ARC Review: Holding on Tighter by Shayla Black

I'm actually surprised that I did not love this book more. I've read other books in this series and other books by Shayla Black and I usually love her stuff. I thought this one was ok but it definitely was not on my love list.

Heath is kind of the typical Shayla Black type Hero that you may have already come to know and love. He's a complete alpha, hot as all hell, bossy and he knows how to use a gun. Heath first comes into contact with Jolie when he is hired as security for her fashion company. Let's discuss Jolie shall we. Jolie and her sister who is also a part of the story have a lot of TSTL moments. From the sister, it's sort of understandable. She was depicted as a head in the clouds ditz who was prone to...well ditzyness.  Jolie, however, is a business executive and the head of a team of employees. I sort of expected more from her but I certainly didn't get more. 

As the story goes on, and really right from the beginning, Jolie is facing some unknown threat to her safety and her business. But here's an example of where Jolie just wore out my patience. Heath is in the process of trying to catch an intruder and instead of just waiting (since Heath is security) Jolie insist on rushing into the situation which ends up almost getting everyone killed. One thing that I absolutely hate is a brave but stupid heroine. I'm all for bravery but at least pretend that you value your life. It helps us all to deal with you.

I liked Heath much better than Jolie but Shayla Black did something with him that I just don't like. At the beginning of the book he goes off and bangs another woman. It's not cheating because he and Jolie are not together at all when it happens. I guess what I didn't like is that right after he does that, he's getting all hot with Jolie. Like, dude, wash your hands first or something. That just grosses me out. The other thing I didn't love about Heath is that he is literally every other character we have ever read. He's a man whore and a commitment phobe, yeah yeah yeah, what else is new?

The mystery in the book is actually pretty good. It adds a lot of spice and a couple unexpected twist to the story line. I owe the fact that I kind of like this book to the good writing and the entertaining plot line. All in all, I think this book is great for Shayla Black fans. If you're not already fan, I wouldn't necessarily recommend you start with this book. Some of her other ones are better.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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

Feature: Dirty Wicked by Shayla Black

From New York Times bestselling author, Shayla Black...

After being framed for a crime he didn’t commit, former private eye Nick Navarro has nothing but revenge on his mind—until a woman from his past returns to beg for his help.

Beautiful widow Sasha Porter has been hunted by his enemies. Desperate, she offers him anything to keep her young daughter safe, even agreeing to become his mistress. The last thing either of them want are emotional entanglements but as they entrap the ruthless politician who arranged Nick’s downfall and passion sizzles between them, danger closes in.

Will he choose love over vengeance before it’s too late?

Purchase: | Amazon |

ARC Review: Big Easy Temptation by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

This is the third book in the series but it's the second one I read. I read the last installment but missed the first one. I keep meaning to rectify that situation but have not quite gotten around to it. Even without reading the first book, I love this series and this contribution did not disappoint. Shayla Black and Lexi Blake are individually great authors but together they weave suspense, intrigue and erotic romance together in ways that are not easily duplicated. This is a great series overall and I highly recommend it. Ok, now let me get to this actual book.

Big Easy Temptation is the story of Dax Spencer and Holland Kirk. Let me just tell you, I love me some Dax and if you've read any of the books in this series, you probably feel the same way. I wasn't sure if I was going to love Holland. Holland is a detective and she's got the kind of unyielding moral code that I find irritating. I was particularly wary of how Holland handled the events surrounding Dax's Dad but by the end of the book I was team Holland. Holland is basically fearless and does not hesitate to familiarize the people around her with the facts of life. I ended up really liking those qualities.

The chemistry between Holland and Dax is smoking hot from the prologue to the epilogue. One of the things that I really like about these two is that they spend quite a bit of time in the book hating each other. But there is something about the hate chemistry that is just as compelling as the warm fuzzy feelings they had for each other. Overall, no matter if these two were in love or hate, it was HOT and the passion leaps off the page at you. The clashes the couple had (and there were more than a few) just made their relationship more interesting and their reunions even sexier.

This is really a story of how true love will persevere. There is a lot going on in the book. There is an underlying mystery, there is the issue of how things ended between the couple in the past and there are the supporting characters. But nothing is lost in terms of the romance. Front and center in the plot is always the issue of how the passion and love between Dax and Holland survived over time and a whole slew of crazy events.

This book has plenty of twists and turns. People are betrayed, others are killed and Dax and Holland are facing a common enemy that can destroy them and the people around them. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out the "kill list" and distinguish the good guys from the bad guys. And of course, there is the sex. When these two authors get together, you can expect some hot hot hooking up and you will not be let down because it is here!

This book is a great way to kick off your summer reading list. I suggest you read the whole series in order though. So if you haven't read the first two books, read those first and then finish with this one. I can't wait to see what these authors have in store for us next.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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

ARC Review: Seduction in Session by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

This book gave me EVERYTHING that a reader like me needs, just everything. You'll have to excuse me because I'm in the middle of a serious book hangover. I'm a romance, bossy alpha male, mystery, suspense and action girl. I got ALL of that from this book with several sides of heaping hot sex and it gave me life.

If you want to know what to expect in this book, think the TV show Scandal meets, Patriot games and is the cousin of that movie The Skulls. It was all of that. The underlying story is that Lara writes a political tabloid of sorts. Lara is a crusader, she uses certain salacious details to get readers to pay attention to stories written for the greater good of society. Lara stumbles on some serious ish involving the President and the entire country. As a result of her discovery, Lara is intercepted by Connor who poses as a bodyguard assigned by a "friend" to protect Lara. Connor and Lara have an instant attraction, explosive chemistry and diametrically opposed world views. It's a lot of fun.

I don't even know where to start about what I loved about this book. I loved the romance between Lara and Connor. Lara is maybe not the strongest heroine but she was sincere and believed in the greater good. Connor is a complete cynic because he has seen and done the very worst things in life. Lara brings Connor into the light. With Lara, Connor learns that there is actually good in the world and Lara learns that she doesn't need to be an absolutist about her principals. It is fun to watch the couple grow as individuals and then to grow together. I love that Connor is so bossy and so brooding and so protective, he's just sooo everything. Nothing is half way with Connor, he is intense and I loved him for that.

The other thing about this book that I believe any reader like me would enjoy is the whodunnit aspect. There are layers of mystery in this book and untangling everything, or trying to, is extremely entertaining. The pace of the book doesn't lag for a minute, there is action and intrigue lurking around every corner. When you think you know what's going on, you don't. I really appreciate how the author wove detail after detail into a giant mystery that is going to continue in the next book. Even though the big mystery continues, I didn't at all feel like this book ends on a cliffhanger. All the issues between Connor and Lara are wrapped up and the next book picks up with Dax investigating the big mystery. I can't wait for that!

Did I mention that Connor has a dirty dirty mouth and loves to use it on Lara? Oh yes, the sex was HAWT and totally worth the read. This was a great book and I highly recommend you read it.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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

ARC Review: Wicked For You by Shayla Black

This was my first Shayla Black book and I must say that I really enjoyed the ride. Just to give you background on the story, Mystery is the daughter of a Hollywood director who is kidnapped. When the police prove useless, Mystery's father hires a private security company to rescue her. Axel is heading up the private rescue team. Things don't go quite as planned and Mystery winds up stranded with Axel in the dessert for several days. During that time Mystery, 19 years old at the time, falls for Axel but he rejects her because she's his client and just too dang young. To say Mystery takes the rejection personal and does NOT forget it, would be an understatement. What Mystery doesn't realize is that Axel really wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

Fast forward 6 years, Mystery is all grown up, danger has managed to follow her from her past, and she still wants to scratch that Axel itch. I don't want to tell you how she gets to scratching but OMG, it is sooo HAWT. I love love the hook ups between Mystery and Axel. It turns out Axel is a super freaky dom who likes to tie up his women and spank them before screwing them into oblivion and YES, I'm here for all of that!! Axel quickly signs on to help Mystery navigate whatever threat has followed her from the past and a lot of craziness ensues.

One interesting thing about this plot is one of the sub-characters, Heath. Heath is supposed to be Mystery's bodyguard but is really just a cockblock who is constantly getting in between Mystery and Axel. I had moments of mild irritation at Mystery when she listened to Heath despite her misgivings but in the end things worked out. I also enjoyed the mystery/suspense aspect of this book. I liked that the mystery of of Mystery's mom's death was connected to her kidnapping and whatever threat she was facing in the present.

In terms of the relationship between Mystery and Axel, I enjoyed the way the author depicted their individual issues and insecurities colliding with one another. Axel was a tough bad ass sort of guy but he had a weakness when it came to being abandoned. There is nothing better than alpha hero with a soft spot that only the heroine can touch. And even though Mystery could be a bit impulsive and underestimated Axel in her thinking, I liked that she was willing to second guess herself and eventually to see Axel's point of view. The only reason this book wasn't five stars for me is because Axel and Mystery spent a few too many pages wondering around in the desert when I wanted them to be somewhere getting it on. Other than that, I loved this book and recommend you read it.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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

ARC Review: Scandal Never Sleeps by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

Scandal Never Sleeps is the first book in the Perfect Gentleman series by authors Shayla Black and Lexi Blake. Though this book is considered by some to be erotica, I would actually classify this more as a contemporary or romantic suspense novel with a higher level of heat. Gabe and Everly definitely had some really sexy times, but to me this wasn't straight up erotica. I will say that I enjoyed this story a lot, and I thought that it was really well written. With a co-authored book, you can sometimes get a book where it definitely feels like more than one person wrote it. But I didn't get that feeling here, and both Black and Blake's styles came together perfectly and felt very cohesive. 

When Gabriel Bond's best friend Maddox dies suddenly he finds himself not only grieving the loss of his friend, but also cleaning up his messes yet again. Looking to escape, Gabe hooks up with the sexy redhead Eve and what starts out as a night together turns into a weekend neither of them want to be over. Gabe knows that he has no time for dating with everything going on in his life, so they both go their separate ways. But when Gabe is announced as the new CEO for his best friend's company, he never expects his sexy fling to be his new employee. Things become more complicated than ever when they discover that Mad was murdered. Soon they are setting out to find the truth behind what got Mad killed and the secrets he had been keeping from them. But will Gabe and Everly be able to figure things out and explore the connection between them without becoming the next targets? 

I really liked Everly and Gabe. I thought that they had great chemistry and a clear connection right from the start. I thought that they were great together, and I didn't feel as though their connection was any less real even though it happened pretty quickly. I do think that there were times that each of them acted less than ideally, but I do understand that they were both in a really tough situation. They were both struggling with losing a close friend that they found out had many secrets they hadn't been aware of, and they were also trying to figure out what had happened to him. Not knowing all the details would make it very hard to instantly trust each other, but I was glad to see that they at least were on the same page when it came to discovering the truth. Gabe had so many reasons to have abandoned his friendship with Mad, yet despite it all it was so easy to see how much he cared for him. He never gave up on him, and I loved the loyalty and friendship he showed those he cared about. Everly was smart and unique, and it was refreshing to see a heroine that was able to hold her own. She wasn't like anyone I had read before, and I was glad to see that Gabe realized how special and different she was even when he was wary of her intentions. 

Overall, this was a great story. Scandal Never Sleeps kept me guessing the entire way through, and I couldn't put it down until I had read every last word. I never knew what exactly was happening, yet I couldn't wait to find out was going on with each new clue revealed. I was really happy to see that the suspense didn't take over the romance here, and I felt like there was a great balance between the two. Gabe and Everly were great together and their banter was so interesting to me. I loved the sexy and steamy stuff with them, but I also really enjoyed seeing their connection grow as the book progressed. I loved all of Gabe's friends here and I honestly can't wait to get each of their books as well. I am fascinated by these guys and I love their life long friendships and the camaraderie between them. I highly recommend this one if you are looking for something hot and filled with suspense that will keep you guessing. Shayla Black and Lexi Blake delivered a captivating read with Scandal Never Sleeps and I can't wait to read the next installment in this series.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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

Feature and Giveaway: Scandal Never Sleeps by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

They are the Perfect Gentlemen of Creighton Academy: privileged, wealthy, powerful friends with a wild side. But a deadly scandal is about to tear down their seemingly ideal lives...

Maddox Crawford’s sudden death sends Gabriel Bond reeling. Not only is he burying his best friend, he’s cleaning up Mad’s messes, including his troubled company. Grieving and restless, Gabe escapes his worries in the arms of a beautiful stranger. But his mind-blowing one-night stand is about to come back to haunt him...

Mad groomed Everly Parker to be a rising star in the executive world. Now that he’s gone, she’s sure her job will be the next thing she mourns, especially after she ends up accidentally sleeping with her new boss. If only their night together hadn’t been so incendiary—or Gabe like a fantasy come true...

As Gabe and Everly struggle to control the heated tension between them, they discover evidence that Mad’s death was no accident. Now they must bank their smoldering passions to hunt down a murderer—because Mad had secrets that someone was willing to kill for, and Gabe or Everly could be the next target...

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

Feature and Giveaway: Theirs to Cherish by Shayla Black

The perfect place for a woman on the run to disappear…

Accused of a horrific murder she didn’t commit, former heiress Callie Ward has been a fugitive since she was sixteen—until she found the perfect hideout, Club Dominion. The only problem is she’s fallen for the club’s master, Mitchell Thorpe, who keeps her at arm’s length. Little does she know that his reasons for not getting involved have everything to do with his wounded heart…and his consuming desire for her.

To live out her wildest fantasies…

Enter Sean Kirkpatrick, a Dom who’s recently come to Dominion and taken a pointed interest in Callie. Hoping to make Thorpe jealous, she submits to Sean one shuddering sigh at a time. It isn’t long before she realizes she’s falling for him too. But the tender lover who’s seducing her body and slowly earning her trust isn’t who he claims...

And to fall in love.

When emotions collide and truths are exposed, Sean is willing to risk all to keep Callie from slipping through his fingers. But he’s not the only man looking to stake a claim. Now Callie is torn between Sean and Thorpe, and though she’s unsure whom she can trust, she’ll have to surrender her body and soul to both—if she wants to elude a killer…

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |

Shayla Black New Cover Alert!

Have you heard of Shayla Black? If not, then now’s the perfect time to get better acquainted…

USA Today bestselling author, Shayla Black is taking over the erotica scene, with brand new repackaging for her steamy novels… and we couldn’t be more excited for her new look, taking hot and sexy to another level with these sleek new covers. If you hadn’t heard of Shayla Black before, now you have. And we are confident that she won’t be easily forgotten.

Don’t miss Shayla’s “Wicked All Night” Novella in her new WICKED AND DANGEROUS anthology with Rhyannon Byrd.

Feature and Giveaway: Ours to Love by Shayla Black

Between two brothers…

Xander Santiago spent years living it up as a billionaire playboy. Never given a chance to lead his family business in the boardroom, he became a Master in the bedroom instead. His older brother inherited the company and worked tirelessly to make it an empire. But while cutthroat corporate espionage took its toll on Javier, nothing was as devastating as the seemingly senseless murder of his wife. It propelled him into a year of punishing rage and guilt…until Xander came to his rescue.

Comes an irresistible woman…

Eager to rejuvenate Javier’s life, Xander shanghais him to Louisiana where they meet beautiful London McLane. After a decade of tragedy and struggle, London is determined to make a fresh start—and these sexy billionaire brothers are more than willing to help. In every way. And London is stunned to find herself open to every heated suggestion.

And inescapable danger.

But a killer is watching, on a single-minded mission to destroy everything the Santiago brothers hold dear, especially London . And as fear and desire collide, every passionate beat of her heart could be her last.

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

Weekly Winners

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


Stella Ex Libris
A Hero Rising by Aubrie Dionne

Erin
$5 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Ana Hart

Yadira
Bookmark + Enslaved In Shadows by Tigris Eden

Alexandrea
Cover Flat + Enslaved In Shadows by Tigris Eden

Kerry
Taboo by Jess Michaels

bn100
Three's a Crowd by Ella Jade

Yadira
Mine To Hold by Shayla Black

Nurmawati
Night Mission by Desiree Holt

Megan
Believe In Me by Rebecca Royce

Alexandrea
Bridgett
Whiskey's T-Shirt courtesy of Laura Kaye

Kerry
Her Forbidden Hero by Laura Kaya

Starryblue
The Magician of Wall Street by Minta Hall

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

ARC Review: Hot In Handcuffs by Shayla Black, Sylvia Day and Shiloh Walker

Hot In Handcuffs is a book comprised of three different novellas.

Arresting Desire by Shayla Black

Jon has been wanting Lucia ever since he met her two years ago, but he was working undercover at the time and she was too young and inexperienced. So Jon left without ever touching her. Now Jon is back and Lucia doesn't look so young anymore and Jon is bound to prove to Lucia that he does desire and want her.

Lucia always wanted her first time to be with Jon, but when she all but threw herself at him and he denied her she got the message. Now she's about to embark on a trip with her best friend and is determined to lose her v-card no mater what. What she doesn't expect is to see Jon again and looking oh so yummy.

When she is sent a birthday gift from her father who has been dead for the past two years, Jon believes that this may be just the information he needs to help exonerate his brother.

Together they embark on a mission to solve the mystery while at the same time explore the feelings and passion they ignite in one another.

This was story was so good. I now understand what the big deal is about Shayla Black. She completely rocked my world and in such a a good way. I could not stop reading. I was hooked from the first page. She had just the right amount of suspense mixed in with the romance. I like that we were shown a bit of the characters past. I was able to get a good feel for them both. I loved the chemistry between Lucia and Jon. The chemistry between the two was hot and their sex scenes were electric. I will definitely be checking out more from Shayla.

On Fire by Sylvia Day

Wow oh wow, but this was one HOT story. There were quite a few parts that had me fanning myself because the scenes between Jared and Darcy were so scorching hot. The passion between them is intense and immediate. It didn't feel phony or rushed at all. Seriously, these two were hot together and I loved it.

There have been a series of arson attacks in Lion's Bay lately and Darcy, one of the towns fire inspectors knows they need to get help with solving the case. So they decide to call in the US Marshall's in for help with the investigation.

Deputy Marshall Jared Cameron has been sent to Lion's Bay to help investigate a series of arson attacks that have been occurring. He never expected to come across bombshell Darcy Michaels in his investigation. One look at Darcy and his blood is pumping and he know that he needs to make his move. She has a fire about her that can't be tamed and Jared just wants some of it.

What was supposed to be a one night stand is quickly turning into more, and neither Jared nor Darcy quite know what to make of it. Both feel an insane amount of passion and desire, but on top of that both are quickly realizing that their feelings of lust are becoming so much more. Will either be able to walk away when the investigation is through?

The Unwilling by Shiloh Walker

This was the first time I have read anything by this author and I have definitely been missing out. OMG, but this story was so good. There was just so much pain and emotion flowing between Mica and Colby. And let me just say I will never be able to listen to Hero by Enrique Iglesias again and not think of this story.

I loved the connection between Mica and Cobly. It just jumped off of the page and slaps you in the face. They have a complicated past both with and without the other. Once they were partners in the FBI and shared a special psychic connection. Not only were they working partners, but they were partners in the bedroom and things were pretty hot and heavy. Things were going great until all of a sudden Mica bowed out without an explanation. She never really excepted or understood her psychic gift and it along with her relationship with Colby freaked her out so she ran and has been running for the last fifteen years. Now Mica, a lieutenant in the police force is working on a case that will bring her face to face with the past she longs to forget.

Colby has spent the last fifteen years thinking about Mica. He was in love with her and has never felt the connection that they shared with anyone else. He assumed when she left that she would eventually come back, maybe not to the FBI, but at least to him and what they shared together. But when she stayed away he got the message loud and clear. Now Mica is back and she wants Colby's help solving a rash of gruesome murders. Colby doesn't want to help, he's been out of the FBI for two years after a mission went bad but can't say know to Mica. He knows that without his help something terrible could happen so he reluctantly agrees.

Both soon find that even though it's been fifteen years, the passion still ignites fires and the connection is still strong as ever. Colby is bound and determined to make Mica realize that her curse is indeed a gift and that she won't be able to just walk away for both it and Colby this time.

Overall

This book as a whole was just so freaking good! I normally don't read these authors but you better believe I will definitely be on a lookout for their books from now on. Each novella was so good that I found myself unable to stop reading once I started.

What I liked most about Hot In Handcuffs is that each story felt complete. Even though they were novellas, they didn't feel rushed or as if info was missing. To be honest, I feel so good about each story that I don't even want more. Each had a beginning, middle and end and I feel like I can walk away completely satisfied which normally isn't the case for me when I read novellas. Each story felt like a full length novel and I found myself completely engrossed with each.

My only complaint(it's a small one) is the last story felt as if it didn't mesh as well with the first two stories. The first two stories were very erotic and the last story was not as erotic and definitely more dark. But I loved it regardless. This book definitely made me fans of each author.


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