Axel (Corps Security #1) by Harper Sloan

 

A love so overwhelming and powerful that years later it still haunts you....That is the background for this book. I was introduced to this author at the same time that I discovered Crystal Spears (my review of Seize Me ). Izzy is so deserving of love and there's this mountain of anticipation when she and Axel are reunited. I know I wanted all of the secrets Izzy had to just come spilling out. In this book you are also introduced to Corps Security. Wowza! All of the men in that agency sound heartbreaking sexy especially Izzy's brother from another mother" Greg Cage. I know we, as readers, can expect naughty delicious things from Greg. 

Let me just say that everything I wanted to happen - happened in this book. It may not have happened on my 'give it to me now' time frame, but I was suitably rewarded. Izzy and Axel burn up the sheets. Izzy has been carrying around so many demons and is damaged in such a way that, in my opinion, the only one to fix her is Axel. Her first love, Axel and his monster truck. Harper Sloan pulled me into this world so effectively I feel like I know all of the characters, as if they work right next to me. I don't want to go into too much detail for fear I'll just SPOILER the HELL out of this review, but when I say Axel is one dirty talking Alpha male I am oh so serious. I absolutely have to resort to Scandal GIFs to explain my experience with this book.

Its like at first Izzy was trying to deny the chemistry still existed...

And then Axel started his seduction

Until finally, Axel went and got his woman.

And no holds barred....

And then there was more of...

Until finally I was literally in the bed screaming like a loon.

And then I hit the last page and...

Heaven's Sinners by Bella Jewel (In preparation)

Heaven's Sinners by Bella Jewel


I am so ready for this book.






View all my reviews

Seize Me by Crystal Spears (Breakneck series)

I found this author thru either Facebook or my sporadic Amazon.com book search. As I read the synopsis my eyes were glued to the words MC (Motorcycle Club). I should preface this review by saying I've been on a MC book kick, which was jump started by Kristen Ashley. So far I've dipped into Joanna Wylde and Madeline Sheehan. Moving on....

I picked the book up on a Wednesday and 5 hours later I was done. :Sighs: I want to say that first of all don't go into this book thinking ANYONE or ANYTHING is safe or sacred. People die. Drugs are in the forefront and the sex is OH SO delicious. I was glad to discover that Winter's crime family connections are not the main plot device. Initially, I already had the story laid out in my head, but was happy to realize early on that I could throw those ideas out of the window. C.Spears had me changing positions in my bed every hour I was so invested in this book. Hell, let's be real, I was invested three pages in. Winter and Lana are characters who put you in mind of someone you know. Their desire to be their own masters and to live their lives beholden to no one was great. I knew I could expect jaw dropping things from these ladies. And I wasn't disappointed.

The minute Pyro and Braxxon come on the scene turn your fan [a/c] on because you're gonna need it. Braxxon and Pyro are some hot specimens. 

I also think its important to mention that this book did not remind me of any other previously read MC books. The Breakneck series stands on its own. Though, there were parts I wish did not happen I was glad when the author made me uncomfortable. Not everything should be safe and HEA because that's not the way the world [and life] works. Important people die and romanticizing Motorcycle club life is not the way this book works. Drugs, murder, violence, money, friendship, family, steamy sex, greed, jealousy, revenge - this book has it all.

Reaper's Property by Joanna Wylde

Joanna Wylde Reaper’s Property

     Marie doesn’t need a complication like Horse. The massive, tattooed, badass biker who shows up at her brother’s house one afternoon doesn’t agree. He wants Marie on his bike and in his bed. Now.
    But Marie just left her abusive jerk of an ex-husband and she’s not looking for a new man. Especially one like Horse—she doesn’t know his real name or where he lives, she’s ninety percent certain he’s a criminal and that the “business” he talks with her brother isn’t website design. She needs him out of her life, which would be a snap if he’d just stop giving her mind-blowing orgasms.
Horse is part of the Reapers Motorcycle Club, and when he wants something, he takes it. What he wants is Marie, but she’s not interested in becoming “property of”.
   Then her brother steals from the club. Marie can save him by giving Horse what he wants—at home, in public, on his bike… If she’s a very, very good girl, she’ll get lots more of those orgasms only he can offer, and he’ll let her brother live.
Maybe.

In the midst of having a conversation about Alpha males and which authors wrote good ones, this book was suggested. I’ve read Joanna Wylde in the past and enjoyed her so I bit the bullet and grabbed a copy. Let me just say that Horse is mind-blowing. JW’s foray into biker territory reminded me of Kristen Ashley and the more I read the more I made comparisons. What I found refreshing in KA’s writing held true for JW’s. The male character was not some sex god who always said the right things at the right time. Horse was an abrasive a-hole and wasn’t sorry about it. He had no plans to change and if Marie accepted him that’s what she was going to get. After reading KA and JW I’ve realized that I’ve been spoiled with male characters that would never dream of calling women out of their name and wouldn’t dare do the things Horse did in this book. 

At many points of the book I found myself shaking my head and cussing out the characters in the book. The sign of a book. Before I start raving about this book I will say that the one thing about this book that did irritate me was the time jumping. To better explain the position Horse and Marie currently found themselves in the author did a series of time jumps. These time jumps explained Horse/Marie’s previous interactions and the history of how they met. At the point where I found myself saying ‘if I jump one more time’ everything had been explained. Moving on to the book….

If you like contemporary erotic romance this is the book for you. If you like no nonsense coarse bikers then Horse is the man for you. By no means is Horse a knight galloping in to rescue Marie from a life of abuse and minimum wage jobs. When Horse sees something he wants whether it’s a woman or an object he goes after it. 

I was extremely impressed with the research that the author did inside the biker lifestyle. I always had the impression that they were a cloak and dagger organization, but Joanna Wylde explained a lot. Whether or not it’s true for all motorcycle clubs, only a member of that lifestyle would know. I loved the terminology and when Horse explained the meaning behind a nickname he had given to Marie I was literally screaming in my chair.  There was no shortness of drama and excitement. Marie and Horse incinerated the pages they were so hot for each other. I was also happy to see the introduction of characters that could possibly have their own stories told. All in all I did love this book and will continue to read this series. 

I Only Have Eyes For You by Bella Andre

Sophie Sullivan, a librarian in San Francisco, was five years old when she fell head over heels in love with Jake McCann. Twenty years later, she’s convinced the notorious bad boy still sees her as the “nice” Sullivan twin. That is, when he bothers to look at her at all. But when they both get caught up in the magic of the first Sullivan wedding, she knows it’s long past time to do whatever it takes to make him see her for who she truly is...the woman who will love him forever.

Jake has always been a magnet for women, especially since his Irish pubs made him extremely wealthy. But the only woman he really wants is the one he can never have. Not only is Sophie his best friend’s off-limits younger sister...he can’t risk letting her get close enough to discover his deeply hidden secret.

Only, when Sophie appears on his doorstep as Jake’s every fantasy come to life—smart, beautiful, and shockingly sexy—he doesn’t have a prayer of taking his eyes, or his hands, off her. And he can’t stop craving more of her sweet smiles and sinful kisses. Because even though Jake knows loving Sophie isn’t the right thing to do...how can he possibly resist?

The first thing I want to talk about after reading this book is how much I absolutely loved it. I don't recall ever having read this author, Bella Andre, before but I can tell you I will most definitely be picking up the rest of the books in this Sullivan series. I don't usually go for the traumatized hero, but Jake was different. I could see beyond his tough exterior and knew that somewhere in his past was some sort of trauma. I was not surprised when I discovered that he was a victim of child abuse and abandonment. It became clear that his being unofficially adopted into the Sullivan clan played a big part in his drive to stay away from Sophie. His sense of belonging and his only experience with love had always stemmed from this family and to pursue Sophie, in his opinion, would be pure disrespect because underneath it all he always felt unworthy of their love and acceptance. 

The Sophie character had me hooked from page one. I was intrigued that her nickname was Nice and she wanted to be anything but that. She was the black sheep of the Sullivan brood. While her brothers and sister were outgoing and open she was more subdued and prone to leaving a patterned life. After all she was a librarian. I have so much respect for Sophie because she knew what she wanted and she had reached a point in her life when she was no longer happy with denying what she really wanted. She was in love and she wanted to act on that love.

I could barely breathe properly when the chemistry between Sophie and Jake erupted. I loved the pace of the story and how the brothers didn't play a part in the discovery and development stage of Sophie and Jake's relationship. But what I will say was my most favorite part of this book was Jake's struggle with his reading ability. At times it was actually painful to read his pain, his embarrassment and his fear of being found out. His reading troubles had followed him around since he was ten years old. I wholeheartedly agreed with Sophie when she told Jake how admirable, strong and deserving of love he really was. I found myself choking back tears at Jake and his struggle. When the end of the book came and there was some form of resolution with Jake and his reading capabilities I was so happy. 

This was a great love story with equally great love scenes. I cannot wait to read more about the Sullivan men and the women they fall in love with.  

Reclaiming Angelica by Zena Wynn

Reclaiming Angelica

Werewolf, Raul Santiago, learned a hard lesson early in life--never reveal to humans what you are. It's an easy rule to adhere to until he meets Angelica Ruiz, his human mate. Now she's asking questions he can't answer because the risk of losing her too great.

When she leaves him, Raul's determined to do whatever it takes to reclaim his mate. Once he does, he'll discover his angel's been keeping a few secrets of her own.

Let me start this review off by saying Zena Wynn is such an awesome author that when her books are released I’m like a crackhead with a fix, I GOT TO GET IT. :scratches neck: I drop whatever I am doing and pick up the book.

I don’t know how long ago she posted it, but the first chapter/excerpt was so gut-wrenching and painful I was instantly on board with the male main character and rooting for his HEA. If anyone deserved a happy ending, he did. The second thing I found interesting; well, the first being Raul was a sexy ass Shifter, was the numerous potential for spin-offs. Of course Raul had to have a pack and of course they weren’t mated. I cannot wait for their stories. For the sake of not ruining the story I won’t mention who else should get a story, but he is loosely related to Raul. From the events of the prologue I already knew it was going to be extremely difficult for Raul to move past his traumatizing childhood. I thought half of the battle had been won since he’d already discovered his mate, but I was in for a rude awakening.

Angelica is the perfect female character. She is feisty and decisive; when she sets her mind on something she follows through. It was great to see Raul was not going to walk all over Angelica.

Although, if I could change anything I would make it longer, but isn’t that always the case with your favorite authors. They can never write a book long enough. :) I enjoyed the interaction between Angelica/Raul. Whether they were arguing or in the middle of a steamy love session they were the perfect couple. I also enjoyed the sense of family and togetherness I got from Raul and his packmates. All in all I cannot wait for the continuation of these characters.

*you can find this title at www.loose-id.com

Bayou Heat (Raphael/Parish) by Laura Wright/Alexandra Ivy

RAPHAEL

The brilliant and dangerous diplomat of the Pantera shapeshifters, Raphael has devoted his life to discovering the key to the infertility that is threatening the extinction of his puma race. Creating a vast network of spies worldwide, he never expected to discover that the answer might be beneath his very nose. But when Ashe, a beautiful human female, crosses his path, his most primitive instincts are stirred. Unable to resist, he takes her to his bed, and is shocked when she becomes pregnant with his child. It’s a miracle that might prove to be the salvation of his people, but only if he can keep her safe from the mercenaries determined to kill her.

PARISH

Untamed and undeniably sexy, Parish, leader of the Pantera hunters, rarely leaves the magic of the Wildlands to deal with the humans he despises. But with the prized and risky Pantera birth on the way, puma shifter, Parish must travel to New Orleans to find and bring back a human doctor. The moment he sees the lovely, talented and all too human Dr. Julia Cabot he cannot resist the wild, potent drive to make her his. Betrayed and destroyed by love, Julia will not let her heart choose her path again. But as she and Parish fight to save the life of an unborn child, a fierce and overwhelming bond develops between them, threatening her frozen heart with the secret hope and ultimate temptation of love and family.

I stumbled upon this series on Amazon.com as I searched for some new books to read. To be honest, I purchased it for Raphael’s story, but fell in love with both. The Pantera world is steeped in lore and magic. I, personally, love a good shifter romance. The one thing I can say about this book is that it is entirely too short. Each book was just enough to whet the appetite. At the exact moment the book got good and I was completely invested I felt like the rug was pulled out from under me. Where’s more? I enjoyed both books and felt that as soon as I was fully invested in each story it was over. The instant chemistry between the shifter males and their mates is hotter than July. I am already anticipating the stories of specific secondary characters.