Naughty New Year Event with Harper Kincaid

Born in California and raised in South Florida, Harper Kincaid has moved around like a gypsy with a bounty on her head ever since. All the while, longing to have the guts and follow-through to do what she really wanted: to write and become a published author. That wish has finally come true and she's tickled hot pink.

When not writing, she adores listening to indie, lo-fi, complaint rock played on vinyl, the theater, well-informed optimism, happy endings (both kinds), and making those close to her laugh 'til they snort. She is a self-admitted change junkie, loving new experiences and places, but has now happily settled in the cutest lil' town, Vienna, Virginia.

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

ARC Review: The Deepest Well by Juliette Cross

The Deepest Well is supernatural tale that starts in historical London about 200 years ago. The action travels to several places, including an alternate plane of existence, possibly hell, skips forward in time, and even includes a stop in New Orleans. I was expecting a paranormal/historical novel, but I got a bit more.

Lady Katherine Blakely and Lord George Draconis meet at a party. It was one of those intense attraction-at-first-sight meetings. There are two problems. Katherine is married and George is a demon slayer. Katherine's husband is a monster, figuratively only, so George can't slay him. In a time when husbands control everything, women have no rights and divorce is practically unheard of, there is little Katherine can do. But George plans to do everything he can to get Katherine into his arms.

When everything George can do entails going up against some of the most powerful demons to save Katherine, desperation and hope are constantly battling each other. Both Katherine and George experience these extremes. One will succumb to desperation and the other will force hope to win out.

Katherine is not a well developed character. She is beautiful and rich. So what. I could not empathize with her despite the fact that her husband was less than ideal. So when she got into real trouble, I had a hard time feeling her pain. I think my main issue with Katherine is that she seem to have no real purpose in life. Other than to be George's love interest.

On the other hand, George is the great dragon slayer (really). His life has purpose. To protect the world from demons is a noble cause. Saving Katherine is just another task in his daily routine. Okay, maybe she is a bit more than just another task. What I am getting at is, George is a nicely developed character that I could root for. So when his love was in trouble I ached for him.

The first two thirds of this book seemed to drag for me. I blame that on my lack of interest in Katherine. But the last part of the book was just the opposite. It felt extremely rushed. In that time, Katherine goes through some key psychological changes and she gets some purpose in her life. In short, she becomes a more interesting character. However, the path to those changes is very short. You don't get much detail. It felt like a few chapters got left out. This could have been the best part of the book, but it fell short.

Despite my complaints, The Deepest Well is a good story. I see The Age of Gray series as having a good deal of potential, what with all the fighting of demons leading up to an apocalyptic battle at the end of The Deepest Well. With any luck, subsequent books in the series will have many characters with depth and purpose.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |

Review: The Curse of the Brimstone Contract by Corrina Lawson

Mystery, magic, adventure and romance mixed to precise and perfect proportions make Corrina Lawson's The Curse of the Brimstone Contract one of my new favorites.

Steampunk is one of my genres of choice. So I am always on the lookout for a something new in that classification. The Curse of the Brimstone Contract fits the bill very nicely. Steam power makes machines run in 19th century London. But magic makes the wheels of commerce turn. Only the upper class possesses mage power and the nobility will do everything to ensure it stays that way.

Joan Krieger is the merchant seamstress who aspires to design trend-setting fashions and is on her way to getting a rich client to endorse her latest design. But her client dies under mysterious circumstances. When it appears the the cause of the death may have been magical, the family business comes under suspicion. It seems that Joan's prospects are dashed and her family's business is doomed.

Needing to know the truth about the suspicious death, Joan hires Gregor Sherringford to help her find the facts. Gregor is aloof, intelligent and seems to command a little magic himself. But his true genius is revealed when he recognizes Joan's quick mind and determined nature and agrees to team up with her.

There are many things I liked about The Curse of the Brimstone Contract. But mainly I like the two main characters.

Having a seamstress as a main character appeals to the needleworker in me. I've sewn all my life and even went through stage of designing my own clothes. I related to Joan's thrill of creating a new and unique design, especially one that is appreciated by others. Joan is creative and very intelligent. She is ever aware of class and sex differentiations that determine too much of her life. But her insistence in knowing the truth is what makes her bloom into a force to be reckoned with, whether you are her friend or her foe.

Gregor is a genius. He is also opinionated (arrogant), distracted, observant, enigmatic and seemingly magical. He is not always forthcoming, which only serves to annoy Joan. But overall, Gregor is a likable man, with an honorable nature that that is both attractive and sexy. Joan and Gregor make a formidable investigative team. And as they investigate the case, they get closer to each other.

The author mentions Arthur Conan Doyle as an influence. Yes, I can see a bit of Sherlock Holmes in Gregor. And for you Sci Fi fans, in Gregor, I also saw hints of The Doctor.

One of the ongoing themes in the book is the source of magic. Supposedly, only the upper echelon of society is supposed to be able to wield magic. Of course, when you think about that, there are all sorts of flaws with that theory, the primary one being that nobility does not consort only with nobility. So where did the magic come from in the first place? There is one theme that I really loved. The idea that energy of creativity is a source of magical power. That a person's ingenuity has the power to alter the rules of the world as we know it. I fear this idea spells trouble for the nobles of London.

There is so much more than a mystery to be solved in this book. Romance. Of course there is romance. Gregor's and Joan's ability to merge their minds to solve a mystery presages the sweet uniting of their hearts. In addition to mystery and romance, there are class issues, an arranged marriage (unwanted), old magic, curses, new magical ability, and secrets. So many secrets. There is not a boring page in The Curse of the Brimstone Contract. I hope to be reading another book in the series soon!

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: Bound to be Tempted by Becca Jameson

This was my first time reading Becca Jameson. I thought after reading the “Fifty Shades of Grey” Trilogy nothing would shock me but I have never read Jameson before. I personally like books with substance, even if there is only a little substance. Even though this book was outside my comfort level I really enjoyed it.

Emergence is a club where people go to participate in BDSM, role play scenes, look for partners, etc. “Bound to Be Tempted” is the fourth book in the series. Margaret Donovan is a bisexual woman. She has had female partners in the past but never any male partners. When she sees her ex- girlfriend with a man she becomes curious and wants to take a Dom. Carlton Fisher has had his eye on Maggie for a couple of months now. He works at Emergence as bouncer at night but does a lot of behind the scenes work as well. One of the reasons that he is so captivated by Maggie even though he has not had much interactions with her is because she looks very similar to his old girlfriend that died in a car accident. When he sees that Maggie is looking for a Dom and sees her in a scene with a man he realizes that he wants to help her out. He offers to “train” her for two weeks so she is in capable hands. He knows about Maggie’s break up and understands she is in an emotionally vulnerable place.

So obviously there is A LOT of sex. They are constantly going at it and with different toys that Carlton has and that he wants to teach Maggie about. Aside from the sex they eventually form a relationship. At first I thought that the author was not going to be able to form a real connection between them but she did and this made me like the book more. Maggie came from a very conservative and religious background. Once her parents found out about her bi-sexuality they put Maggie through a lot of things. All this repression form her parents built up in Maggie. When Maggie was in her submissive role she wasn’t herself. I had a hard time with this because Carlton controlled all aspects of her life, even her clothing. However, when they were out of role play she was herself again. I really liked Maggie and even though she was submissive she was also very tough and had to deal with a lot of violence and harsh realities. This is where the author really surprised me. She developed the story so that Maggie comes to grips with some events that happened to her when she was a young teenager. Also, the author throws in a surprise when Maggie receives menacing letters about her lifestyle. Someone is watching her and they are not happy with her choices.

Finally, I couldn’t put the book down. Once I started reading I was intrigued with Maggie and Carlton. Carlton was a great guy and he truly loved Maggie. He also came to terms with different events in his past. When Maggie confessed her love for Carlton I expected him to have a completely different reaction. I thought that the author had many surprises in the story and when I thought it would go in one direction she completely switched it up. I’m sure many fans of hers will love this book. If anyone hasn’t read her I recommend her as original and engaging.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N |

Guest Post with Author Harper Kincaid and Giveaway

Meet Harper Kincaid, author of Rule Breaker.

Born in California and raised in South Florida, I've moved around like a gypsy with a bounty on my head ever since. Along the way, I worked as a community organizer, a professional matchmaker, a popular blogger, and a crisis counselor (to name a few). All the while, longing to have the guts to do what I really wanted: to write and become a published author. That wish has finally come true and I feel like a karmic cloud has been lifted off my head. Those of you who have also taken a circuitous route in trying to find their path get me - I can tell.

What else? Hmm... I love indie, lo-fi, complaint rock played on vinyl, wearing black because it's slimming, the theater, well-informed optimism, happy endings (both kinds), and making those close to me laugh 'til they snort. I'm a self-admitted change junkie, loving new experiences and places, but have now happily settled in the cutest lil' town, Vienna, Virginia, with my awesome and patient husband and two kick-ass girls.

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

ARC Review: Claimed by the Rogue by Hope Tarr

Robert Bellamy is finally returning to London after a six year absence. It was not of his choosing. His ship was attacked by pirates and their sadistic captain sold Robert into slavery. One thought has kept him alive, his love for Phoebe Trent. He holds tight to the chain with her miniature attached. His only thought is to get to her and proclaim his love. His timing couldn’t be worse. She’s preparing for her engagement to Aristide Bouchart with a masquerade ball. As Phoebe dresses for the party, she holds the necklace Robert gave her so many years ago. The man she loves and believes to be lost at sea. Dressed in his foreign attire, Robert slips into the party. Phoebe steps out on the balcony and is approached by Robert. After she recognizes him, she faints. Her parents and Aristide are furious about his reappearance. Aristide plans to marry Phoebe for her money. He needs Robert to disappear permanently. Two attempts are made on Robert’s life and a suspicious fire burns his stored cargo. After meeting Aristide, Robert believes they have met before. Robert stays with his sister and her family while trying to reacquaint himself to Phoebe. She fills her time with charity work for orphans. Robert decides to woo her back by volunteering too. She sees the man she fell in love with and begins to rekindle the fire. Aristide enlists the help of Phoebe’s maid in hatching a plan to make Phoebe leave her house alone. They take her dog hostage. Robert remembers where he’s seen Aristide before and races to tell Phoebe. Too late, she’s been abducted. Will Robert and his friends be in time to save her and her little dog too?

Robert and Phoebe make an attractive couple. True love lasts forever. Phoebe is afraid to be left again. If she doesn’t marry soon, she never will. Society dictates women need to wed by a certain age. Her mother pressures her to marry Aristide. Robert has endured horrible circumstances and lives only to see Phoebe again. Their reunion is sweet and well worth the read.

The first book in this series, A Rogue’s Pleasure, was released in 2010. Characters from that book and backstory circle through this story. It should be read first because the history between Robert and Phoebe is better defined.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N |