmless.

When Emma meets him, the only way she's looking to be tied down is in the literal sense. But Avner—shady hacker, off-the-books investigator, occasional spy—takes her breath away. He's the first man who doesn't turn to mush under her sexual spell: a fact that makes what's between them very different, and very real.

Beautiful and uninhibited, Emma is everything Avner thought she would be and more. Yet his deadly past and dark duties can never be forgotten…not even as he succumbs to their seductive intimacy. But for the first time he's after something of his own, as well.

And now that he's found Emma, he'll protect her, no matter what. Because anything worth loving is worth fighting for.

But nothing about Avner is remotely harmless.

Soon, Avner has infiltrated Emma's personal life, stalled her career and nearly destroyed everything she's worked for—all in the name of protection. Desperate and heartbroken, drawn into a secret criminal underworld in her quest for understanding, Emma discovers the truth: Avner's secrets are far more devastating than his lies.

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Guest Post with Author Amber A. Bardan and Giveaway

Meet Amber A. Bardan, author of For Her Protection.

After spending years imagining fictional adventures, Amber finally found a way to turn daydreaming into a productive habit. She now spends her days as a graphic designer but her nights writing sizzling tales about heroes with tough exteriors who are warm inside.

She lives with her husband and children in semi-rural Australia, where if she peers outside at the right moment she might just see a kangaroo bounce by.

Find Amber at:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: For Her Protection by Amber A. Bardan

Sometimes you need a book like “For Her Protection” by Amber A. Bardan. It’s a fun chemistry packed book. From page one the story takes off. The hero and heroine are both very high strung and they both don’t hold back. I’m glad to see that this is the first book in a series.

Charlize (loved the heroine’s name) is an alpha woman. She is not afraid and does not back down from anything or anyone. She is trying to make it in her job which is a male dominated field. The odds are stack against her. Her co-workers resent her authority and her equals try to make her life impossible. Charlize is not thwarted by these odds, she is determined to make her family’s business. She is smart and beautiful and worthy of the position of CEO. That is coupled with some scary situations where she needs physical protection.

Connor is a no-nonsense-drop-dead-gorgeous-but-kicking alpha man. The minute him and Charlize meet they have instant chemistry and are equal forces of nature. He teaches a self -defense class at Charlize’s cousin’s gym. He also owns his own protection/ bodyguard company. Their first scene together was hilarious. Connor was a great character. He is all rough and tough on the outside and also very sweet and caring on the inside. There was no way anyone was harming Charlize the minute he became involved.

How do they become “involved”? When Charlize fears for her safety she has to hire some protection-enter Connor. Both she and Connor are very hard-headed and neither wants to back down. Charlize doesn’t want him protecting her and he wants things done his way. Overall, this was a great read. The conversations between them made me blush. Neither one of these characters holds back. Their chemistry is incredible, first three pages and you can feel the energy between them. The theme of suspense was also interesting as Connor tries to keep Charlize safe from harm. If you’re looking for a fun and exciting read, this is the book for you. I can’t wait for the next one in the series!

**ARC provided by Book Monster Promotions**

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