ARC Review: Coming Back by Lauren Dane

Lauren Dane is one of the first authors that I read when I started reading romance, so she will always be one of my favorites. I am a huge fan of hers and she is a truly great writer. That being said, Coming Back was not my favorite book of hers. While I wanted to love it, there were just too many things that didn't work for me. 

Returning home after years away, Jessilyn Franklin is ready to stop pretending. Though Adam and Mick both walked away from her, she is tired of living without them. She tried to move on, but the love they shared is worth sacrificing her pride for. So when she receives an invitation from Mick to attend an event at Twisted Steel to celebrate Mick's partnership, she views it as the perfect chance to lay it all out for both Mick and Adam. But in order to have a future together, the three of them will have to face their past and everything that happened to separate them years ago. 

Mick, Adam, and Jessi were all likable enough characters and it was clear that they all cared about one another. I have to say that while Jessi was likable, it was almost too likable. She was the nicest, sweetest, most forgiving, full of hearts and flowers character I have ever seen. It was too much to be believable. I kept waiting for her to get real, and that just didn't happen. Mick and Adam were likable, and they were definitely sexy. But I didn't really feel invested in their relationship or this story. While the three of them were steamy together and definitely cared about one another, I just couldn't get into this book like I wanted to. 

Part of my problem with these characters was the fact that it felt like we were dropped into the middle of a story here. While this book is a standalone (even though it is third in the series), it felt as though we had missed half a book here. There was no prologue or lead in, we just start right off with these characters reconnecting after years apart and things move at warp speed from there. I wanted more of their past and what had happened to make the guys run as well as what they all had experienced apart. I was expecting to get more build up to their reconciliation, but these characters just jump right into a serious relationship like nothing much had changed. It wasn't realistic, and unfortunately that was where I started to lose interest. Since all of that happened within the first 10% or so of the book, it made it really hard to feel invested in these characters or their story. As much as I love Lauren Dane, I was bored for much of this story and it just wasn't what I have come to love when I pick up a Lauren Dane book. While this one wasn't my favorite, I will definitely read more from her in the future. If you like menage stories or are a fan of this series, I still recommend giving this one a shot if it sounds like something you would like. It wasn't a bad book by any means, it just wasn't my favorite. Readers should know before reading that this is a full menage story with a relationship between Adam, Mick and Jessilyn and if that isn't something that you are comfortable with Coming Back might not be the book for you.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes |

Feature and Giveaway: Falling Under by Lauren Dane

Duke Bradshaw, co-owner of the Twisted Steel custom motorcycle and hot rod shop, may devote his days to chrome and leather, but his nights belong to Carmella. His sultry redheaded neighbor has a smile like an angel and a body built for sin, and for the past year both have dominated Duke's dreams. When a problem at Twisted Steel requires a fast fix, Duke sees his chance to finally make his fantasy a reality.

Ever since she first heard the low rumble of his engine, Carmella Rossi has wondered if Duke Bradshaw handles his women as expertly as he handles his bike. When he shows up at her door offering her a much-needed job at his shop, she gets her chance to find out. Beneath Duke's masterful touch, Carmella soon submits to a world of unimaginable pleasure.

But history has taught Carmella how bad a boy boy can be. If she doesn't put on the brakes fast, her hard-bodied heartbreaker could drive her right over the edge . . .

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

ARC Review: Opening Up by Lauren Dane

I had never heard of Lauren Dane prior to receiving a review copy of this book. Let me just be the first to say 'where the hell have I been?' I really and truly loved this book and I'm now stuck in a fan girl moment over Lauren of Bieber proportions.

Let me give you the run down that isn't in the blurb (without spoilers). PJ is working for her family's company when she meets Asa. PJ is the daughter of wealth and privilege but unfortunately the privilege does not include being respected or viewed as anything more than a silly little girl. When PJ tries to expand the family business, she is basically told by her a-hole father to go back to playing with her dolls and don't bother him. Asa is the owner of a successful detailing business and the child of abuse and neglect from very early on in his life. Asa is loyal and protective of his inner circle but that has never included a woman. When he meets PJ he is instantly attracted to her but he thinks her 25 years is much too young for his 37 years. Asa unknowingly stumbles into PJ's weak spot by underestimating her.

The distance between Asa's assumptions about PJ and the point when he finally acknowledges that she is not what she seems is extremely entertaining and that's mostly because of PJ. PJ is an awesome character who I love. Because PJ has had to be her own defender, she is damn good at asserting herself. She is not the heroine who cowers or who fails to say what she means. PJ also doesn't let other people get away with BSing her. When Asa starts throwing out ridiculous reasons why they can't be together, PJ reads him like a short text message. Loved it! As for Asa, despite the fact that he's trying to make what he thinks is a good choice by staying away from PJ, when he's in, he is in! Asa is protective of PJ even when it comes to her family and I was here for all of that. PJ's whole family struggles to deal with her Father throughout the book and I loved that Asa told them that dealing with their Dad was their problem, he was there to protect PJ.

Everything about the relationship development between PJ and Asa came across as genuine and sincere. The pace of this book is great, the minor and major conflicts are compelling and all of the supporting characters add depth to the plot. Oh and as for the sex- YES! This was way above average sex that is duplicated in book after book. The author threw in a little creative and a whole lot of smoking hot and voila, we got some 5 star sex on our hands. I will 100% for sure be reading Duke's story next and I highly recommend that you read this one.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

Weekly Winners

Below is a list of all of the winners from the past week.


Natasha
Operation Cinderella by Hope Tarr

Cathy 
Nothing Denied by Jess Michaels

Lona
Three Schemes and a Scandal by Maya Rodale

Damaris
Exposed to You by Beth Kery

Beebs
An Infamous Marriage by Susana Fraser

Brandi
Tart by Lauren Dane

Yadira
The Boss's Fake Fiancee by Inara Scott

All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and entered. =)

Feature and Giveaway: Tart by Lauren Dane

Juliet Lamprey is having the time of her life running her successful bakery, TART, when Gideon Carter comes back into her life. Returning home to help his grandfather run the family on the farm, Gideon is back for good. When they meet again, the spark between them is immediate, and it isn’t long before the former childhood friends play catch up in bed.

That’s not good news for local lawyer Cal Whaley. Though the sexually open but strictly monogamous Cal has loved Jules for a long time, he’s hardly ever taken it further than friendship. When he sees her start to fall for Gideon, he knows he has to make his move or risk losing her forever.

Who would have anticipated that all three of them would connect on such an intimate level? The trio’s scalding liaisons take them places they’ve never dreamed. But such an intensely passionate and unusual relationship comes with equally as complicated emotions, and when Jules must suddenly leave town, she wonders if she’ll have a choice to make when she returns.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Weekly Winners

Below is a list of all of the winners from the past week.


June
Bind Me by Stacey Kennedy

Erin
Cherished by Maya Banks + Lauren Dane

Cathy
Jacob's Trial by Heather Long

Yadira
Tall, Dark and Divine by Jenna Bennett

Donna
Take It Like a Vamp by Candace Havens

Maureen
Forever and a Day by Delilah Marvelle

Pam
Forever a Lady by Delilah Marvelle

Laurie
More Than a Stranger by Erin Knightley

bn100
His Unexpected Family by Robyn Thomas

All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and entered. =)

Feature and Giveaway: Cherished by Maya Banks and Lauren Dane

In one volume---two all-new novellas that cross the boundaries of desire in CHERISHED by Maya Banks and Lauren Dane.

Exhiled by Maya Banks...Enticed by the island paradise where an enigmatic prince is living in exile, beautiful, virginal Talia is introduced to a world of forbidden pleasure. But when the prince is summoned back to fulfill his duty to his struggling country, reality is thrust upon Talia all too soon. She returns home, heartbroken until the day the idle ruler and his most trusted men arrive on her doorstep, determined to have her back where she belongs.

Sway by Lauren Dane…Levi Warner is an established, older man---wealthy, powerful, and above all, respectable. Then Levi meets Daisy, a hot 24-year-old tattoo artist. Daisy’s young, free spirit brings out something in him that he only experienced in fantasies. When their scorching affair turns into something more, Levi finds himself torn between preserving his reputation and exploring a wilder and much more satisfying kind of life.

Weekly Winners

Below is a list of all of the winners from the past week.


Victoria S
Captivated by Lauren Dane

Jamie Matthews Heustess
Submission by Cherie Feather

bn100
On These Silken Sheets by Sabrina Darby

Joanne B
My Lady's Pleasure by Olivia Quincy

April A
Dancing In The Dark Anthology

Rissa
Shifting Plains by Jean Johnson

Wanda F
Soulstone by Katie Salidas

All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and entered. =)

Feature and Giveaway: Captivated by Lauren Dane

Vincenz Fardelle, exiled son of the Supreme Leader of the Imperialist Universe, has spent much of the last ten years working to stop the threat his father poses. But he’s not alone in his quest. Julian Marsters has lost his best friend and countless others in the war and has made vengeance his only goal. In each other, Julian and Vincenz find not only like minds, but kindred spirits.

However unexpected their relationship, everything changes for Vincenz and Julian when Hannah Black comes into their lives. Having been captured and held in near total isolation by imperialist troops, their immediate response is to protect her.

Emotionally shattered but resilient, Hannah rebuilds herself. Because of the warm safety she finds in the arms of Julian and Vincenz she becomes someone harder, stronger and bent on preventing the Imperialists from harming anyone else.

For the two men, wrestling with their passionate feelings for Hannah is only the beginning. War is about to send all three into harm’s way and an equally dangerous secret could tear them apart.