ARC Review: The Handy Men by Jamie K. Schmidt

The Handy Men is a quick and sexy by Jamie K. Schmidt. This story is a MMF menage, so if that is not your thing it might be best to steer clear of this one. While I was excited to read this one, I was also a bit wary. I have read some from Jamie K. Schmidt before, and they didn't entirely work for me. Unfortunately this one I had similar results with, and this will probably be the last I read from her. 

Jack and Dean love each other but are looking for a woman to feel as though their life together is complete. So when newly divorced Paige buys a bed and breakfast and hires them to help her fix it up, they see the perfect opportunity to complete their triangle. But Paige is hesitant to join them, especially with how small the island is. Can they prove to Paige that the three of them belong together and that they can have it all?

These three were definitely hot together and there was a ton of chemistry. I also felt like things were sweet and there was a genuine connection forming between them. Despite the heat and connection though, things took a sudden turn that ruined it all for me. While this one was going so well, I just couldn't get past the sudden drama that occurred, including some OW drama. It just ruined everything for me and there were some things that happened that I wasn't on board with at all. It really felt like there was some betrayal happening and I just couldn't come back from that. 

While this one had a ton of promise, unfortunately it took a turn that I didn't feel the story was ever able to recover from. I think that there are some that will really enjoy this story, and a lot of this is probably just some that bothers me personally. I have come to the conclusion though that this author just isn't for me, and while I don't seem to do well with her books I recommend giving her a shot if this one sounds good to you.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Necessary Evil by Jamie K. Schmidt

This is my first book by this author.  I picked it up because it had hints of MC romance in it and I love an MC romance. My overall impression of the book is that the author definitely has some skill at putting together a story and building characters. In the end, the book was good and not great because I just felt like there was too much going on. All the action and intrigue detracted from the relationship between the main characters and at the end of the day, that is what we read these books for.

Lucy is a criminal defense attorney with a criminal brother and a serious attraction to an ex-cop turned vigilante- Evil. Right from the beginning of the book, I got the feeling that the author was trying to do too many things at once. There was the story of what happened with Lucy's brother in the past. There was an issue with Lucy and all the cops who hated her. We also learn about cases that Lucy has and other criminals that Evil is chasing down. Then there was the situation between Lucy and Evil and the way it developed and then fizzled. I felt like I was at a tennis match with two people who can't play for shit. The ball was bouncing all over the place and I was getting whiplash trying to follow it.

The book really does get a little more focused about half way through the story. It's hard to get that far into a book without being drawn into the main characters so that's an issue. The weird thing is that I like Evil as a character and I like Lucy separate from him. The problem is that there wasn't really a point in the book where I got into the two of them being together. The other thing is that while the author developed all these different story lines, there are really no surprises in this book. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. We all need a little predictability in our lives. It was just weird because it seemed like the author was building tension into the plot and it kind of does not go anywhere.

I'm torn about whether I would recommend this book.  It was entertaining. There are some good steamy scenes. It just need s a little more smoothing out of the plot. I would read more works by this author though.

**ARC provided by publisher**

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ARC Review: Longing by Jamie K. Schmidt

Longing is the second book in the Club Inferno series by Jamie K. Schmidt, but each book can be read as a standalone with interconnected characters. I had been looking forward to reading this one even though I hadn't read the first book in the series. I have been on a NA kick lately, so something completely different and erotic was exactly what I had been hoping for. Unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me, and I ended up having several issues with the story.

Anya Litton is still dealing with the aftermath of her breakup with her ex Cesare and throws herself into her work as a plus sized model. She ends up at Club Inferno with her friends and decides to teach some classes as well as take a chance on the hot stripper she has had her eye on. Clint Reyes is a well known Dom and part time stripper, but his ultimate goal is to open up a tequila bar and is only working as a stripper to come up with the money to make his dream bar a reality. He is as instantly drawn to Anya as she is to him and he sets out to make her his. Anya struggles with insecurities due to her past relationship as well as her body type, and she is also new to the BDSM scene. Can Clint show her she is all he wants and that he is worthy of her trust?

I really had some issues with Clint and Anya. Clint was sweet and supportive one minute and then judgmental the next. He completely overreacted to a situation with Anya that I found to be ridiculous and then turned it around on Anya as though it was her fault that she didn't trust him enough. I would have done far worse than question his intentions if the same would have happened to me, and he should have talked to her about it before he did anything. I didn't like how easy it was moved past and felt like it along with many other things in this book were pretty much brushed under the rug and forgotten. Anya felt weak and insecure to me, and it never seemed to end. She was constantly doubting herself regardless of what Clint would do to try and convince her otherwise and it got really old after awhile. I do think that they had chemistry, but honestly their connection felt forced to me and I just didn't ever really feel as though they had fallen in love. The story was more about what was going on around them and with the club and others that I just never really saw them go from near strangers to a solid couple.

I also felt like this book had some issues with moving from one scene to a next. Often times there were no transitions and it left me lost and confused as I tried to figure out how we got from one point to the next. I would have appreciated some kind of acknowledgement of when it was switching from POVs as well. My other problem with this story was that although it is set around a secret sex club and the BDSM scene is prevalent throughout the story and characters, this book was remarkably tame. I kept waiting for more of the steamy stuff, and this one just didn't deliver. I was hoping to get more of Clint and Anya, and I just felt like what we did get wasn't much. I think that this book had potential, and I am all for a story with a realistic heroine that isn't a perfect size zero but this one just didn't deliver.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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Interview with Author Jamie K. Schmidt and Giveaway

Meet Jamie K. Schmidt, author of Longing.

Jamie K. Schmidt has published more than thirty short stories in small-press journals and e-zines. She’s an active member in the Romance Writers of America. When not writing, she relaxes with a mug of hot tea and knits or makes beaded jewelry. She sells her handcrafted items at Connecticut’s historic Dudley Farm during the summer.

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