Review: Addicted by Charlotte Featherstone

This is a beautiful friend’s to lover’s tale between the characters of Anais Darnby and Lindsay Markham. Friends since childhood Lindsay has finally decided to take the next step and see if Anais feels the same way. However, over the years he has picked up an opium habit that is getting harder to deny, and when a disastrous betrayal and the consequences ensue, Lindsay plunges deeper into his addiction to numb his pain, and eventually leading him the difficult choice of the love of his life or his dark habit.

What I first liked about this book was the cover, it is really striking and beautiful, and I am pleased to say that the enclosed story was also just as striking and beautiful. Although this book proclaims itself to be an “Erotic Novel” I wouldn’t necessarily describe it as such, although it is explicit and raunchy, more so then most normal historical romances, this isn’t a book describing a series of sexual encounters. It is to me first and foremost a love story. I think this line describes it perfectly:

...I am forever loving, forever waiting, forever yearning...forever yours.”
“Oh God,” she whispered, smothering her tears. “You hurt me when you talk of love, for your love is all I ever wanted, and now that I have it, I cannot accept it. It kills me to know I might have had your love. Oh, Lindsay, opium might have been your weakness, but you, you have always been mine.”

These lines immediately grabbed my attention as is was reading it as I think they describe the tone of the story perfectly

Both the main characters are very empathetic, they are both flawed human beings who have made mistakes and have to live with the consequences of their decisions, with heartbreaking effect. They are outstanding characters, Lindsay is not your typical hero, he is too flawed and romantic and very human and Anais is definitely not you normal young blushing virgin either. This story also introduces Lindsays friend Wallingford, who is the main character of the next story and I cannot wait to read the love story and meet the heroine who will inspire such a jaded character.

This was a brilliant book that I would recommend to anyone who likes romance; it shows the ill effects of drug taking without preaching and has a beautiful love story between two characters that seem to walk off the page.

Review: Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

Despite being forewarned that this wasn’t exactly a contemporary romance, I was still surprised to read that Sugar Daddy was more of a women’s fiction read. It was a heartfelt coming-of-age story involving one of the best heroines I’ve read in a long time. Liberty Jones wasn’t born into a lavish life. She lived with her mother in a trailer park with her useless boyfriend in a place where being half-Mexican wasn’t entirely accepted. But despite being dealt bad cards, Liberty has an inner strength that allows her to persevere through the tough times. Sugar Daddy starts off with Liberty at a very young age and while I didn’t see why we needed to read about her growth from so early on, it made sense in the end. I never should have doubted Kleypas and her contemporary writing skills. I approached this book with a little skepticism but after flipping that last page, I am a firm believer in her skill as a writer. Whether she writes historicals or contemporary novels, Kleypas shines!

I made the HUGE mistake of reading the blurb for Blue-Eyed Devil about halfway through this read and I was kicking myself for that mistake! Whatever you do, DO NOT READ THE BLURB because although I fully believe that Liberty ends up with who she is supposed to be with, I was still surprised at the results.

I don’t usually enjoy first person narration, but there’s something about Liberty that you can’t help but like. It might be her charming personality or maturity level for such a young woman. It could be the fact that she sacrifices so much of her youth to care for her little sister, Carrington. Or perhaps it’s the fact that despite her unlucky times, Liberty never complains about her life. She has moments of weakness where she breaks down and sobs, but that makes me love her all the more. I can’t think of another book where the heroine deserves a happy ending as much as Liberty.

I won’t divulge too much about Liberty’s love life, but I have to mention the love scenes. Kleypas usually keeps her sex scene pretty tame, where less is more. But there are a couple scenes in this book that were steamy as hell! It wasn’t that she became suddenly explicit in her work. I think it was the way she wrote Liberty’s yearning, exploring a side of Liberty where she lets herself fall into the arms of this man, trusting him to catch her, to take care of her. It was the fact that Liberty’s love shone through that made this scene one of the steamiest sex scenes I’ve read in a long time. It was perfect.

Having now read the blurb for Blue-Eyed Devil, I cannot wait to read the next book! Kleypas continues to reach into my heart and mind, teaching me that extraordinary things can happen to ordinary people. You just have to recognize it.

Favourite Quote:

"I know without a doubt this man loves me for exactly who I am. No conditions, no limits. That’s a miracle too. In fact, every day is filled with ordinary miracles. You don’t have to look far to find them."

Review: Street Magic (Black London #1) by Caitlin Kittredge

Pete Caldecott was 16 when she thought Jack Winter died. She unwittingly helped him summon best left dead and he died from it, and she has been denying what she saw that day every day and night since. 10 years later she is an Police Inspector, working on a case where children are getting snatched. This leads her to Jack, who says he can tell her where the missing children are. But the supposedly long dead Jack is not how she remembers, he is 10 years older, a heroin addict and living on the streets. But he does help her, bringing her into the world of the Black, where the line between the normal and the magical is thin and the dark things in the corner of your eyes are waiting for a chance to ensnare you.

I can't state how much I loved this book. It was dark and gritty and nothing was ever quite as it seemed. The world of the Black, was a nightmarish place, things were always on the look out to rip your throat out and take your power. In Jack Winters world it was kill or be killed. The whole book had a sense of foreboding and darkness about it that made it a fast paced and exciting read.

I have seen Jack Winter described like Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And I think maybe appearance wise that may be the case, but I think Spike would be a pale shadow next to Jack. Jack was an interesting and absorbing character, he was selfish, remorseless, and utterly charming, but also a complete bastard at the same time. He was neither truly good, nor truly bad, he isn't the kind of character that would always do the right thing, but rather the right thing for Jack Winter. Having said that you could see especially towards the end that he cared for Pete a lot, she gave him a reason to live. Pete was also a good character, although she didn't have Jacks twists, turns and contradictions, she was still interesting. We saw the book through her eyes, and so was introduced to the different elements of the Black through her. What I liked about their relationship was that in most cases it was Pete, the female protagonist, coming to Jacks rescue. She was a fierce protector, even when trying to save Jack from himself. Although there isn't really a romance per se between the two, you can see that Pete loves Jack, and probably has since she was 16, but it isn't said out right, it is more a feeling you get from the actions and thoughts that she has, as for Jack I think he also felt the same. I imagine that the romance element will grow through out the series.

The writing style might not be to everyones taste, I thought it quite lyrical, it uses a lot of metaphors and can be quite abstract, but for me how she wrote this was wonderful and absorbing. I think that it adds to the air of being somewhere out side the normal world and helps to create this shroud of darkness and ambivalence that surround not only the Black, but also Jack's life.

So I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and for those who like their books dark. Also people who like dangerous heroes will also find someone truly dangerous in Jack Winters.

I actually got this book from the library but it is one that I am going to buy as for me it is definitely a keeper.

Review: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

If this series had to end, then this is the way to do it! My mind is still reeling from this! What an amazing end to the series and I think everyone got what they deserved. Well, except one person, but I’ll get to that...

Rose Hathaway is my favourite YA heroine EVER! She may be young and impulsive, but she learns from her mistakes. She may be a runaway, a fugitive, and a murderer, but she is also a fighter, a protector, and a lover.

Dimitri Belikov a.k.a the Russian warrior god will always be one of my fave heroes. Losing himself when he turned Strigoi was hard to deal with, but I think his transformation back into a dhampir was even more torturous. He deemed himself unworthy and was riddled with guilt. He pushed Rose away, telling himself and her that his love had faded, when all along, his love was hidden behind his guilt. I never worried much about Dimitri because he always comes out on top. And this is no exception. Dimitri is slowly forgiving himself for his actions and is learning to love again. And did anyone notice how many times he smiles in this book? He smiles more than the first five books combined! I love it.

Lissa Dragomir also proves herself in this one. For such a long time, Rose was been there to protect Liss from danger. Now with her own life in danger, Rose is gone and Lissa must protect herself. Between the elections and tests and playing detective, Lissa has proven her ability to take care of herself. Now, as Queen, Lissa has obtained the power she has long been denied.

And who would’ve thought that Jill Mastrano would be the lost Dragomir!?! I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING! Every time I try to figure out the plot to this book, I was wrong. I wouldn’t have thought the shy and babbling Jill would be the one Rose and Lissa needed the most.

But I had a few guesses about who the murderer was. Finally, one of my guesses turned out to be right! Damnit! I didn’t want to be right about Tasha Ozera, but there it was. Poor Christian!

It seems like the whole gang showed up for the big finale! Sonya Karp plays such a major part in the story and I really loved her presence. Her reunion with Mikhail was sooo sweet!

But despite all the happy endings with having the murder case solved and finding the lost Dragomir princess, a lot of people were caught in the crossfire.

First off, I want to mention Eddie Castille. I have LOVED this guy from the very beginning when he was Mason’s best friend. This guy is so loyal and selfless. He doesn’t get enough credit for his actions. I hope he gets his chance to shine in the new-spin off series. I would love to read more about him. PLEASE RICHELLE, PLEASE!

Speaking of the new spin-off, Sydney Sage is the only one confirmed to be featured in it. I loved the Alchemist! But the one thing that’s been racking my brain is WHAT THE HELL IS HER STORY WITH ABE!? What did Abe do to make her in his debt indefinitely? I’m so curious.

And last but certainly not least, Adrian Ivashkov... My heart broke alongside his. I will admit I did tear up when he was telling Rose he loved her and that her betrayal ruined his life. That’s the thing with love triangles, someone always loses. Unfortunately, Adrian received the short end of the stick.

I have to mention the short but sweet love scene between Rose and Dimitri. I don’t encourage cheating, but I also can’t deny that Rose and Dimitri belong to one another. I thought Mead handled it well. And I’m sorry to say that I did have a sad smile on my face when Rose felt guilty afterwards. I LOVE her, but she should feel bad. Adrian was nothing but honest with her the whole time. He waited for her, he cared for her, and he kept her secrets. And she used him. I hate to admit it, but she did.

But like Rose once said in Frostbite, “ You can’t force love...It’s there or it isn’t. If it’s not there, you’ve got to be able to admit it. If it’s there, you’ve got to do whatever it takes to protect the ones you love.” Rose did what was required of her and Adrian responded appropriately. I’m glad he didn’t just smile and say everything would be okay. It wouldn’t be for him and he needed time...

I couldn’t help my smile when Adrian exploded on her. It sucks and it was expected, but it was also the first time Adrian stood up for himself. It was a glimpse of what Adrian was really capable of. Like Rose said, he can do great things. But since the series has come to an end, I hope that we will get a chance to see Adrian shine. He deserves a HEA more than anyone else here.

Last Sacrifice was more than I could have hoped for! It deserves a gazillion trillion stars!!! I’m still saddened to see the series end because I ADORE each and every one one of the characters and hate to leave them, but I’m sure Mead will thrill us with Bloodlines! I can’t wait.

Favourite Quote:

"There was a look of woe on his face that was almost comical. Raids, bullets, criminals...no problem. A missing duster? Crisis."

Review: Second Chances by Lauren Dane

 

This was an excellent erotic romance story, again very well written by Ms. Dane. She always manages to create characters that you get attached to and seem very real, while weaving an intricate and very emotional web that is their lives.

And this book was definitely no exception. It is emotionally charged, had me in tears, it's also got some funny parts. It describes the day to day lives of the characters involved perfectly.

Let me start with the heroine. I really liked her. She was the shy, awkward, geeky, not-so-attractive girl in school that people used to be mean to and bother, with an older sister who was exactly the opposite, head cheerleader, married her high school sweetheart and had 2 kids. But instead of letting all that bring her down and affect her life, she moved away, got her degree from the college she wanted, lived overseas, became a writer, and rediscovered herself.

She comes back to town and we see her interaction with her family (sister, brother-in-law, nephews, mother and stepfather) which was also very real. She always had a crush on Jude growing up (the town's bad boy and her brother-in-law's brother) who is now a cop and now that she's back he seems very interested in her. Problem is, he's still a playboy.

I really liked Jude at the beginning, I was rooting for him to change his ways and get the girl. And when all of a sudden Zach comes in the picture, who I have to say I really liked, Jude's chances fall apart. It's really sad to watch him go through the realization that he is in love with Rori, only to figure it out too late, after she moved on with Zach.

I had no problem seeing her relationship with Zach develop. He seemed to appreciate her, to immediately want to know more about her, and he also seemed to understand her needs. Their relationship was just so sweet, the only thing that was ruining it for me was that I knew what was going to happen from reading it online before.

I cried so much after the "event" that changes things, I couldn't finish the book and had to do it the next morning.

The only problem I had with it was that by the time Jude gets his second chance I felt there was a piece of the building relationship missing between the two of them.

Other than that is a great book, but it does have a lot of BDSM (not too extreme) so if you're into that, you may want to reconsider.

 

Review: Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward

Warning: This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride! Read it with a box of kleenex handy and be prepared to have your heart broken! IT'S THAT AMAZING!
 
Reading about the Black Dagger Brotherhood  is like catching up with old friends. I can’t express how much I love this entire series! It’s #1 in my eyes and will forever stay that way!

Lover Unleashed is Payne and Manny’s book and although I would have liked to see more romance between the two, I found that I really enjoyed both of them! Manny wasn’t exactly my favourite character in Lover Unbound only because he was competition for V, but I found myself falling for the hot doctor. He had big shoes to fill if he wanted to roll with the Brothers and I thought he handled himself well. I loved his toughness and arrogant demeanour in the OR room and his gentleness with Payne. He’s also got a bit of a smart mouth, and you know I just can’t resist that! I’ll be your bambina any day, babe!

Payne was awesome. I love the way she talks! There’s something about her that makes her seem innocent and yet not, if that makes any sense at all. And even injured and unmoving, she’s still a potent force in this book. She's a fighter, she's strong, she knows what she wants and goes after it, and at the same time, she's sweet, she's innocent, she's loyal and she loves. My heart broke for her when she yelled at V for snatching away her one chance at escape. Going from her mother’s imprisonment to being a prisoner in her own body, I can understand her wish for a way out. But it still broke my heart to see it.

Then there’s Vwho seriously goes batshit crazy in this one. After hearing he had a twin sister after all these years, he’s seriously pissed off with Mommy Dearest right now and I don’t blame him. He hasn’t ever had a stable relationship with her so when this bomb dropped, I could understand why he had a WTF reaction. This book read a bit like Lover Unbound, part II. At least 30% of this book had to be about Jane and V's relationship.

What I love about this series is the fact that J.R. doesn’t sugar coat her relationships. There are ups and downs within each of the Brother’s relationships, just like any other relationships. I feel that the troubles V and Jane face strengthen their bond more than if they were just happy-happy-merry-merry all the time. In fact, having not been completely taken away by the romance in Lover Unbound, I felt that this book really solidified the fact that V and Jane were meant to be together. I didn’t feel it back in V’s book, but after nearly breaking everything off in this one and making amends, it works in bringing back the romance.

I liked that J.R. explored the lows in their relationship but I also thought that V’s drama stole some of the spotlight from Payne and Manny. Sometimes the balance between Manny/Payne and V/Jane were conflicting and I would have liked to see more of a focus on Manuelo and my girl, Payne. After all, it is their book!

Jane was my least favourite shellan but reading about her conflicted feelings, I grew into her more. I always saw her as this unemotional, callous one, but seeing her panic and fear at watching V stumble in injured made me realize how much she cared. And it was enough for me.

Ward covers a lot of bases in this one. Xcor (is it pronounced Cor?) and his band of bastards are introduced and I was VERY excited to read about new characters. I can see a whole new world that she can explore with these men and I really enjoyed the prologue. It was badass! And that scene with Xcor, Throe and that chick? Wow. I love that I can't work out exactly how much of an enemy they are going to be, but I find myself really hoping that they become main characters with books of their own, especially Xcor and Throe, I never thought I would be jealous of a prostitute, but I wouldn't have minded being the filling in that sandwich!

Then there’s Qhuinn who is still suffering from a shattered heart. With John dealing with mated life and Blay off with Sax, Qhuinn is having to deal with things on his own when he should be with his boys. I felt so bad for him. WHEN IS HIS BOOK COMING OUT!? This guy deserves a HEA the most!!

I am glad that FINALLY Layla gets some sympathy! That someone has acknowledged how much she is being used, they all slurp on her like a slush puppy without any regard for her as a person! I know she thinks that is her purpose, but seriously that poor chick has been brainwashed!

The Cops: I didn't mind reading their parts either. They were all very interesting, and as promised by the author, it gives us an insight on the character of the upcoming Fallen Angels book Envy, and we get to see more of Jose De La Cruz, a character that has always intrigued me, and I can't wait to see why he keeps popping up in the story.

I loved this book and even though it wasn’t my favourite of the series, I can still say that I loved to read about Manny and Payne! The drama with V and Jane helped fixed the mediocre romance in Lover Unbound and QHUINN AND BLAY NEED THEIR DAMN BOOK ALREADY!! What’s a chick gotta do to get her M/M lovin?

HOTTIE OF THE WEEK: PAUL MARRON

If you’re a romance fan, then I’m sure you’ve seen Paul Marron around. He’s on the cover of some of the hottest book covers out there including J.R. Ward’s Lover Avenged and Kresley Cole’s Kiss of a Demon King. The guy is GORGEOUS so I’m not complaining at all. In fact, put him on ALL the book covers! I’d buy them all just to drool over him!

Check him out on some of these gorgeous covers!

Paul is represented by the Heyman Talent Agency and is also an Undergear underwear model. According to their model profiles on their Facebook page, Paul dislikes sports, loves Megadeth and Deathstars and prefers briefs over boxers.

For more information and more drool-worthy fashion pictures, you can see Paul in action over at his website. He also has a blog, so make sure you check it out!