ARC Review: Cherished by Maya Banks and Lauren Dane

Cherished

by Maya Banks and Lauren Dane

(Delicious # 1)

Book Overview

Both these stories are contemporary BDSM erotic romances.  As a whole I enjoyed the book, but definitely one more than the other.  Ms. Dane is kicking off a new series with Sway.  I'm not sure if Maya Banks will continue writing a series after Exiled or if it's a standalone.

Exiled by Maya Banks - 3 Stars

I was extremely excited to read this story, then I started reading and... well, I wasn't so excited anymore.  From the very beginning I felt like I couldn't connect to this story.  Briefly, the premise is of a girl that used to work in a palace.  The prince of said palace took a liking to her after seeing her just a few times and talking to her in passing only once.  When politics go to hell in the country and his family is forced to leave, he finds refuge in a beautiful island but he has his "people" make an arrangement with the girl that she will get an education and treatment for her sick mother in France, but when Prince Alexander wants, he will collect on that debt.  That right there annoyed the crap out of me!  So then yes he collects, but he has the nerve to collect by having her have sex with not only him but 3 other guys.  Yes count them... FOUR men.  Then the story gets going and there is a lot of sex, some that I should've been getting into, but I just couldn't.  I don't know if the dynamic of the m/m/m/m/f was not working for me as it should, or the fact of how it all came to be bothered me.  I can't put my finger on it.  I did enjoy some scenes and parts of this book, but overall I struggled reading this story and took me forever to finish it.

Sway by Lauren Dane - 4 Stars

I am soooooo excited that we are getting a spin-off of the Brown Siblings!  I love how the characters are always artsy, tattooed, pierced and just not your average Joe or Mary.  The Delicious series will basically follow the women that we met during Never Enough, Gillian's friends.  First up is Daisy.  She's a beautiful latina, she's a part time dance instructor and a full time artist who works alongside her grandmother in their own shop.  She's not the typical woman you would think a well to do man would want to bring home to meet the parents.  She's outspoken, she has a lot of tattoos, and some piercings in interesting places.  She's also young.  All this is going through Levi's head when he meets Daisy and faith keeps putting her in his path.  Their attraction was instant!  They accidentally meet at a dance class and sparks start flying in all directions.  Levi has a bit of a dark and repressed past.  Things he had to deal with from his ex-wife and his family.  And then there's the issue of him being older than her.  There are many things I liked about this story.  Obviously the connection between the characters made the whole "couple" believable.  They were obviously perfect for each and incredibly compatible.  I also LOVED Daisy.  I fell in love with all of Gillian's friends in Never Enough and I can honestly say I still adore them.  Daisy is no exception.  She takes life by the balls and does what she wants.  And instead of overthinking the whys she shouldn't be with Levi she kept moving forward and doing what her heart told her to.  I also really liked that she didn't jump into bed with him right away.  The respect she has for herself sets her apart from every other woman Levi has known before.  What got a little on my nerves was Levi.  Yes, his attitude made sense for who he was and what he'd been through in his life.  That doesn't mean I had to like it.  Other than that he was extremely hot, especially when he let go of his preconceptions and let his wild side free. ;)  As a reader of the Brown Siblings series I loved all the cameos and I think I see a setup for one of the girls in this upcoming series with maybe one of Levi's brothers.  It might happen.  I am definitely excited to read TART.

*ARC provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Review: Beyond Complicated by Mercy Celeste

3.75 Feathers

Beyond Complicated

by Mercy Celeste

I am truly conflicted and torn while writing this review. I believe this story has the wrong title, it shouldn't be called Beyond Complicated, just Beyond F*cked Up. It took me on a ride I did not expect and to places (a lot of them) that I didn't think I'd be comfortable going. I still don't know exactly how I feel about it.

Where do I start? How about my decision to pick up this book. I am a fan of this author and I read a guest blog of hers that mentioned this book had been banned from Amazon. I HAD TO HAVE IT.

Of course by reading the blurb you expect a lot of complicated and even some fucked up but I was unprepared for what I got. I think the author did a really good job at writing about things that are considered taboo and going places that others would definitely be scared of. I wasn't completely repelled immediately as I would've imagined so I think it's a good idea to look at this book with an open mind. That being said, this book is not for everyone as it has  many topics that can be triggers for some people, but it is a great emotional story about betrayal and love and everything that happens in between. It's not about an easy life and it is a bit dysfunctional.  At times it felt like watching a Jerry Springer show without the eye-clawing and cat-fights.

Basically this story revolves around Liam. He's been gay his whole life but at sixteen, the prom queen decided she wanted him and took his virginity. Few months later she told him she was pregnant with his child and that changed his life completely. To pay the child support he ended up in the gay porn industry, where he was very successful and met the love of his life, Seth. Or so he thought until something awful happened that turned his life upside down and brought it almost to an end. Now he's back in his hometown and his son, Kel,  is dating his old boyfriend, Seth. But things get more complicated from there. And I have to say this more as a disclaimer so people don't get surprised and can't handle it, but not only does Liam get back with Seth when he shows up as Kel's boyfriend, but Kel and Liam are in love and get involved as well. Don't stop reading here. Leading up to this moment there were a lot of signs that Kel wasn't really Liam's son, however at the time they start being together Liam still believes that he's Kels father and still has sex with him. I'm not sure how or even if I can explain it, that although it's wrong it felt very natural for them to be together when they did (as a reader seeing the direction of the story) and their love was so strong it couldn't have been any other way.

However, like I said...this is not a book for the faint of heart. There's talk of group rape, attempts of suicide, false paternity, incest (in a roundabout way), so much betrayal, and a m/m/m HEA. It's not conventional, it's not easy, and when I thought things were looking up I got hit with another big one and I was shaken up again (like at the end and the revelation of Kel's father).

After so much all of them had to go through, I couldn't help but root for their HEA because they deserved it after they had so much heartache to deal with. It was very hot but extremely hard and sad at times to read. And yeah, I still really don't know how to feel about it all. 

*Review copy provided by publisher

 Purchase Links: Silver Publishing

Review: Past Midnight by Jasmine Haynes

Past Midnight

by Jasmine Haynes

(DeKnight # 1)

Ms. Haynes is the Nicolas Sparks of the Erotic/Rom world. Like Sparks novel, she pulled me in a roller coaster ride full of emotions but Ms. Haynes story is with shit loads of erotica.

Dominic and Erin lost their son Jay about a year ago and had not recovered since. In fact, not only that their marriage had fallen apart, their company (DeKnight Guages) has a big problem that is driving them further apart. Sad to say that both Dominic and Erin have become so distant that the only way they show emotions is through their “Past Midnight” rendezvous. As anyone would know, that is just not enough in a relationship. Especially with a recent loss, marital or other form of support is probably the most important factor of healing.

In an attempt to save his marriage, Dominic will do anything and everything including going beyond his sexual boundaries. He is determine to shock the hell out of Erin by exploring his and her deepest fantasy. And way to go Dominic! Your tactics worked even for me but that's a whole different story. ;).

I love Dominic and Erin’s story. Their situations are very realistic; from business problems, social issues, marital issues to death of a loved one.

Ms. Haynes did a wonderful job reminding me that life is anything but perfect and marriage is hard work. This may be TMI but damn, I got some ideas about exploring. This book is full of extremely hot scenes that include voyeurism, threesomes, exhibitionist and some bondage.

I have to note that I went about this series the wrong way. I first read Principal’s Office (which I loved), knowing it was book 3. I could beat myself for doing that and for waiting so long to get to this book. This one I would recommend for this summer’s hot and heartfelt read.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Review: The Taker by Alma Katsu

The Taker

by Alma Katsu

(The Taker Trilogy # 1)

Call me a masochist if need be, but I loved this heartbreaking story. Alma Katsu is a wonderful storyteller. I have to admit that this story is dark and depressing to the point where I wanted to stop reading the book but the Ms. Katsu’s left and right twists of the story kept me flipping the pages non-stop.

Lanny finds herself in the ER in shock of what she had just done. She confides in the local doctor and convinces him to help her with her troubles. In their journey, she talks about decades of misfortune and misery. Her love for Jonathan (her first and only love) has no bounds. She would do anything and everything for him. And same goes for Adair (her lover & the one who gave her immortality), but not to a point of love and obsession just means to an end.

Unfortunately, these men brought her nothing but heartache after heartache. How she moved on with this immortal life, I have no idea. But then again, how did I keep on reading each heart-wrenching tale she tells? Let me tell you, it is the hope of finding any scrap of happiness for Lenore.

This book captured my feelings of lost, regret and made me appreciate my simple mortal life. It goes back and forth from past to future which made the feelings of regrets more intense. I have to warn you, it is a story full of hardships and it is hell on earth. You will either love it or hate it.

I don't consider this anything like the Fifty Shades trilogy at all but a class on its own. 

*Review copy provided by author

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble