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Monday, April 29, 2013

"Naked" and "All In" by Raine Miller (The Blackstone Affair)


I kept seeing people posting David Gandy as this Ethan Blackstone guy all over my newsfeed. Mr Gandy is ONLY Professor Gabriel Emerson in my head, but if people kept making such a fuss over this character, I had to know what was going on! And Im glad the curiosity got me!
Ethan Blackstone is a British ex-military gajillionaire who runs his own security company. So BAM! Right there, he meets a couple of my favorites: Loaded, and super manly ;-)
He is contacted by a friend about guarding his daughter, Brynne, who is going to college in England to get away from a scandalous past. She is a nude model who absolutely enraptures Ethan with her beauty and there is an almost immediate whirlwind romance between them. She tries to fight it for a little while, but gives in, even though she is scared that her past will ruin their relationship.
Book 1: "Naked" is told from Brynne's POV. We learn a little bit about her past and figure out where all her trust issues come from. I finished this book in a little over a day. My only complaint is that it was so short! I wish the author would go into more detail about the scandal itself because it is only touched on. It's too painful for Brynne to talk about, but that means WE don't get all the gorey details. I think it would have made me more sympathetic toward her and make me understand why she has the urge to bolt from Ethan. Other than that, the loves scenes are hot, the plot is intregueing and you genuinely LIKE the characters.
Book 2: "All In" is told from Ethan's POV. This books was really good about the details! You learn a lot about Ethan, his background, and his family. You learn a little bit about his time in the military. His dreams are very telling about the man himself. I liked getting into a man's head. Especially one with such a dirty mind! hehehehe
Ethan is so lovable. He is the perfect book boyfriend, so protective, so sexy, and a little possessive: but what girl doesn't secretly want THAT! I love how jealous he gets when Brynne goes in for her first photoshoot since they got together ;-)
The next book "Eyes Wide Open" is coming out May 14th! I really hope to learn more about Brynne's past, the suspence is KILLING me! Quit being so vague Brynne! Either come out and tell Ethan all about it in a play by play, have a dream about it, tell your therapist, or God forbid, have Ethan get "something" sent to him (no spoilers...wink wink) SOMETHING that will let us know what the hell happened to you!!! EEEEk!
As I said, David Gandy is my Gabriel, so I can't picture him as my Ethan. Instead I picked Jefferey Dean Morgan. I know he's a little older than Ethan, and he's not British, but there is no one else I'd rather be my super sexy ex-military bodyguard boyfriend. Have you SEEN him in "The Losers" ? Holy Hell.
Now, after enjoying this pic of my Ethan Blackstone, go put Raine Miller on your TBR list!


 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Epilogue up for Pre-Order


Hold up while I fangirl out for a sec... squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!
Ok.
Epilogue is up for preorder!!! 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CIAZ3IE

Also, if yall go enter the rafflecopter in this link, you can choose for ME to win the ARC. I'd love you foreva-eva.  Then, in return, I will write ya'll a review and tease the crap out of you until the release date June 15th!!!
http://supersexysmut.blogspot.com/2013/04/bloggers-delight-arc-giveaway-for.html?zx=77cdc5706dda27e3



Nikolai Leokov from Friend-Zoned by Belle Aurora


My pick as Nikolai in Belle Aurora's Friend-Zoned. Who better to play Nik than the sexy Russian fitness model Andrey Tzarevich?  yum!

Belle Aurora Friend-Zoned




   When you are super excited for the next book in a series, you know that a new author has done a damn good job! And this girl (points at self with both thumbs) cannot WAIT for the second installation of the Friend-Zoned series by an Australian indie author who goes by the name of Belle Aurora.
   Let's just talk about the author herself for a sec... This chick is the sweetest, funniest, most down to earth gal you will ever come into contact with. Like me, she's a self-proclaimed "over-sharer" which makes you feel like you've known her for years! Turns out, our husbands could be twins (not EVEN exaggerating) and she has an amazing sense of humor. We also love our cats to an obsessive degree. ;-)
Ok, so Friend-Zoned.
   Take a super-duper hotty club owner (Nik). Stick an awesome boutique women's clothing store across the street from his club, that is owned by a rediculously sweet chick (sorta thinking the author based Tina on herself...jus sayin...). Throw in some fantastic secondary characters that you fall in love with (who get their own books YAY!!). Sounds like a good concoction to make a great romance novel, right? But WAIT!
    Tina has no desire to be in a relationship. Like truly. She's very happy with her life at the moment, finally in a good place after a tragic accident a few years earlier, and she doesn't want to do anything that would throw it off course.
    Nik is a very busy man running his club, being the man of his family (he had to help his mom raise his younger brother and sister after their father dies), so he is only interested in quick flings with women.
    But then one day, out of no where, he recieves a little package that puts the first smile on his face in a very long time. After a little bit of detective work he discovers that its from the tiny little woman who owns the boutique across the street. Their first face-to-face encounter will leave you in stitches! It is so hilarious! From his brother dragging her in to Nik's office, to him thinking she's flirting and trying to figure out in his head a way to let her down easily, then him being shocked when she tells him she just wants to be friends. You will seriously die laughing.
   He's never had a female friend before, never had a woman not want him for his money or in his bed. They end up having lunches together, poker night, hanging out as a group with all of their friends. And from there, unexpected to both of them, a wonderful romance blooms. This is much more realistic than whirlwind romances based on hot steamy sex. It becomes a great relationship based on a solid friendship that no one thought would work.
   There's lots of action, conflict (from a super-bitch that you want to claw her eyes out, for one...ggrrrrrr!) a horribly sad part (damn you chapter 20!!!!) that will bring on the tears. But the rest of the time you will be grinning from ear to ear and laughing out loud, waking up everyone in the house because you'll be up at all hours of the night because you can't put this darn book down!!!! (drags in a deep breath after that excited run-on sentence...)
   I'm so glad I gave this indie author a chance because now I will be a loyal fan and read ALL her books. Can't wait for the next book...sexy, strong, silent type Ghost, who works for Nik, and Tina's bestie Nat <3

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Lindy Zart


Let me start off by saying that if Bianca was a real person, she would be my bff.
Dating Husbands is a hilarious book about a woman named Bianca. She has a Private Investigators License (which she got online) that she uses to help women who hire her to catch their guys cheating. We get to ride along with her while she dresses in various outrageous outfits and wigs, and goes on the hunt trying to catch these skeezy fellas in the act. We learn that she doesn't trust guys whatsoever because she has been cheated on in EVERY SINGLE ONE of her relationships, so has completely given up all hope of ever being in love.
Drew owns the bar that is right down the street from Bianca's house. She decides to stop in one night after a particularly rough day to partake in some Bloody Marys, her FAVORITE drink in the entire world. When Drew and Bianca meet, she's pretty shnockered, and VERY fiesty. She tries to fight the fact that there is an instant zing between the two of them. Normally, I don't enjoy the "chase". I like for the characters to fall for each other pretty quickly, and then the rest of the book is where the conflict is. Ya'll know Im the "why fight it?!" kinda girl. But the "chase" in this story is just so funny, and totally REAL, that I didn't mind it at all!
I loved the romance in this story, the two main characters figuring out things about themselves, solving problems, and finally allowing themselves to fall in love; but my absolute favorite parts of this book were when Bianca, her cousin Nadine, and her sister Gwen have their girls nights. It is so well written, described in such a HILARIOUS way, I was seriously wishing they were real people that I could go hang out with! In fact, I made a mental note to do some of the things they do with MY bestie. They made it sound like so much fun!
That's really all I can say about the book, because the rest of it is made up of things being revealed throughout the story. You wonder why Bianca is SO bitter besides the fact that she's been cheated on. You are made to wait until later on in the book to find out WHY Drew has panic attacks, and why Bianca is the only one who can calm him and make him happy.
I normally like more steam in the books I read, but this was such an enjoyable ride that I didn't care. I LOVED the characters so much and wanted nothing more than for them to get their happily ever after <3
There is a tremendous amount of LAUGH OUT LOUD moments, as well as some tear jerkers, but when you get to one line in the story, I DARE you not to react. It doesn't sound like much out of context, but if you've read this book, or after you take the time read it, remember I called it:: "DAMN HEARTBURN!" ;-D


Silence O'Shea

This morning, I finished up a short story called His Right Hand by a wonderful lady by the name of Silence O'Shea (freakin awesome name, true?)
ANYWHO!
This story was hilarious, sexy, and a delight to read! My only complaint is I wish it was longer! Every page of this book kept your attention. No boring, slow, dull parts at all. If I didn't have to get my kids to school, I would have read it in one sitting because I didn't want to put it down. I could totally see the author going back and making this a full length novel.
The main characters are Mike Jasper and his assistant Ellen. The reason I wanted to read this so bad was because in the description, it sounded completely opposite from what we are used to. We all love the gorgeous, billionaire, GOD in the sack...but this was a little different. Gorgeous? Check! Billionaire? Check! GOD in the sack? meeeehhhhh.....not so much! hahahaha!
Jasper keeps getting dumped because all his dates eventually end up not being able to overlook the fact that he's a selfish lover. That's when his assistant steps in to finally show him how to please a woman. That's one reason I loved this story. There's none of the "fighting it" nonsense. Why fight it? 50 Shades...fought the attraction, Ava in This Man....fought it like a mofo, WHY FIGHT IT?! If you wake up and Channing Tatum tells you he is your husband...you don't question it people!!! Just be like "Aight..." and consumate it STAT! lol! Ellen doesn't fight the proposition. She's a strong, smart, beautiful, decisive woman. She's not the meek, shy, damsel in distress type whatsoever. Don't get me wrong...I love reading those types too! But it was a nice change.
If you want a quick, steamy read with a Happily Ever After (known around these parts as an HEA) then this is the story for you!!!

JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood

I am SO ashamed of myself. How could I have waited this long to review one of my FAVORITE series in the entire world? A series that is SO good, in fact, that even my faja (Daddy!) loves it and constantly asks me when the next one gets released. He loved the tv show True Blood, and when I told him it was based on a series of books he read the whole thing. When he asked for more I handed him Dark Lover and it was all over. Want a giggle: imagine a handsome 65 year old guy riding next to you on a plane reading what he's dubbed "Vampire Porn"..... baaahahahaha! Still tickles me to death. Anywho!
Each book in this action packed series is written about one of the members of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, which is group of gorgeous, huge, muscular, dominating, delicious vampires who fight to protect their kind from lessers. Taken from the BDB Glossary:
lesser n. De-souled human who targets vampires for extermination as a member of the Lessening Society. Lessers must be stabbed through the chest in order to be killed, otherwise they are ageless. They do not eat or drink and are impotent. Over time, their hair, skin and irises lose pigmentation until they are blonde, blushless and pale-eyed. They smell like baby powder. Inducted into the Society by the Omega, they retain a ceramic jar thereafter into which their heart was placed after it was removed.
These stories are much different than any other vampire romance line I've read because there is so much action in it. Its not like reading a regular paranormal romance novel, its more like reading a sci fi/ thriller/ fantasy novel with a boat load of romance (and erotica) thrown in for good measure! Its so intense and well written that during a fight scene, you are as tense and clenched up as if you were watching it in a movie! When a BDB novel is release, this Wife/Mommy is hard to find. Im usually locked away in the bathroom in my garden tub, letting out the cold water and refilling with hot...a few times over. (Daddy is on duty, but in return gets rewarded...because this series is HOT HOT HOT!!!)
Taken from website: In the beginning there are six warrior vampires in the brotherhood. They include:

Wrath: the last purebred vampire on the planet and the vampire race's king. Essentially blind, he is the leader who is not willing to lead until he is forced to care for a half-breed he falls in love with.

Rhage: the strongest of the brothers and the best fighter. Cursed by the Scribe Virgin, he is possessed by a dark side which is a danger to everyone. Ultimately, though, he is gentled by a very special human woman.

Zsadist: the most lethal of the brothers. A former blood slave who was mercilessly tortured during the first hundred years of his life, Z is the one who has fallen farthest from grace. But he is utterly worthy of redemption.

Phury: the loyal one, the one who sacrifices himself for others. Phury is Zsadist's twin brother and a celibate who cannot truly live because of everything his biological brother has lost. Used to giving rather than receiving, he needs love coming back at him to bring him alive.

Vishous: the most intelligent and the one who is specially gifted. His curse is his ability to prognosticate: he sees the future, though not the 'when' of events so he is tortured by his inability to save those he loves from danger. His love puts him at odds with a secret about himself he did not know and could never have guessed.

Tohrment: the steady one, the calm one. He is the one whose betrayal by fate will cut the deepest.



I call dibs on Rhage...Im serious...I will cut you...

You will fall for each and every one of these guys, and the plot just gets better and better with every book. There are always new characters added in each book so the story line could just keep going and going. And I hope it does. Forever.

JR Ward is amazing. If you visit her website, facebook, watch her interviews, or read the Guide that goes along with the series, she is just incredible. She's hilarious, and her characters "talk" to her. She "interviews" them and she writes what they "tell" her to. Basically she comes across as their biographer instead of a fictional author. Its so fun to go back through all of the interviews with the guys. And its seriously so hard to tell if she is just being funny, or if she truly hears them talking to her..... Im gonna go with a little bit of both~

Books in Order:
Dark Lover
Lover Eternal
Lover Awakened
Lover Revealed
Lover Unbound
Lover Enshrined
Insider's Guide
Lover Avenged
Lover Mine
Lover Unleashed
Lover Reborn
Lover At Last (Releases TOMORROW!!!!! 3/26/13)

Lynetta Halat Every Rose

It's taken me a while to write this review because I was home in NC visiting my family with only my tablet, which is a pain in the butt to write on. I need to invest in one of those covers with the built in keyboard...ANYWHO!
Right before I left, I read a book called Every Rose by a first time author named Lynetta Halat. She wants an honest review so I'm going to give it to her. If ya'll have read my other reviews, you know I love funny paranormal romances, super steamy erotic novels, and I pretty much don't veer off of them. That's because I'm an escapist reader. I read for the enjoyment of diving into another reality. I'm a stay at home mom of 2 little girls, have a great hubby I love more than life, and kick ass evening job that lets me bring my kids to work with me. But when I read, I want adventure, I want billionaires that splurge obscene amounts of money on their women, I want sexy vampires with hilarious senses of humor.... so I went into this book with the wrong mentality because those are the ONLY books I read. But if I were more prepared, I would have LOVED this book. It was VERY well written, especially for a first time author. It played out just like a movie. Like, I can totally see this being turned into a full length movie, the plot and everything was THAT good. I said this to her, and I mean it as a compliment: it has a very Nicholas Sparks feel to it. Its bittersweet, heart tugging, REAL, and something that could go on in anyone's life. I loved Michael, the yummy, artsy musician who is completely in love with our main character. I told her I "saw" him as Caleb from Pretty Little Liars and she actually used him in her book trailer! He fit his description perfectly. I've always wanted to use him as one of my leading guys but I've never read about a character that looks like him, so I was excited to visualize him <3
My favorite parts were when she would sneak into her barn to call him and talk for hours when they were kids. I can remember doing that...not the barn part, but ya know....lol. I loved the anticipation when she goes to see him for the first time since she left for college years ago. I loved the way he only had eyes for her when he had a sea of women around him at his concert. It was a true love story.
So, if you love Nicholas Sparks, the love story without the crazy hot steamy parts, and you love characters you truly root for and would KILL for them to be together...then Every Rose by Lynetta Halat is the book for you <3

You can buy it for $0.99 on amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/Every-Rose-ebook/dp/B00BS3EIKQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364054607&sr=1-1&keywords=every+rose

Find her also on Smashwords!

Jodi Ellen Malpas This Man Series

For the past few days I have done nothing but eat, sleep, and breathe Ava and Jesse. For those of you who have not heard of this series, get ready to want to throw your book, ipad, kindle, or whatever reading device you are using. This is one frustrating but totally addicting couple! Most of the time in this genre, the guy is a pain in the ass, the girl is perfect, and its all up to her to "fix" the bad boy. I LOVED this series because she was pretty crazy pants herself, AND he was actually a pretty laidback guy...until she came around. So the typical story of him being all possessive and controlling for years and years is out the window! He's never cared about anyone or anything enough to ever be possessive or controlling, so all these new feelings he's having drives him crazy. She starts out as a normal gal, but then he drives HER crazy. And in turn they both drive YOU crazy!!! But Im getting ahead of myself...let me start from the beginning.
This series is about an interior designer who is hired to decorate the new extention of a luxury hotel in London. When she goes for the first appointment to discuss what the owner is wanting, she is completely floored when she meets Jesse Ward. He's not some old, balding, brandy drinking, cigar smoking, geezer....au contraire...he is a drop dead gorgeous, blond haired, green eyed GOD who inherited the hotel from his uncle. When they meet its instant fireworks for the both of them. But she is only 26 and has JUST put her name on the map as an interior designing prodigy. She wants to devote all of her attention to the job she absolutely loves and is awesome at, especially now that she's newly single and doesn't have her asshat of an ex-boyfriend stressing her out. But Jesse will have none of that! He will stop at nothing until he can claim her, make her need him, (and drive her insane with all of his demands in the process!)
While reading these books you are gonna wish that Ava was a real person, so you could find her, and just....shake her! She always gives in! She tries to stand up to him, tries to hold her ground, but the moment he lays a finger on her she instantly submits to what he's wanting, no matter how flabbergasting the demand. You hope and pray that maybe this time, she'll stay strong. But then he surprises her with a new way of making her (and you!) melt. Thankfully, there is an explanation near the end of the second book on WHY he is the way he is. He has a very valid reason for why he is so protective over her. A good enough reason that makes you say, "ooooooh k, I'll forgive you for being kinda psycho." haha!
The author is from "London-ish", and it has been a lot of fun translating some of the words and phrases she uses. If I had thought of it sooner I would have made a glossary to put on here for us "Mericans" (fuck yeah! ;-) )

Boot = Trunk of a car
Jumper = Hoodie
Wee = ummmm......pee haha
Knickers = Panties
Loo = Restroom
Bloody = Damn
Fancy = To Like
Sod off = Piss off
Hoover = Vacuum (kinda obvious, but still, I thought it was funny!)
Made redundant = Laid off from a job
Bollocks = Balls
Chips = French Fries
Cow = bitch...or so I gather. lol! I forwarned my bestie that if I start calling her a cow rather than our affectionate nickname of "Hooker", Im totally not calling her fat! hahaha!

So in conclusion: ya'll seriously need to read this series. It is amazingly entertaining, provokes all sorts of emotions in you, and HOT HOT HOT!!!!! Can't tell you how many times the hubby had to peel me off of him! hehe ;-)

So to you, dear Jodi Ellen Malpas, "Bloody hell, lady, these were BRILLIANT!"

Series Order:

Book 1 - This Man
Book 2 - Beneath This Man
Book 3 - This Man Confessed (Coming Soon! I'll update you on the release date as soon as its available!)

CJ Roberts Dark Duet Series

About an hour ago I finished a 2 book series (soon to be 3!) and my pulse is still racing...could be my Starbucks Double Shot Expresso..............but Im pretty sure that it's because of this heart wrenching series. Where do I even start? Well, I found it by accident. I was reading the reviews for another book on goodreads and it was linked to a list: Top Erotica of 2012. The cover really stood out from the crowd so I read the review and IMMEDIATELY downloaded it and started reading. I didnt put it down for the past 36 hours. My hubby has been a very happy man for the past 2 days ;-)
Most of you know by now I love my funny vampire romances. Its a lot darker than what I usually enjoy. And its 100 times darker than Fifty if you can take it. But my goodness....Im getting the vapors just reliving some of the scenes in my head!
Its not necessarily the acts that were so....shocking.....we read and googled most of the stuff after reading Christian Grey's imaginitive scenerios. (Admit it!) But the language the author used to describe the acts was intense! Caleb at one point even says something along the lines of "What a dirty mouth you have, Kitten." Which, if her language is surprising to a man who deals in Pleasure Slaves and Human Trafficking, you know its pretty filthy, lol.
Yes, this story is about a man who is hell bent on revenge. He will stop at nothing to kill the man who sold him as a child into slavery....and we're not talking about the kind nowadays where they are in a tiny room sewing tshirts. Trust me, he would have prefered that. So now, Caleb's plan is:
1- Find the perfect girl to turn into what he was forced to become.
2- Sell her to the man who ruined his life.
3- When Vladek (^) is impressed with all of her skills, he will want to meet the man who trained her.
4- Become close enough that he is let into Vladek's inner circle.
5- Take him for all he's worth, steal everything that means anything to him, torture him slowly, and kill him.
Its taken 12 years to get to a point where Caleb can get close to the billionaire, and nothing will stand in his way to finally get his vengeance....except maybe love.
Its a dark and twisted story. But by the end you are actually rooting for what SHOULD BE the bad guy. Much like cheering for Dexter the serial killer :-)
Not for the weak of heart!
Book 1- Captured in the Dark
Book 2- Seduced in the Dark
Book "2.5"- Epilogue Told from Caleb's POV (Out March 2013!!!)

Lynsay Sands

You are in luck!!! If you are looking for a series that you won't be able to put down, and you'll have to read it back to back to back to back to back (I could go on...) because you simply will not be able to get your fill, then this is the series for you. Its seriously an addiction. My name is Kayla, and I'm an Argeneau Addict! I have been reading this series since the very first book was a new release back in 2003. It was a completely different take on a Vampire Romance series. In Lynsay Sands' paranormal world, vampires are actually from Atlantis. Back a gajillion years ago before Atlantis fell, they were extremely advanced and the scientists had come up with nano technology. They were meant to be injected into the body in order to cure a disease and then shut down whenever it was done. But the body is in a constant state of being under attack by things: sunlight damage, paper cuts...you name it....even the aging process itself. So the nanos never shut down. They use blood in order to fuel themselves, but the body doesn't produce enough to keep up with the constant fixing: hence why "vampires" have to continue to drink blood. But its now illegal to drink from humans and everyone is SUPPOSED to drink from blood bags except in emergencies when bags aren't available.
I LOVE LYNSAY SANDS! I have every single book this woman has ever written. As ya'll who have been following me from the beginning should know by now, I don't really enjoy historicals. But I own and love every historical she has written because she is absolutely hilarious. She's a wonderful writer who never leaves loose ends, has completely believable plot lines, and who develops characters that you fall head over heels in love with. I have to force myself to let a few books of hers build up because I read them so quickly! One books literally lasts me about a day because you seriously just can't sit them down. So when I have like 3 or 4 books built up, I then read them back to back! Waiting in between Lynsay Sands books is torture, so be prepared! But luckily, if you've never read one before, you've got 18 to read in the Argeneau series ALONE. Throw in all her historicals and you've got a hell of a "To-Read" book list! And you'll love every one of them!
I adore this series because they find their "life mate." There is no question that they have found the one they are supposed to be with. Vampires can read everyone's mind, so they know they've found their life mate when they can't hear their thoughts. Also, after hundreds of years, they've lost the taste for food...and sex...but when they find their special someone, all those appetites are reawakened. There are some other really funny (and HOT!!!) ways to tell if they've found their life mate...but you'll just have to read 'em to discover the awesomeness that is...LYNSAY SANDS. <3

A note from Lynsay about her reading order:


Argeneau / Rogue Hunter Series Reading OrderSo here’s the explanation as to why the reading order is different from
the published order. When I wrote the proposal for the series it
started with Lissianna's story, then Etienne's story, then Lucern's,
then Bastien's. However, Dorchester, my publisher for the first three
books, could only purchase three books at the time and chose the
brothers. It was their choice to take the brothers and not the sister
and their choice to publish them out of order. Now the series is at
Avon and Lissianna was the first they published. From now on, the
stories will be in order.
Here is the reading order:
Note: the reading order is not necessarily the same as the publishing
order



A Quick Bite
– Lissianna’s story - November 2005
Love Bites– Etienne’s story - January 2004Single White Vampire– Lucern’s story - September 2003Tall, Dark & Hungry– Bastien’s story - July 2004A Bite To Remember– Vincent’s story - July 2006Bite Me If You Can– Lucian’s story - February 2007The Accidental Vampire– Victor’s story - January 2008Vampires Are Forever– Thomas’s story - February 2008Vampire, Interrupted– Marguerite’s story - March 2008The Rogue Hunter– Garrett Mortimer’s story - October 2008The Immortal Hunter– Decker Argeneau’s story - March 2009The Renegade Hunter– Nicholas Argeneau’s story - October 2009Born To Bite– Armand Argeneau’s story - September 2010Bitten By Cupid– Tiny McGraw’s story - January 2010Hungry For You– Alex Willan’s story - December 2010The Reluctant Vampire– Harper Stoyan’s story - June 2011Under A Vampire Moon– Christian Notte’s story - May 2012
Lady Is A Vamp
– Jeanne Louise’s story - August 2012
The Bite Before Christmas– Teddy Brunswick’s story - November
2011

NEXT RELEASE:
Immortal Ever After Anders' story!!!! Coming out February 26, 2013!


Michele Bardsley

I mentioned an author named Michele Bardsley in my Dakota Cassidy entry. Again, I just got really lucky plundering through the Paranormal Romance section at Books-A-Million. My husband at the time was deployed to Iraq, I was terribly morning sick (all day sick is what they should REALLY call it) pregnant with my older daughter Josalyn, so all I had the energy to do was lay around all day and read. Between loneliness, worry for his safety overseas, and not being able to keep even plain baked potatoes down, I was feeling pretty horrible. Then came this wonderful series that seriously cheered me up!!! Come on! With a title like "I'm the Vampire, That's Why" my funny bone could not resist taking this one home and giving it a shot. By now ya'll know I have to have some humor in my books. Well, mix a ton of humor, with a yummy Irish vampire, add some wonderful characters that could be YOUR neighbors, and you've got this addictive series. It's about a town called Broken Heart, Oklahoma. It has the highest divorce rate and percentage of single parents in the state. I LOVE this series because every previous character is revisited in each book! I don't know about ya'll but after reading books in a series I end up loving the characters. I may need therapy, but I end up feeling like I know them! I worry about them, laugh with them, cry for them...they become real to me! It happens with my TV shows too! My husband laughs at me because I seriously cry during EVERY episode of Grey's Anatomy. Remember that episode when Denny died and Izzy was on the elevator about to go tell him that YES she would marry him? I was SOBBING, completely inconsolable. When I could finally speak, Jason asked "You ok, babe?" and I just wailed, "NO!!!!!!! THEY'RE MY FRIENDS!!!!!!!"
Anywho, now that you know Im crazy, lets continue....hehe
I would not recommend reading these out of order. There is a continuous story line through the entire series, while each individual book is about a different couple. You dont want to miss a single page! I'd definitely recommend going ahead and buying ALL the books at once because once you pick up the first one, you will not want to stop! I started reading it from the very beginning in September 2006 so it has made me INSANE having to wait for each release! I LOVE these books!
My favorite character has to be Patsy~ the town's beautition. She's the heroine of "Because Your Vampire Said So" which is Book 3. My favorite scene of all time is in the 1st book when Jessica gets to put the town hussy in her place at the town meeting! I almost died laughing!
As always, I don't want to give away all the magic that is Michele Bardsley's Broken Heart novels. But I will say you get a little bit of everything...vampires, werewolves, demons...you name it! I've stuck with this series for almost 7 years now and I will continue to buy each one the DAY they come out! Next one comes out April 2013! Squee! Its about time since the last one came out in 2011, so I'm pretty much ravenous for some Broken Heart, Oklahoma :-)
Here are the books in reading order:
  • I’m the Vampire, That’s Why (Broken Heart, Oklahoma, Book 1)
  • Don’t Talk Back To Your Vampire (Broken Heart, Oklahoma, Book 2)
  • Because Your Vampire Said So (Broken Heart, Oklahoma, Book 3)
  • Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home (Broken Heart, Oklahoma, Book 4)
  • Tax Not the Zombie (A free Broken Heart, Oklahoma short story)
  • Over My Dead Body (Broken Heart Vampires, Book 5)
  • Come Hell or High Water: A Broken Heart Novel (Broken Heart Vampires, Book 6)
  • Cross Your Heart: A Broken Heart Novel (Broken Heart Vampires, Book 7)
  • Must Love Lycans: A Broken Heart Novel (Broken Heart Vampires, Book 8)
  • Only Lycans Need Apply (Broken Heart Vampires, Book 9) Releasing April 2013!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, now I gotta show off a little bit.... I've been modeling since I was 5 years old, and after having my 2 little girls I thought I'd have some fun and get some pics made for the husband for Christmas. The wonderful Mike Fox ( here in Pearland, TX) and I did a 50's housewife/ pin-up shoot. One of the pictures I absolutely LOVE is of me dressed up in my little housewife apron in the kitchen with a cupcake pan...it kept nudging my brain, saying "this looks really familiar..." and I FINALLY figured it out! I look just like JESSICA on the cover of "I'm the Vampire, That's Why".... I must have subconsciously posed just like the cover of one of my all time favorite series ;-) Notice, even, the cupcakes in the background of the cover art!
Finally, Michele,
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful sense of humor. You helped me get through long deployments and icky pregnancy symptoms with a smile on my face! Oh, and your erotica books are the ish too....hehe!
Love, Your most loyal of fans, Kayla Robichaux

Kerrelyn Sparks

I'm super excited to be telling you about this author; a delightful lady named Kerrelyn Sparks :-)
I came across this series at a Books-A-Million during my now ex-husband's deployment. Needless to say I went through a LOT of books during that time period. Its when they had recently created a specified section for "Paranormal Romance" and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. No more having to go through the entire Romance section trying to find some supernatural hotties to read about! hehe! I was reading the backs of all the books when all of a sudden a new release's title caught my eye: HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE VAMPIRE...... ummmmmmmmm, yes please! lol! So here's the gist. Roman is a Hottie McNaughty genius vampire....Shanna is a dentist at a shadey 24 hour dentist office. Roman, poor guy...LOSES A FANG!! Well, vampires, as we all know, have super healing powers so he only has a few hours to get his fang put back in before he will have to live eternity with only 1 fang.....if you don't roll around laughing your butt off while reading this hilarious story where, FINALLY, the sexy, perfect, flawless vampire Hero of a romance novel gets put in the embarassing situation for once!!! It's adorable for him to be the "damsel in distress" needing HER to save him in the beginning of the story. But in no way does it take away from his yummy masculinity. Before I tell you any more, here's an excerpt from Kerrelyn's website:
"Welcome to the dangerous—and hilarious—world of modern day vampires. There are vampire cable channels, a celebrity magazine called Live with the Undead, and just like the living, vampires have dental emergencies. That’s how dentist Shanna Whelan, a mortal female, meets the smolderingly undead Roman Draganesti, and finds her life turning absolutely batty…"
Now, PLEASE, don't let what Im about to tell you turn you off of these stories. Trust me when I tell you, this is a FANTASTIC series and this is where the similarity ends: Roman has invented a blood substitute, making it possible for vampires not to have to feed off of humans.
I actually read THESE books before I had ever even heard of Charlaine Harris and True Blood. So in my mind, when I started reading the Sookie Stackhouse books, I was like "GASP!!!! SHE COPIED KERRELYN!!" But no one copied anyone. Two great authors had a similar idea pop into their wonderfully imaginative heads; creating two, VERY DIFFERENT worlds and story lines. Throughout the different books in the series, you will get so caught up in their world! A reality show where Vampires and Humans face off for the title of "Sexiest Man on Earth".....A gorgeous, fashion-designing male vampire that's NOT gay....even a couple of guys in kilts (wink!) This is such a fun, light-hearted series with lots of humor and witty banter, you just don't want the books to end! They leave you in a great mood, like you've just watched a great comedy.
I had the pleasure of going to Kerrelyn Sparks book signing at Katy Budget Books a few years ago when my youngest was a newborn. We got lots of pictures of my girls' (and MY!) first author's book signing. Starting my girls off right! It was so exciting meeting the writer of some of the books I've been reading for YEARS! And I'll always treasure the pictures of me and my babies with this great lady! Check out my pictures on my Kayla the Bibliophile page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.471071982934538.101827.469111539797249&type=3
Here is the reading order for this awesome series:
  • How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 1)
  • Vamps and the City (Love at Stake, Book 2)
  • A Very Vampy Christmas: From Sugarplums and Scandal
  • Be Still My Vampire Heart (Love at Stake, Book 3)
  • The Undead Next Door (Love at Stake, Book 4)
  • All I Want for Christmas Is a Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 5)
  • Secret Life of a Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 6)
  • Forbidden Nights with a Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 7)
  • The Vampire and the Virgin (Love at Stake, Book 8 )
  • Eat Prey Love (Love at Stake, Book 9)
  • Vampire Mine (Love at Stake, Book 10)
  • Sexiest Vampire Alive (Love at Stake, Book 11)
  • Wanted: Undead or Alive (Love at Stake, Book 12)
  • Wild About You (Love at Stake, Book 13)

Katie MacAlister

Let me start off by saying that I have every single Katie MacAlister book...all like gajillion of them. Every series, every stand alone book, ALL OF THEM. But each series deserves its own note so I'm going to start off with her "Dark Ones" series.
The very first "Paranormal Romance" I ever read was Sherrilyn Kenyon's Fantasy Lover...back when it was a brand new release in 2002. It was so completely different than anything I had ever read before (my Mom's Sandra Brown books I used to sneak off to my room with, hehe) and I was instantly hooked to the genre. So I went searching for more stories to read, and all I could really find at the time (using my high school's computer) were dark and broody books by authors like Anne Rice. About a year later I came across a book by the name of "A Girl's Guide to Vampires" by Katie MacAlister. After reading it, I finally realized my niche. I LOVE HUMOROUS PARANORMAL ROMANCES!! It made me realize that the element of humor is what was really important to me. Why do I love my husband so much? His wonderful sense of humor. Why do I refuse to watch his "Gangsta Flix" (he's obsessed with all gangster/gang related movies, shows, documentaries)? No element of humor in them. Why do I love my job as an office manager of Gymnastics Academy? Because my coworkers are the funniest group of women I've ever met! Why is the lovely Kristin Williams the greatest bestie of all time? Because my stomach hurts from laughing so hard after our EVERY conversation. OBVIOUSLY humor makes my world go round. Its why when I start reading a book, if I haven't at least snickered to myself by the 100th page, I give up on it. While reading Katie MacAlister books, you will have tears streaming down your cheeks from laughing so hard!!! I'm scared that I will get on a tangent about this series and reveal to much, so here is just a little snippet from Katie's website:

"Dark One n. (Origin: Czech, also known as vampires) A Moravian Dark One is doomed to spend his lifetime cruising the singles' scene in search of the one woman who can redeem his soul. You think dating is hard? Try it when you're nine hundred years old and you've used every pick up line in the book. Forming a lasting relationship is even more difficult when the woman who makes your heart sing sees dead people and likes to play with demons."
What I like about these books is there's no doubt. When a Dark One finds his mate, there is no question its her. There is ONE woman in ALL of his centuries of life that will restore his soul, and the signs that his soul have been restored are hilarious. Oh, one last thing...their soulmates are called "Beloveds". Let me finish up by saying: I love this series so much that I got a tattoo on my foot as a dedication to its awesomeness. I got Jason's Beloved because there's no doubt in my mind that we were put on this earth for each other so I thought it very fitting :-) I'll post a picture for you guys to see!

Here the reading order for the Dark Ones series (taken from KatieMacAlister.com):

A GIRL’S GUIDE TO VAMPIRES
Dark Ones, Book 1
Originally published 2003; reissued Jan. 2011
Hero and Heroine: Raphael St. John and Joy Randall
Secondary Character: Christan Dante
Comments: Christian! Christian! Christian! I wrote him just for myself, but decided I would share with everyone. First mention of GothFaire and Miranda Ghetti, Francesca’s mother.
SEX AND THE SINGLE VAMPIRE
Dark Ones, Book 2
Originally published 2004; reissued April 2011
Hero and Heroine: Christian Dante and Allegra Telford
Secondary Characters: Noelle the Guardian, Asmodeus the demon lord, Sebastian Mercier
Comments: The first introduction of a Guardian and demons. Joy, Raphael, and Roxy from Girl’s Guide also appear in this book.
SEX, LIES AND VAMPIRES
Dark Ones, Book 3
Originally published 2005; reissue Sept. 2011
Hero and Heroine: Adrian Tomas and Nell Harris
Secondary Characters: Sebastian Mercier, Asmodeus
Comments: Christian and Allie appear in this book. Also included are the first references to polters.
EVEN VAMPIRES GET THE BLUES
Dark Ones, Book 4
Signet (May 2, 2006)
Hero and Heroine: Paen Scott and Samantha Cosse
Secondary Characters: Finn, Avery, and Daniel Scott; Noelle the Guardian
Comments: The first book where you get to “see” a polter. Avery later found his Beloved in the Unleashed novella in Cupid Cats.
BRING OUT YOUR DEAD novella in JUST ONE SIP anthology
Dark Ones, part of the series
Love Spell (Oct 3, 2006)
Hero and Heroine: Sebastian Mercier and Ysabelle Raleigh
Secondary Characters: Adrian, Nell, and Damian, as well as Noelle the Guardian, and Asmodeus.
Comments: This short story picked up where Sex, Lies, and Vampires left off, and was intended to satisfy people who wanted to see Sebastian and Noelle together. Noelle refused to cooperate.
THE LAST OF THE RED-HOT VAMPIRES
Dark Ones, Book 5
Signet (April 3, 2007)
Hero and Heroine: Theondre (Theo) North and Portia Harding
Secondary Characters: Christian Dante, Noelle the Guardian
Comments: This was the first Dark Ones book with a hero who wasn’t a vampire at the beginning of the story. Noelle is present in the guise of a test proctor, while Christian is there as the head of the Moravian Council.
CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE short story in MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL HONEYMOON anthology
Dark Ones, part of the series
St. Martin (Dec 26, 2007)
Hero and Heroine: Raphael St. John and Joy Randall
Comments: This short story was written to satisfy readers who wanted to know why Raphael was so wigged out by werefolk.
ZEN AND THE ART OF VAMPIRES
Dark Ones, Book 6
Signet (Dec 2, 2008)
Hero and Heroine: Kristoff von Hannelore and Pia Thomason
Secondary Characters: Alec Darwin, Christian Dante, Sebastian Mercier, Ulfur the ghost
Comments: The first part of a two-book story that introduced two new elements into the Dark Ones world: reapers, and the Moravian Council. Christian and Sebastian have cameos.
CROUCHING VAMPIRE, HIDDEN FANG
Dark Ones, Book 7
Signet (May 5, 2009)
Hero and Heroine: Kristoff von Hannelore and Pia Thomason
Secondary Characters: Alec Darwin, Christian Dante, Allegra Telford, Sebastian Mercier
Comments: The second part of Pia’s story, with a look at how Allie and Christian are doing, as well as longer appearances by Kristoff’s brother and cousin. Ulfur the ghost is also present in this story.
UNLEASHED novella in CUPID CATS anthology
Dark Ones, part of the series
Signet (Jul 6, 2010)
Hero and Heroine: Avery Scott and Jacintha Ferreira
Secondary Characters: Paen Scott and Samantha Cosse, as well as Jas’s sister Cora
Comments: This novella sets up the story of how Alec Darwin finds his Beloved despite the fact that she was killed some five centuries before. It’s also the story of one of Paen Scott’s brothers, and the first time I deal with Moravian finding his Beloved (i.e. Avery has his soul before he meets Jas). Trivia: Jacintha owes her nickname “Jas” to my beloved dog, who died a few months before I wrote this story. More trivia: all my proceeds from the sales of this anthology goes to three local animal charities: Purrfect Pals, Old Dog Haven, and Save a Forgotten Equine, in memory of my dog.
IN THE COMPANY OF VAMPIRES
Dark Ones, Book 8
Signet (Nov 2, 2010)
Hero and Heroine: Benedikt Czerny and Francesca Ghetti
Secondary Characters: Miranda Ghetti, Eirik, Finnvid, and Isleif (ghosts), Imogen, Loki
Comments: The long-awaited adult story with Ben and Fran, set five years after Circus of the Darned. Ulfur the ghost (now a lich) is in this story, and makes mention of Pia and Kristoff. Two characters seen for the first time are David and Petra, who will be given their own book.
GOT FANGS? and CIRCUS OF THE DARNED in the CONFESSIONS OF A VAMPIRE’S GIRLFRIEND omnibus
Dark Ones, part of the series
YOUNG ADULT
NAL (Nov 2, 2010)
Hero and Heroine: Benedikt Czerny and Francesca Ghetti
Secondary Characters: Miranda Ghetti, Eirik, Finnvid, and Isleif (ghosts), Imogen, Loki
Comments: First printed in 2003 and 2004, these two books were released as YAs, and brought back the GothFaire introduced in A Girl’s Guide to Vampires.
MUCH ADO ABOUT VAMPIRES
Dark Ones, Book 9
Signet (Oct 3, 2011)
Hero and Heroine: Alec Darwin and Corazon Ferreira
Secondary Characters: Kristoff Hannelore and Pia Thomason, Ulfur the lich, Bael, Sally, and Christian Dante
Comments: Jacintha’s sister Cora’s story, including the uber short story My Heart Will Go On And On, and explaining how Alec could have a Beloved when she was killed 500 years before.
A TALE OF TWO VAMPIRES
Dark Ones, Book 10
Signet (Sept. 4, 2012)
Hero and Heroine: Nikola Czerny and Iolanthe Tennyson
Secondary Characters: Benedikt Czerny, Francesca Ghetti
Comments: This is the story of Ben’s father, who supposedly “died” a few centuries ago. Ben, Fran, and Imogen all feature heavily in the book.
SHADES OF GRAY novella in the UNDEAD IN MY BED anthology
Dark Ones, part of the series
Pocket Star (Sept. 25, 2012)
Hero and Heroine: Grayson Soucek and Noelle the Guardian
Secondary Characters: Michel de Nostradame, ghostly cousin of the infamous Nostradamus
Comments: A novella that finally gives Noelle her Dark One.

Sylvain Reynard's Gabriel Series








After coming off of my 50 Shades of Grey high, NOTHING could keep my attention. Here was a trilogy that I finished in 2 days, couldn't put them down and was so absorbed in their world that I found myself having to FORCE myself to get through a page of any other book. So I did some digging and found a little list of books that was titled something like "What to read after 50 Shades of Grey". The first book on the list was Beautiful Disaster....it was SO recommended...but when I FINALLY finished it I was like WTF? People wanted me to read THAT after the eroticism of 50 Shades? Sure, it was an ok book, but I had no clue why it was a recommended one for the genre I was looking for. Thankfully, though, I didnt give up. On that same list was an author I had never heard of: Sylvain Reynard. And the more digging I did, the more and more this name kept popping up on different suggested reading lists. So after reading the description of the book I decided to give Gabriel a try.... Le sigh....Gabriel is the perfect infactuating mix of asshole and sweetheart. Every girl's fantasy gorgeous bad boy they wish they could change. But the real reason I absolutely loved this series, is because of the unbelievable amount I LEARNED from these (currently) 2 romance novels! I retained more information about the art and literature described in these books than I did in ALL of my Art History and College English Lit classes! And they were so beautifully written that I found myself Googling and Wikipedia-ing EVERYTHING...and all of it was REAL! Every painting, every reference...so fascinating!
Gabriel and Julia's story is parrallel with Dante's. (Google it, OR just learn all about him in these books! lol) Their romance will drive you to delirium. I was SO frustrated at times I would literally throw my book down and yell at whoever was being STUPID and self-destructive at the time whether it be Julia or Gabriel. They were both idiots at different points. I wanted to be a character in the story just so I could knock some sense into their heads! But their characters are totally convincing. Being put in the different situations, one WOULD act that way. But being an outsider you're just like... "STOP IT! GIVE IN! BE TOGETHER!" All the jealousy, self-conciousness, doubt.....understandable. But still frustrating. But not frustrating to the point I wanted to stop reading. It PUSHED me! I couldnt put the book down until something would just GIVE. I was strung so tight by the end that when it FINALLY happened I "SQUEEEEEED!!!!" like a little giddy girl (in the middle of the night, mind you, while hubby was sleeping beside me....poor guy) Yeah, I totally spazzed out....lol! I haven't given anything away; all I've said here you could decipher from reading the backs of each book. I wouldn't do that to you, these books are BEAUTIFUL and leave you with a feeling of relief and completeness in the end. Well....now knowing that there's a 3rd book ;-D
Another AMAZING (to me at least) fact about this series: Sylvain Reynard is a GUY!! I had never read a series written by a man before! And actually I had no idea until I had finished reading the books and was looking up more titles by the author. So GOOD JOB DUDE! For real, one of the most romantic and heart wrenching stories I've ever read. Cannot WAIT for the 3rd one to come out!
Gabriel's Inferno
Gabriel's Rapture
3rd book in the works, no title yet!
For a teaser of the 3rd book, check out Angie's site: awholelotofnothing.net
Then take a look around, this chick is HILARIOUS!

Dakota Cassidy

Dakota Cassidy <3

Dakota Cassidy
I can't tell you how GIDDY I am to write about this author! Not only are her books "f***takular", but the lady herself is simply a wonderful human being. She has the greatest sense of humor (and it shows in her hilarious books!) and one scroll through her facebook page can brighten the grumpiest of days. On the Jenna Marbles "Girl Crush Scale" I'm between a level 1 and level 2 with Dakota (if you haven't watched Jenna Marbles' Girl Crush video on youtube, that means I'm somewhere between 'I want to be her best friend' and' I want to BE her'...)
You've probably heard the old saying, "Never judge a book by its cover." Well, in this case Im glad I went against that saying or I probably never would have come across this series. I'm a huge Michele Bardsley fan. On her covers I kept seeing kudos from this "Dakota Cassidy" person. One day, while searching through my beloved Half Price Books store, I came across some beautiful Trade Size Paperback books and the WHOLE SERIES to that date was there! (Jackpot in Bibliophile terms). Lo and behold, it was the same Dakota Cassidy chick that I always saw talking about Michele Bardsley books! I figured if we had the same taste in books, she couldn't be THAT bad, right? So I bought ALL of them without knowing anything about them, besides the pretty artwork, lol! SCREW YOU METAPHORICAL IDIOMS! I'm glad I judged these books by their cover because WOW! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard while reading before! Dakota has her own language, really. She has to turn off her auto-correct while writing because of the...colorful...words she invents. Being a retired sailor's daughter, and having grown up in a military town my whole life, these words didnt bother me in the least, they had me tickled to the point I would have to run to the little girl's room. But some of the situations her characters go though NEED the various plays on the f-bomb (like my reference to f***takular above) to really portray the craziness they are going through. Each one of the characters are "Accidentally" changed into a different supernatural creature. The stories take place around a trio of women who (despite having completely different personalities) become inseperable best friends. I swear when I read the first book, The Accidental Werewolf, I thought Dakota had spied on me and totally based Marty on my entire existance! Right down to my tiny little yappy ankle biter dog who thinks he's my protector! The heros in the series are irresistable. The women are completely lovable (Even Nina, MY FAVORITE, who is....a bitch, lol). You find yourself DESPISING the antagonists: I wanted to strangle Alana, UGH! But all around, these are fun books to read. If you want to laugh, feel lighthearted while you are reading with some OMG! moments, without the seriousness of dark, broody, depressy main characters, but still have the drool worthy yumminess going on: THESE ARE YOUR BOOKS. I've noticed a few reviewers saying that it took them a little bit to warm up to the books. If you are coming off of a serious book like 50 Shades of Grey, it might throw you off a little because these are written from the main character's POV, and in a way that they would actually TALK. But I promise, give just the first book a chance and you won't be able to stop until you've finished the entire series, one right after the other. Here are the books in reading order:
  1. The Accidental Werewolf
  2. Accidentally Dead
  3. The Accidental Human
  4. Accidentally Demonic
  5. Accidentally Catty
  6. Accidentally Dead Again
  7. The Accidental Genie

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Reviews, Recommendations, and EVERYTHING from Book Boyfriends to Book Humor. I love Paranormal Romance, Erotica, Contemporary Romance, a touch of Historical Romance if its humorous... I spend every spare second I have reading some really great books and so my friends ask me what THEY should read next! I originally made this page as a reference for everyone of the books I've read with a list of the Authors/ Series and descriptions.
Now it's so much more!