review :: The Will by Kristen Ashley

AMAZON :: GOODREADS

The most mainstream and “vulgar” comment I can make about this book (and Kristen in general), is: “superb, magnificent, fulfilling!” And yep, those are common comments. You know why? Because Kristen and The Will are so. Much. More!!! Holy mother-oo, y’all! This book is phenomenal! Kristen is phenomenal! A sure 4.5 stars, bordering on a full on 5!!

Y’all know from the get-go (yep, it rhymes!) that anything Kristen writes turns to gold. She definitely has the Midas touch in book form. I’ve been sort of wrecking my brain trying to figure out what differentiates Kristen’s books from any others, and it wasn’t too hard to figure out. She writes books about real life (stay with me, here!), about mature people engaging in mature situations. There’s a hearty dose of story lines that anyone can relate to, books that resonate with mature audiences as well as younger audiences (such as myself). There’s a flavor for everyone, basically! I’m not exaggerating when I say Kristen has a rare gift of storytelling that only a few writers are ever graced with. She’s unlike any other!

Right, well, aside from the initial jibber jabber I can’t help myself with; let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of the story. Josephine Malone is a career oriented woman, with little going for her in the relationship department apart from her gorgeous connection with her Grandma Lydie. The book starts with Lydie’s funeral, but I wasn’t really feeling the book at first Took me a while to really get into the story… But, yes, Josephine is one of a kind. Holy Christ, she’s seriously the most intriguing character (I think) Kristen has presented us with. She is hilarious without knowing, she’s kickass without believing so, she’s amazing in her own right. Just a badass bitch, y’all!

“You talk so freakin’ cool,” he replied. “Weird. But cool.”

“Indeed. And you will find, young Bryant, as you grow older that things that are normal are just normal. Anyone can be normal. Thus it’s my experience that most things that are weird are cool.”

Do you not feel that if women nowadays had Josie’s confidence, self assurance, positively blasé attitude, life would be grand? Like, seriously grand! And funny as hell, too, because Josephine Malone gets off on calling youngsters “young Taylor”, “young Bryant”, like she’s some kind of hilariously polite monk. Love. Her. To. Death!!! Her language is so freaking awesome, y’all. Now let’s introduce Jake before we get any further.

 

“First time I walked into Lavender House, looked left, saw that photo of you behind the couch…”

He shook his head. “I was with Sloane, shit was not good with her, but it still makes me a dick because I took one look at that picture and fell in love with you.”

Oh…my…

God.”

Swoon… Yep, Jake Spear is badass, the kind of badass only Kristen can write about without looking like she’s trying too hard. It’s serious work, peeps! I don’t mean that Jake is any less of a character by saying this, but he’s classic KA. In my perspective, she writes different heroines but maintains the same basis for the hero. I mean, I’m all for it sister, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, yeah? So there’s that. Jake’s awesome sauce. But, like every good KA character, he messes up from the get-go. Remember Tate from Sweet Dreams and the fat comment? ‘Cause I do. And Jake kinda messed up a bit, too. Saying Josie’s not his type, fffs. You big ass liar, you.

“My type,” he explained. “I get off on big hair and big…” he hesitated, his lips again quirking before he continued, “other stuff and don’t mind my women showin’ skin. You’re a seriously good thing. You’re just not my thing.”

Oh no, you diiii-dn’t!? You utter ass, Spear! Even though Josie is apparently as impenetrable as they come, she recoiled from that “blow” (à la Kristen!) and was surprised as she did so. I mean, she’s not supposed to like Spear, is she?! Of course by now you’re missing a big part of the puzzle, which I choose not to unravel for you because you have to experience what connects Jake and Josie. And lemme tell you, Kristen is clever. Kristen is sneaky. Kristen is friggin’ fab. You with me?

“Look at me when I tell you I love you,” he ordered.

I focused on the man I loved who loved me in a return for an instant before he said the words.

“I love you, baby.” 

SOOO Kristen Ashley! Wouldn’t you say?! Before we conclude matters, y’all should know about Jake’s amazeballs children, and should you read the book, you’ll also be amazed at Josie’s work with them. Josie is so amazing, you guys. So lovely! I loved the romance between Josie and Jake, but I may have loved even more seeing them become a family, especially with Amber and little Ethan – the “runt”, heh! Josie fights tooth and nail for every one of them, but especially for Amber, an insecure girl hiding behind a full face of makeup and a different persona trying to land a dude that was way beneath her. Waaaay. And me, basically a teeny bit older than Amber, can totally relate to all she felt.

“As you can see,” I started quietly and she turned her eyes to me. “You are very pretty, Amber. Very.” I stressed and that marvel again suffused her face as I carried on in a whisper. “Don’t hide that, lovely girl. Give us a treat and show it to the world.” Her lips parted and I reached out a hand to touch the back of hers before I decided to leave her be and move to Ethan.”

And Lydie… Sneaky, brilliant, amazing Lydie. You’ll know why I’m saying all of this when you really read the book and realize what a beautiful, priceless gift Josie’s grandma gave her when she passed. Tears in my eyes, I swear!!

“My girl, know this and never forget. It’s never too late to reach for happiness and no matter what life has done to you, it’s never too late to find it. Please don’t be offended when I share with you that I know you’ve been hiding. I know why. I understand it, buttercup, but it’s time to come into the light. I’ve found someone special to help guide the way. Please, Josie, take Jake’s hand and let him guide you to happiness.”

This is a story about unexpected love, happening at an unexpected time to two people who were shot in the heart quickly but surely. I loved this book, and you will not be disappointed if you’re craving a sweet, deep, emotional love story for both Jake and Josie, but also Jake’s children. Sigh… Thank you so much, Kristen. <3

“Don’t,” I whispered back.

“I didn’t fuck that up, coulda tried to make a baby with you.”

“Don’t,” I pleaded, pressing into his jaws with my hands.

“Had no clue you’d want me.”

“You’re everything,” I told him.

~

{ RATING :: 4.5 stars

SEX SCENES :: Steamy

GENRE :: Contemporary romance, series

AUDIENCES :: 17+

LENGTH :: 375 pages

HAPPY ENDING :: Yes

SEQUEL :: Series continuation, different characters }

review :: Heights of Desire by Mara White

AMAZON :: GOODREADS

Oh, mamacita... This book, you guys!!! This. Book! I felt like I was one bad mamma jamma playing with fire and I loved it! So sinful, so delicious, so naughty yet nice. It had the perfect mix of fear and recklessness, the right blend of heart and steam. My mouth waters just thinking about the follow up... You can't leave me like this, Mara! I NEED!!! 

First of all, how delicious is this cover?! I LOVE! So scorching hot without being tacky; it got me pumped up to read the book immediately, pushing it straight to the top of my (loooong) TBR list! If you give me an older woman meets younger man premise with a steam factor of 10000+, you can be darn sure I'm gonna jump on it faster than Jaylee jumped on Kate... *wink*

Truthfully, it took me a while to get into the story at first because it felt kind of rushed to me, like they met one second and were shoving their tongues down each other's mouths the next. I didn't feel like I "knew" them well enough to be invested in their story yet. BUT... Boy, I was in for a shock because I did not even remotely imagine what laid ahead! I really didn't really know what to expect other than knowing the book portrayed the story of Kate Champion, a married 42 year old mother of 2 precious girls and Jaylee Inoa, a 23 year old latino who meet by chance and can't deny the inexplicable pull that draws them together almost right off the bat. Crazy, right!? Can you imagine?! Fanning myself!

It does occur to me that it’s absolutely ridiculous that I’m holding his hand. I have no idea what I’d say if my husband walked around the corner or even a friend for that matter. What would I do, introduce him? I don’t even know him. Oh this is the kid from the thug-ground that I’ve been thinking about incessantly for a week. I can’t stop because I think he’s invaded every cell in my body. And now, I’m holding his hand – why you ask? Well, because I’m fucking crazy.

I quickly shook off this uneasy feeling and became more and more invested in the story without realizing it. Faster than I could blink, 11 p.m. came around, then midnight... then 1 a.m... 2 a.m... I simply couldn't put it down! Isn't that what you want from a book?! To be so swallowed into the story that you need the next page like your next breath? LOL, dramatic but true, right?! That's what Kate and Jaylee's story awoke in me. Like a typical affair, the lies start to stumble out of Kate's mouth and she's stuck in this web that keeps growing bigger and bigger.

“Jaylee babysits, Carmen. He’s a friend of Stephani’s. She recommended him for days that she has classes and can’t watch the girls,” I stumble through yet another lie.

I loved Jaylee's naivety behind his rough exterior. This is a man who is in love for the first time with a woman twice his age, who lives on the wrong side of town with his grandma, mama and sister, basically supporting them all, who associates with the wrong crowd but still thinks a good life for him, Kate and her two daughters is possible. He believes in it so hard that you find yourself believing in it and praying for it to happen just as much as he does! He's a sweetie and has no inhibitions to introduce Kate to his family for who she is, frosty reception from mama Janet and sister Janinie be damned!

“Kate, qué gusto. Jaylee nos ha contado mucho de tí,” she gushes.
What could he possibly have told them? My age? That I’m married with children? Oh, God I feel sick. I’m a bad person.
“Bella y profesional,” she says and squeezes my hands in hers.

I love that they spoke in Spanish and that I understood it all, being Portuguese and a bit "latina" myself, hehe. His grandma is so nice and Jaylee is so proud to introduce the woman he loves to his family! Swoooon! I love this small but cozy and loving family vibe, away from all the cold glitz glam and money Kate is used to.

I reach out and squeeze Jaylee’s thigh. I’m honored that he’s brought me here, that he has enough confidence in our relationship to make it public to the people that matter most. He puts his hand on top of mine and drinks me in with his golden eyes. My heart surges in response.

Just one more sweet and sugar tidbit for you guys... Mamá Gladys and Jaylee are so sweet together, sigh. He has a heart so big and warm that instantly made me root for him and Kate extra hard.

“Mamá, no te dijé que era la mujer más bella?” he says. It’s Gladys that he calls Mamá. (...) “No te creas, Mamá, esa se va a quedar conmigo pa’ siempre, ya tu verás.”

"Didn't I tell you she was the most beautiful woman? She's gonna stay with me forever"... Sigh!!! Jaylee, you have my heart! BUT YOU GUYS! Hello! Can I have your attention, please?! The sex in this book is caliente!!! Muy, muy caliente! Well, yeah, so I DO enjoy this "forbidden fruit" kinda thing, shoot me! *wink* But to be fair, I really needed the book to be more than just "oh, we're not supposed to be together but we can't resist each other and we're gonna hump like bunnies until her husband finds out". I needed more emotional depth than that, and Mara sure stepped up and delivered! The way Jaylee looks at Kate like she holds all the power and gorgeousness in the world...

“Jaylee, open your eyes.”
His eyes pop open and he looks deeply into me with a devotion that is humbling. I pull him to me again and gently guide him inside of me. He closes his eyes and moans. He rocks his hips softly and pushes himself deeper. His mouth goes to my neck, my breasts.

But then...

But no matter how hard I try to pretend otherwise, the mood has definitely changed. My arousal is heightened by the other man’s presence. I feel slutty and lascivious and the performer inside me, whom I never knew existed, is more than obliging to put on a show. (...) I assume Jaylee will come in my mouth but when he stiffens again, he withdraws himself completely and I quickly realize that he’s aiming for something more dramatic due to our newfound audience. Jaylee wants a money shot.

And THAT is just a small teaser! Phew, it is hot in here or what?! I need several cold showers! Teehee! While this book is heavy on the steam and the love, it's also heavy on the drama and suspense. I found myself hanging by a small thread at times, fearing what blow Mara was gonna deliver next. I'm not much of a mystery/drama/thriller kinda girl at all, but I loved the twists in this book. You just know that someone like Jaylee won't have things delivered to him on a silver platter, and it's heartwarming to see what great lengths and heights Kate is willing to go to just to be with Jaylee. Oh, and that twist plus Robert's malicious ways... That sneaky, vile snake! But not to end this review on a bad note...

Instead, I wrap my spent body around his and whisper, “I belong to you” into his ear. He holds me tightly, ferociously, and remains inside me long after he’s softened and his desire has abated.

Deep sigh... This book is so exceptional in its own unique little way and Ms. White genuinely did so good! It started a little shakily for me but when it picked up, dang, it picked up! One of my favorite reads of 2014 without a doubt and I'll be pining for the next book like a drop of water in the desert! Don't leave me hanging, Mara... *pouty face*!

♥♥♥

{ RATING :: 4.5 stars

SEX SCENES :: Very steamy

GENRE :: Contemporary romance, dark, erotica

AUDIENCES :: 18+

LENGTH :: 280 pages

HAPPY ENDING :: To be continued...

SEQUEL :: Yes }

review :: Pieces of You and Me by Pamela Ann

AMAZON :: GOODREADS

Another sinful, sexy and delicious read by Pamela Ann! Can she do any wrong?! I die for her books and her swoon worthy alpha males! 

Pamela, Pamela, Pamela... How I love thee! I wish I could put into words what makes Pamela Ann's books so special to me, but it's like lightning in a bottle. Her books get to me every time because it's like she knows what I'm craving in my heroes: supreme alpha males with OTT possessive tendencies that make my panties combust... and Mr. Greyson was no exception. Holy freaking cow, can I get a sexy fireman up in here?!?! One that looks like Greyson, by any chance? Teehee!

Like I have previously stated in some of my Goodreads reviews, Pamela's writing is one of my favorite kinds of writing. She writes real, raw, intense, gripping and passionate stories that hit the spot every single time. Pun intended, mind you! Her books always deliver on the delicious and toe-curling steam, over the charts drama and angst (which I live and breathe for!) and super sexy, holy-freaking-cow-get-naked-with-me-now heroes. Bass Cole? Carter Mason? Greyson Edwards? Wait... Wait. Oh my. You don't know who I'm talking about? WHAT?! *gasp* omg, go read the Torn series and Pieces of You & Me like, right NOW! Good grief, women! What's wrong with y'all? LOL

As I was saying... Pamela struck gold with me with this book also because I've been on a real "hero and heroine seemingly hate each other BUT secretly love each other and can't wait to get into each other's pants" kinda kick. Ya feel me? It's such a great setup for a fab romance, is it not? And let me tell you, Pamela more than delivered on the sexual tension and angst. Boy, did she ever! But here's the deal: Olivia Taylor and Greyson Edwards were each other's first love, first kiss... Swoon! Aren't third grade Liv and Grey the cutest, most precious babies? Sigh!

“You’re mine now, Olivia Taylor.”

And he was mine.

Glancing down at my lucky charm bracelet that I’d made last week, I pulled it off my wrist and handed it to him. “Here, keep it safe. I’ll always come back to you.”

"Are we forever, Liv?"

"Forever, Grey," I promised.

Until, one day, they weren't. And thus, they hated each other's guts fervently.  

Olivia Taylor…

Had been…

My first crush.

My first kiss.

My first love.

My first heartbreak.

Things fell apart during fourth grade and it hadn’t stopped since.  

Yep! Olivia can't stand Grey, and Grey can't stand Olivia. On the outside, that is. Because we know better, don't we girls? Teehee! So, what happened? I'll let you figure that out by yourselves. But do know one thing: the sexual tension in this book is off the charts! Phew! Miss Pamela Ann makes us wait long and good before some sexy time ensues, mainly because I neglected to mention one thing... Olivia has a boyfriend. Oops? His name is Liam and he lives in Australia, where Olivia plans to relocate to real soon. Oh, and also? Liv is forced to live in the same house as Grey. Gosh! This love triangle is soooo up my alley it's ridiculous! Did I mention that Pamela just knows what I crave in a book?! Squeeeee!!!

“So, how was Australia? I heard that you slept your way around all summer long. I’m curious; do you prefer American or Aussie dicks? Or are they all the same? A dick is a dick, right?” I heard him snort, which angered me even more.

“Yes, they’re all juicy, Grey.”

“Mine is oozing, Liv. Keep that in mind, will ya? Might come handy to you if you need to get a workout done.”

Aaaaaah, dead! I love this banter between them! I live for these kind of books, you guys, you don't even know. The sexual innuendos, the flirting between those two who are supposed to hate each other... Stick a fork in me, I'm done! It doesn't help that Greyson has an available posse of women at his beck and call, which drives Olivia mad. I wonder why... *wink* A self proclaimed ladies man and a feisty woman with balls of steel screams the perfect combination, if you ask me! Especially when Grey's not too pleased to see Olivia gather some interest from his friends... 

My eyes flashed back, not backing down. “You’re breaking codes here, bro. You know better than to fuck with me.”

Gavin stood up, pulling his sleeves up. “Who gives a fuck about what happened in third grade! We’ve all moved on! If you want to take this out somewhere, I’ll be more than happy to take you there.”

Oh, and let's not forget Liv...

Eyes wide as saucers, I watched as they both kissed while Grey kept his eyes glued to me, taking in my reaction. When their kiss deepened, I snapped out of my trance and immediately ran upstairs to my bedroom. My body shook with rage. With anger that wanted to cause pain. With endless loathing. And with jealousy… Grey meant nothing to me and yet, for some strange reason, I was jealous. Maybe it was just all the tension and stress from it all that I might be imagining it… yeah, that was probably it.

Oh, honey, you really are clueless... But Liv does love Liam, just not as much as (I know) she loves Greyson. It's hard being in a long distance relationship and I know that firsthand, so I could relate to Olivia. That doesn't mean she didn't get on my nerves a hell of a lot! She could very well be one of the most indecisive and irritating heroines of Pamela's, but that didn't deter me from enjoying the book unlike some people. I tolerate her and I do love her and Greyson together. And when they do get together... oh, man, it's explosive! But Liv is so scared, it broke my heart at times.

“I don’t know,” he sighed before lifting his head to the sky as if the stars held the answers. “This thing I feel for you…” He shook his head, not finishing his sentence.

This thing he felt for me… no. No. Just fucking no. Don’t even go there. We couldn’t. Fuck no. “Tell me you hate me,” I demanded, gazing at his face, begging. Desperate because my body would be volunteering any day now.

With his face still directed to the Heavens, he whispered to it, “I hate you… so much.”

Tempted to read this rollercoaster ride? You better be! This is the perfect book for you if you love crazy, sexy, make-no-apologies-for-who-I-am alpha males, a semi love triangle, a ton of thick sexual tension, blurred lines (did you just sing the song? I know you did!) mixing love and hate, mouthwatering steamy scenes and an awesome story that only Pamela Ann can weave so perfectly. The only reason I'm giving this 4.5 stars instead of 5 is the ending... I feel it happened only so it could provide some sort of cliffhanger and the book could've been a standalone, only longer. But that's it! Go buy this book immediately! And while you're at it, make sure to check out the Torn series if you haven't already! Deeeelish!

♥♥♥

{ RATING :: 4.5 stars

SEX SCENES :: Steamy

GENRE :: Contemporary romance, erotica

AUDIENCES :: 18+

LENGTH :: 211 pages

HAPPY ENDING :: To be continued...

SEQUEL :: Yes }

review :: Jagged by Kristen Ashley

AMAZON :: GOODREADS

In case you hadn't noticed before, Kristen Ashley is the queen of life. Yes, she has indeed transcended book world royalty. Why? People... Do y'all even need an explanation? Simply read her books and you'll understand! I've said it before but I'll say it again: the Colorado Mountain series is EVERYTHING!!! See these abundant exclamation points? They flew outta me and I was powerless to stop them, because Kristen's books are just. that. good!

First of all, here's a little fun fact: when I read the blurb with the name of the characters and I saw the name Ham, I was like... oh. Okay. Wait, what? You mean... THIS? I was so confused and kinda turned off, I'll admit haha. I mean, imagine being out and about with your man and you have to call him over for something when suddenly you find yourself yelling 'Haaaam!' very loudly. Well, if I was passing you by I would think you're seriously craving ham so much that you have to yell for it in the middle of the street. Know what I'm sayin'? But then I saw his name was Graham so I kinda understood after that and it didn't bother me anymore, LOL. 

So, what's the deal? In a nutshell, Zara Cinders and Graham Reece were casual lovers... except to Zara, their relationship was anything but casual. Yep, she knew Ham was the love of her life but thought she was only a fling to him. You must also take into account the fact that Ham is one of those men who doesn't lay roots anywhere, he's always moving from one place to the other and him and Zara never really had a monogamous relationship (mostly on Ham's end), but rather they were together whenever the mood struck. And if you're a lady, y'all know how much that must sting, doesn't it?

BUT... Lemme just chime in for a sec because the thing is, us women always think men are these arctic creatures that can't possibly ever care about us as deeply as we care about them. Right?! Well, we gotta give our men a little credit. They may not be as awesomely attuned to their feelings as we are (but who is, ladies?! hehe) but they're no dummies either... at least not entirely. They do feel deeply for us, ache for us, even if they don't always show it physically. Zara, like I said, was very insecure so she started seeing Greg who seemed the safer option and wasn't unpredictable like Ham. In other words, she settled. And Ham, sadly, let her. But while it may have seemed that Ham was more than ready to let Zara run off into Greg's arms, we girls know better than that, don't we?!

“Didn’t want to do it, hated fuckin’ doin’ it, hated losin’ you for three years, but I did it. For you. For you to have him. So that means for him to have you. I wasn’t in the place to give you what you needed then but if I was, you made it plain, I coulda made things not so fuckin’ easy for him. I didn’t. Now you’re mine. He needs to back the fuck off.”

Swooooon! Don't you just love Kristen's possessive alpha males? I wanna see those hands up in the air! Hehe. Anyway... just some context for you guys: there's a reason why Ham lays it thick and can be somewhat of an ass at times. He's been screwed over (pun intended, I think) more than once by various women and that made him closed off for women, he's a bag 'em and leave 'em kinda guy, but his scars run deep.

“Christ. Proof I need standing right there. All that pretty. Shiny. Looks sweet. Tastes sweeter. So goddamned good, you fuck up, put your trust in that sweet, then she sinks her fangs in you and releases the venom. Only one woman I know not filled with poison, knew her own goddamned mind, her shit was fucked up but she didn’t make it anyone’s problem but her own, and I let her walk away from me, too. The difference with her and you, babe, is that I regret lettin’ her do it. I drove here thinkin’ the same about you. Glad to know right off, I was wrong.”

Ouch, right? You know Kristen Ashley can slay you deep from within, and Ham not only delivered that blow to Zara but I became collateral damage too. That hurt! But they were both reeling and Ham does realize his mistake once he sees Zara's life circle the drain. She was flat broke, living in a trashy apartment, had to close down her shop, was going through a divorce... I mean, talk about bad luck! But fear not, because Ham came to the rescue! Yay! He swooped in and took her to his house, though not without much kicking and screaming. Then Ham and Zara's real love story begins (or continues...).

Lots of things happen in this book, mostly regarding Zara's horrible family. I don't want to spoil you, but of course there's some big drama ahead very much à la Kristen Ashley. There's a healthy dose of angst which is my personal favorite and some bits of heartache, but the love and the fluff and the serious hotness and steaminess plus the adorable foul mouth in Ham more than makes up for it. If I had to establish a top 3 Colorado Mountain books, this one would rank at the 3rd spot behind Sweet Dreams and Lady Luck... but it's amazing nonetheless! I'd say 4.5 stars because it wasn't as thrilling as my top 2 books in the series, BUT... I don't know. I'm torn. I can't truly give less than 5 stars to anything Kristen Ashley writes, now can I? Hehe!

♥♥♥

{ RATING :: 4.5 stars

SEX SCENES :: Very steamy

GENRE :: Contemporary romance, suspense, erotica

AUDIENCES :: 18+

LENGTH :: 400 pages

HAPPY ENDING :: Yes

SEQUEL :: No }