5 Flames for Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox

Synopsis

Ruthie Knox’s Camelot series continues in this sizzling eBook original novel, featuring two headstrong souls who bump heads—and bodies—as temptation and lust bring nothing but delicious trouble.

An accomplished lawyer and driven single mother, Ellen Callahan isn’t looking for any help. She’s doing just fine on her own. So Ellen’s more than a little peeved when her brother, an international pop star, hires a security guard to protect her from a prying press that will stop at nothing to dig up dirt on him. But when the tanned and toned Caleb Clark shows up at her door, Ellen might just have to plead the fifth.

Back home after a deployment in Iraq and looking for work as a civilian, Caleb signs on as Ellen’s bodyguard. After combat in the hot desert sun, this job should be a breeze. But guarding the willful beauty is harder than he imagined—and Caleb can’t resist the temptation to mix business with pleasure. With their desires growing more undeniable by the day, Ellen and Caleb give in to an evening of steamy passion. But will they ever be able to share more than just a one-night stand?

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I debated on the rating for this book. Then I realized it had stayed with me for a few days after reading it, and I wanted to read it again. That made it 5 flames for me. As with How to Misbehave, I finished with a smile. If I could describe it in a word, it would be “sweet.” It’s so easy to relate to these characters because they are average and that’s one of many aspects I love about this Camelot series. In How to Misbehave, we met Amber and Tony, a program director and a building contractor. In Along Came Trouble, our main characters are a single mom and a former soldier starting a new security business. They could be your neighbor or relative or a friend.

Ellen Callahan is a single mom. She’s proud of standing on her own two feet after a disastrous marriage. She lives for taking care of her son and her home, which to her represents her recent successes.

“That spring, the first furled shoots of the hosta poked through the mulch, proving that Ellen was not incompetent, as Richard had so often implied. She and the baby were, in fact, perfectly capable of surviving, even thriving, without anyone’s help.”

Her home and gardens are her visual reminders of what she has survived and her touchstone for the future. She’s learned to take care of herself and is proud of it. Then Caleb Clark arrives in her yard, ready to rearrange her life and her lawn for the sake of security.

Caleb is a fifteen year veteran of the military police, returning home to start a new security business. Even as a civilian, he’s still in the caretaker role, helping his parents with their apartment complex, giving his sister a job and a place to stay, and now taking care of Ellen as part of a work contract. Caleb is totally swoon-worthy, not just for his physique, but for the way he takes care of the people in his life, and he’d totally love to be more than just a bodyguard to Ellen.

When Caleb “whoa” Clark comes along, Ellen’s ready to have rekindle her sex life, but is petrified of losing her independence, and therein lies their conflict. You just know the sparks are going to fly, and they do.

Ruthie Knox uses her secondary characters perfectly to move the story along and give us an insider view of these two main characters. While I found the Carly/Jamie storyline a bit of a stretch, I absolutely loved the relationship between Caleb and his sister Katie. Their teasing is good natured and caring, and I can’t wait to find out more about Katie and her situation.

Along Came Trouble manages to be both modern and yet nostalgic at the same time. It’s sweet, sometimes with sly, witty humor and sometimes outright funny with the type of humor that helps you get through the day. There’s great dialogue and realistic internal monologues. I loved how Ellen describes Caleb’s kisses:

“He could kiss like kissing was the only thing on his agenda, and honestly, if you could kiss like this, why put anything else in the day planner? “

I really liked both main characters, and could totally relate to Ellen and her fear of losing her independence. After her marriage, it’s easy to see why she would be gun-shy with any man, especially someone as dominant as Caleb. One of my favorite scenes occurs toward the end of the book, when their roles are reversed and Ellen ends up taking care of him. Sweet!

I would recommend this series, and I look forward to what is coming up next in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Loveswept for the galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wait for You Cover Release

What do early readers have to say about WAIT FOR YOU?

“J. Lynn creates a wonderful cast of characters that will make you laugh, swoon, and cry. Cam stole my heart.” – Cora Carmack, NYTimes and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of LOSING IT

“For the love of all that is Cameron without a shirt on! Wait for You will have you laughing out loud, fanning yourself and anxiously waiting to know what will happen next.” – Molly McAdams, NYTimes and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of FROM ASHES and TAKING CHANCES

“I don't think I have ever read a NA Contemporary novel with as much depth as this one. It really moved me and by the end I was just speechless over how inspirational and uplifting it was as well as being sexy and cute and funny and emotional.” - K Books

“Wait For You is uniquely different from anything else J. Lynn's written but it might possibly be her best work yet.” – Jenuine Cupcakes

“For all of you in love with Aiden and Daemon, PREPARE YOURSELVES! Your heart will have to expand a little more for Cam.” Total Bookaholic

“For the love of all things CAM, this book deserves more than 5 stars.” – Mundie Moms

“I cannot even begin to explain how much I adored this perfectly crafted contemporary.” – Shortie Says

Excited? Ready to see the cover for WAIT FOR YOU?

 

Synopsis

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

WAIT FOR YOU is available now!

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Wait-for-You-ebook/dp/B00BLTOXEI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1361958795&sr=1-1&keywords=wait+for+you

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wait-for-you-j-lynn/1114701569?ean=2940016231921

 

J. Lynn, also known as Jennifer L. Armentrout, is the USA TODAY Bestselling author of the adult romance Gamble Brothers’ series, the young adult Lux Series and award winning Covenant Series. She pretty much writes everything—contemporary, paranormal, and fantasy. All of her books have one thing in common no matter the name or genre: kissing… and stuff. When she’s not busy writing, which is never, she’s usually hanging out with dog Loki, watching reruns of The Walking Dead, or procrastinating on the Internet.

 You can find out more about Jennifer by visiting the following websites:

Twitter

https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout

Facebook

 http://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout

Website

  http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/

 

Review: Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha

Synopsis:

All Noelle Cunningham has ever wanted is a life beyond–beyond the walls of Eden, where only the righteous are allowed to remain, and beyond her stiflingly restrictive existence as a councilman’s daughter. But only ruins lie outside the City, remnants of a society destroyed by solar storms decades earlier.

The sectors surrounding Eden house the corrupt, the criminal–men like Jasper McCray, bootlegger and cage fighter. Jas clawed his way up from nothing to stand at the right hand of Sector Four’s ruthless leader, and he’ll defend the O’Kane gang with his life. But no fight ever prepared him for the exiled City girl who falls at his feet.

Her innocence is undeniable, but so is their intense sexual attraction, and soon they’re crossing every boundary Noelle barely knew she had. But if she wants to belong to Jas, first she’ll have to open herself to the gang, to a dangerous world of sex, lust and violence. A world where passion is power, and freedom is found in submission.

I liked this a whole bunch more than I thought I would after just reading the synopsis. From the description you might the story is a series of setups for tawdry sex, (cage fighting, lol)  but it wasn’t like that at all. I was sucked into the story right away, the plot moved forward at a good pace, and the ending left me satisfied and wanting more. I think that’s pretty good.  I’ll even say I was surprised to find this book stuck with me for a day or two.

When Noelle breaks the law, she’s kicked out of Eden where she’s been trained to avoid touch in all forms, among other restrictions. When she’s dumped out in the sectors, Jasper saves her and she ends up part of Dallas O’Kane’s gang/family.  With Lex, Dallas’s woman, to teach her the ropes, and Jasper to protect her, Noelle takes to her new environment with its new rules like a duck to water.

There’s a nice cast of characters, although a little overwhelming at first, but all with something that interested me. There is a truck load of alpha males between these pages, each one with a hint of vulnerability. It’s a buffet of bad boys. Personally, Jasper was the least interesting of all of them. There’s lots of potential here.

The woman are interesting too, and likable for the most part. In this world, they hold their sexual power over the men, since there are so few available women. They are smart too.

As for the plot, there was just the right blend of well-paced action and “action” for me. The alpha pack gets into some minor skirmishes and there isn’t a vanilla sex scene to be found. The erotic scenes were both steamy and fresh. The world building was believable and delivered in small bits to keep my interest without overwhelming me with lots of details. It was hard enough to remember all the characters.

Because of the number of characters, there were places where I found it difficult to discern who’s point of view I was reading. While it didn’t detract too much from the enjoyment of the story, there were a few parts I needed to reread.  

There was a satisfying and believable wrap up to Jasper and Noelle’s storyline.

Favorite quote: “Real forgiveness is damn hard, and you have to be strong to do it.”

So overall, This was a 4 out of 5 book for me. I’m looking forward to book 2, Beyond Control, expected publication: March 19th 2013.  

Thanks to Kit Rocha and Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
 

Review: S.E.C.R.E.T. by L. Marie Adeline

Synopsis:

In S.E.C.R.E.T there are…
No judgments. No limits. No shame.
Cassie Robichaud’s life has been filled with regret and loneliness since the death of her husband. She waits tables at the rundown Café Rose in New Orleans, and every night she heads home to her solitary one-bedroom apartment. But when she discovers a notebook left behind by a mysterious woman at the café, Cassie’s world is forever changed. The notebook’s stunningly explicit confessions shock and fascinate Cassie, and eventually lead her to S∙E∙C∙R∙E∙T, an underground society dedicated to helping women realize their wildest, most intimate sexual fantasies. Cassie soon immerses herself in an electrifying journey through a series of ten rapturous fantasies with gorgeous men who awaken and satisfy her like never before. As she is set free from her inhibitions, she discovers a new confidence that transforms her, giving her the courage to live passionately. Equal parts enticing, liberating and emotionally powerful, S∙E∙C∙R∙E∙T is a world where fantasy becomes reality.

My review and rating: 2.5 flames

Oh my, where do I start with this one?  Throughout the entire read, I wondered how I was going to rate this book. While there was much that annoyed me with this, there were parts of it that weren’t bad.  But really, it was the ending that totally disappointed me and made me want to throw my kindle across the room.

Cassie is a waitress. She’s a widow that hasn’t had sex in five years. Her life is lonely. She’s floating through life, her one pleasure watching restaurant patrons. When one of her customers leaves a diary behind, she reads it and realizes just how much she wants a different life. In walks Matilda, a guide for a SECRET society devoted to helping women on a journey of sexual self discovery.

This SECRET society, which is composed of all women, was my first problem with the story.  Sorry, but I couldn’t believe that women are that sexually benevolent. Women just aren’t that nice to each other. It did not work for me. Sorority or not, I couldn’t believe it.

Next came the “steps” that were supposed to fulfill Cassie’s fantasies. They were relatively tame as erotica goes, but that was reasonable considering Cassie’s circumstances.  The purpose of these steps, self-awareness, learning to accept a one night stand without judgement , that was okay too. But when fantasy guy says, “I could do this to you forever”  that doesn’t sound like a one nighter thing to say, it sounds like a “creep” thing to say. 

The first time she has sex in five years, there is a mere less-than-fifty word paragraph to describe what that’s like. Coming back from a five year drought surely deserves more page time. 

There was very little conflict or tension in this story.  Cassie goes through the steps, learning as she goes along, never really getting into a situation that she can’t or won’t handle.  It was all very safe. I would have liked a little more tension and conflict here. There was very little testing of SECRET’s motto--  No judgements. No limits. No shame.

Even so, I did find Cassie a very likable character.  At first I thought her experiences were good for her.  When she gets to the point where she says,”My head was saying yes, my body was saying now, and my heart was near to bursting with the wonder of it all.”  I cheered that she was going to get her HEA.

Then came the ending...I can’t spoil it for you if you decide to read it. But it was a disappointment.

If you are looking for a book that isn’t very deep, then this might be the book for you. It wasn’t for me.

I’m rating this a 2.5, and rounding down to a 2 because this could have been a much better book with some minor adjustments, like ending the book before that final scene.

Thank you Netgalley and Crown Publishing for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Addicted by Charlotte Stein

Synopsis:

Kit Connor has always led a safe, cautious life. But when her friend points out that her erotic writing lacks something, she decides to attend a Sexual Healing group to improve her knowledge.

Kit expects to find the gritty underbelly of sex, and instead finds louche, laidback, sex-loving Dillon Holt.

He makes a suggestion to her: that he will tell tales of his sexual excess, and help her book get the realism it needs. She agrees, but hasn't the least idea of what she's getting into.

Dillon doesn't have simple advice in mind … he has lessons to teach her. Lessons on everything she's never dared to experience, from kink to real passion.

Now Kit is never sure: is Dillon the addict, or is she just addicted to him?

Classic tale of unfulfilled woman meets the man who unlocks her repressed desires. This is done in a very creative way when Dillon steals her manuscript and sets out to reenact some of the scenes with Kit.

Kit is an eager student, basking in the glow of new found sexuality, yet, she wants more of a connection with Dillon than just sex. When she finally starts figuring out what makes Dillon tick, she realizes that he has been hiding from her and she sets out to find out more about him. Kit wants more than just sex. She wants talk, and she has to convince Dillon to trust himself and her, while running the risk of losing him.

I found the story to be told in a very fresh way. Charlotte Stein has a very unique voice to her writing. It’s so intimate that you really feel close to the main character. All of Kit’s feelings and fears are front and center. It isn’t always comfortable, but its always interesting. I found the last few chapters to be unsettling and riveting at the same time, as Kit tries to get Dillon to open up.

Kit grows quite a bit through her experiences with Dillon. I loved this quote from the morning after Kit thinks she's learned something of Dillon's secret.

"I’m no longer Kit Connor, cautious librarian. I’m Kit Connor, destroyer of worlds. "

It’s a good thing she has confidence too, because she ends up needing it when Dillon finally trusts her. Or does he? Does he really tell her the truth and does it really matter?

Charlotte Stein knows how to write erotica. Her scenes are the perfect blend of sexy and smart with a bit of dark and dirty. The scene in the library and the scene in the church are both scorching hot, and there’s no doubt of the sexual chemistry between Kit and Dillon.

Overall, Addicted was a very satisfying erotic romance. I like Charlotte Stein’s intimate, unique voice and would absolutely read other titles from her.

4 Flames

Expected publication: January 24, 2012.

Preview copy provided by the author. 

Review: ICED

Welcome to Red Hot + Blue Reads!  We hope you'll enjoy our take on our current reading selections.  We'll probably review a wide variety of book, all with a similar theme. They've got to be red hot and a little blue to make it interesting!  So here is our first selection.

We couldn't think of anyone better to start with than Karen Marie Moning, author of the Highlander Series and Fever Series.  Without further adeui, here is a review on her current release,ICED,  the first in a three book Dani O'Malley series, set in the Fever world.

 Iced by Karen Marie Moning Review
4+ out of 5 flames

My first read of ICED had me firmly in its clutches, and I was so engrossed in the story I didn’t bother paying attention to the details I needed to write this review. And that’s what makes me rate books 4 or 5 stars. I got sucked into the story. So much so that I had to read ICED a second time for this review.

ICED picks up where Shadowfever left off, except now we get to see the fractured, near-war torn world of Fae-ridden Dublin through the eyes of other characters. The predominant voice is Dani, the cocky, fourteen-year-old sidhe-seer with supernatural abilities of her own. She’s working with Ryodan, owner of Chester’s night club to stop some new creature that is freezing parts of the city, killing humans and Fae in its wake. It always amazes me that Barrons’ and his men need help with anything, but in ICED, Dani works right alongside Ryodan to investigate. Of course, gaining her cooperation becomes a power struggle between Dani and Ryodan, and I have to say that Dani does a very good job of holding her own against him, for the most part.

Then there is Christian MacKeltar, the lie-detecting Highlander turning Unseelie Prince. He is creepily delicious in ICED, his transformation scrambling his brains and turning him into something he does not want, yet is forced to embrace. He wants Dani too, although for not quite the same reasons as Ryodan. More about Christian later.

And let’s not forget Cruce, Unseelie Prince aka War, UK wannabe, still entombed beneath the abbey, and still managing to wreak havoc from his frozen prison. His sidhe-seer jailers upstairs in the abbey are easy targets for his manipulations, especially now that the leadership of the abbey is at stake with Rowena’s death. Dani speaks the truth when she says, ”It’s only a matter of time before somebody sets him free.”

Things are getting to be quite tense in Dublin, AWC – After the Wall Crash.

ICED met all of my expectations for this first book in this trilogy series set in the same world as the Fever series. The icing of the city formed an intriguing backdrop for learning more about Dani and Dancer, Ryodan and Lor, Christian and sidhe-seers Jo and Kat. ICED gave up a little more about Dublin AWC and left me with other questions that I hope will get answered in the next two books of this series.

I’ll admit that at times Dani’s voice irritated me, but for the most part I liked getting to know her better. Abused by her mother and used by Rowena, it’s not a surprise to see her fight to keep her independence. I like her best when she is using her brain to figure out what’s going on, and especially when she is collaborating with Dancer or Ryodan. I started out feeling meh about her and really liked her by the end.

Dancer was another surprise. Seventeen years old and considering Trinity for graduate school, he’s caught in Dublin when the walls fell. Can speak four languages too. Knows physics. Too good to be “just human” was what I thought most of the time. When Dani describes him and says “His eyes aren’t green or blue, they’re aqua, like they’re Fae-brushed.” I’m reminded this is KMM and every line means something. Dancer’s probably the most likable of Dani’s potential suitors.

I found crazy Christian to be the most entertaining of the characters. Becoming an Unseelie Prince hasn’t been good to him, and he’s angry with everyone. Except Dani. He calls her Princess, and professes his love ( and sometimes his lust). He can be sweetly tender, homicidal and downright scary, all in a single scene. But there is no doubt about how he feels about Dani, or that some of his blood still contains his pure-hearted Highlander heritage when he makes the ultimate sacrifice for her.

And then there is Ryodan. Some readers seem to be convinced that he is interested in Dani sexually, but I have to say I didn’t see it. I see him wanting Dani for his team and also saw trust and admiration too. It’s my theory that Ryodan sees something in her that he admires and he wants to train her. Teach her. Sorta sounds like Barrons and Mac, doesn’t it? Even Dani says it: “Him and me think alike a lot of times. I’d never tell him that.”

I think that he looks at Dani for something else, rather than a sexual object as some have suggested. Just my humble opinion. If it is a sexual attraction, Ryodan is keeping it tightly under control.

Dani has his number too, especially when she describes him as “the master of manipulation.” She holds her own against him, and some of my favorite scenes are when they are all working together. Dani, Dancer and Ryodan trying to figure out the ice monster was like reading the notes from a mensa convention. These moments where Dani shows her intelligence were really some of my favorite “Dani” moments in the book.

Dani softens quite a bit toward him when they are going out to trap and kill the ice monster. She likes the action and so does he. This is where she can admire him. Ryodan’s motives are still somewhat of a mystery to me. I’m looking forward to learning more about what he’s up to in the next two books in the series.

I thought there was a lot of chemistry and sexual tension between Ryodan and Kat. I could see something happening there...especially when Kat says: “Never have I been around anyone that affords me such blissful emotional silence.” In Kat, Ryodan has someone who is more of a match than Jo. My favorite scene in ICED had to be toward the end, when Kat assesses everyone at the abbey with her emotional telepathy. Theres loads of insights here. Lots of insights there.

The war theme is rampant throughout ICED and can’t really be ignored. Christian talks about Dani having passion to rule an army. Ryodan is stock piling an arsenal. and Dani shows her budding leadership all over the pages of Iced. Christian talks about bringing on war, and I wonder if that means he will be the one to free Cruce. I just don’t know, and I love that KMM has put all these “what ifs” in my head.

And I can’t forget the monsters. The Hoar Frost King and its outcome was nicely crafted, although not very exciting, but the Crimson Hag is truly frightful. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of her. She’s one scary bitch.

There are plenty of mentions of Mac and Barrons, and since I didn’t expect much of them in this book, at first I found them annoying, too much of a tease. But I was pleasantly surprised by the ending and how things were left for the next book.

So overall, a very nice beginning to the series. Looking forward to seeing how this will all come together. I do trust that Ms. Moning will give us another great story in this Dani O’Malley series as she did with the Fever series.

Shannon Reviews ICED by Karen Marie Moning.

Iced picks up where Shadowfever left off. Except there is hardly any Mac and even less Barrons in what is now Dani's book. Once you get past that and wrap your brain around her voice as the narrator, it's easy to get caught back up in KMM's Fever World. And the world's a fecked up place. Everyone's got problems.

The most pressing problem is that something large and fae is freezing things. Randomly. Ryodan has taken a particular interest in solving this mystery and enlists Dani's help in investigating the possible cause. And by enlist, I mean coerce. The careful reader will notice that this harkens back to the job he mentioned he had for Dani near the end of Shadowfever. It's interesting that Ryodan looks at Dani, much in the same way Mac looked at Barrons - she has potential. This has what has kept Dani alive and on his radar all these years. You can almost hear Barrons teasing Ryodan...

But I knew I was going to love this book when Ryodan says to Dani “Kid, Batman needs Robin.”

And so begins the unlikely pairing of one Dani Mega O'Malley and Ryodan whatevertheheckhislastnameis. And by pairing, I don't mean  in a romantic sense. We will have to wait until the next book to see if there is a romance in Dani's future. Although I'm sure a certain MacKeltar turned CrazySexyHorny Unseelie Prince would tell you there is DEFINITELY a romance in her future. For some reason I have yet to fathom, Christian has decided Dani is or will be his mate. "Just one time before I turn into the villain of this piece, just one time before I become the fourth and final Unseelie prince, I want to be her Highlander. And her hero."

Then there is Dani's bestie Dancer. Is he just your average brilliant genius with a knack for not getting killed in this extremely dangerous world, or is there something more to him...

Meanwhile, back at the abbey, the sidhe-seers have their own problems. Cruce aka the Sinsar Dubh, the big bad evil form the first five books, is frozen beneath their abbey. But even frozen, Cruce is causing mischief. He has been busy projecting himself into the dreams of every sidhe-seer in the hopes that one of them will set him free. I'm hoping that now that they all realize that Cruce is playing all of them, the next book will see a more united band of sidhe-seers, rather than the divisive and scared group they currently are.

Dani mentions that the Unseelie Princes are at large and have begun fighting with each other. The foreshadowing is there for something big to come from that in the next books. Unless of course, it is KMM's way of throwing us off the track and over the cliff. Something she is well known and well loved for. One of the great things about a KMM book is that you never quite know where she's going next but you know it's gonna be a helluva ride.

I think it's important to remember that this is the first in a three book series. If I had read Darkfever when it first came out I might not have picked up the next book. KMM is a brilliant plotter. I think it's safe to say we've only just begun and that she has amazing twists and turns ahead for us. 

Iced earns 4 Red Hot + Blue flames