Review: All In by Raine Miller

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All In
Series: The Blackstone Affair #2
Author: Raine Miller

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

The second part in The Blackstone Affair series! Looming danger. A love worth fighting for. A man who’ll go all in.

Ethan Blackstone has a problem on his hands. He’s broken Brynne’s trust and she’s left him. He’s unwilling to live without her and isn’t giving up—he’s dead-set on getting his beautiful American girl back. The passion between them was explosive, but the secrets they hid from each other are dark and chilling and are powerful enough to destroy their shot at a life together. With political threats now directed at Brynne, Ethan is running out of time and he’ll need to gather all his strength and agility to protect her from the dangers that could take her away from him forever. Will Ethan be able to save Brynne from a past that keeps her locked in fear? Will he ever feel the warmth of her touch, the solidity of her trust again? This is a love-struck man who is willing to do whatever it takes to possess the heart of the woman he loves. He’ll go to any lengths to protect her. He’ll go all in.

Here is the fiery story of what happens when two people surrender to a love so great it can heal the scars of the past and give way to a life of pure, rapturous ecstasy.

MY THOUGHTS

All In by Raine Miller is the second book in The Blackstone Affair series.  It is told from Ethan’s POV this time around instead of Brynne’s.

After the last book in the series left me with mixed feelings, I was a little scared to read from Ethan’s POV.  While we are reading from his head this time around, it starts where we left off with Naked.  I will admit that Ethan was the main reason I continued — besides the story needing some answers from the previous book — and was worried that the author was going to let us down. Well, I was right unfortunately.

For a man who was suppose to be so Dominant, protective and sexy, Ethan came across as a pansy who needed a dose of man-the-hell-up and grow-some-balls medicine.  What happened to the man I enjoyed from the previous book? Why did the author turn him into a drama-king with no backbone?

When it came to Brynne, I wasn’t as shocked to discover he dark past but I was shocked that the author went there with some of it.  I will warn readers that it does involve serious issues that may be uncomfortable for some people.  It is just mentioned briefly, but it is one thing that some people may be shocked or offended to read.

Overall, I became bored with the repetitive sex between the two that seemed to happen every chapter that it was hard to focus on the relationship itself.  By the time I got to the 75% mark, I was skimming those scenes and trying to get to the serious parts. After finishing up this read,  I don’t think I will be continuing on in the journey of The Blackstone Affair.

MY RATING

       
I did not like this book at all!

Review: Naked by Raine Miller

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Naked
Series: The Blackstone Affair #1
Author: Raine Miller

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Brynne Bennett is living the good life. An American art student at the University of London and part-time photographic model, she’s putting her life back on track with school and lots of hard work. 

When ultra successful London businessman, Ethan Blackstone, buys her nude portrait, he isn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. He wants Brynne in his bed and makes plans to keep her there no matter what. His dominant nature captivates and ensnares despite the demons she carries inside her. 

But there are secrets in this relationship. Huge ones. Can Ethan free Brynne from the past that has marked her? Will Brynne let him or will the specters tormenting her resurface to destroy them both…

MY THOUGHTS

Naked is the first book in the Blackstone Affair series by author Raine Miller.

This is another book where the review is going to be very hard to write with the rating being even more of a harder thing to decide.  While there were some elements that I enjoyed throughout the story, there were some problems along the way.  The best way I can explain this journey of Naked is like a car drag race.  It is built up with excitement from other readers.  It has a start where it is ready to take off and leaves you ready to stomp on the gas.  The story speeds along with the relationship — at times way too fast. Then it suddenly has the finale that is exciting but then you are left with a crash and burn of an adrenaline drop.

Ethan and Brynne have a very fast rate of speed with their relationship.  While Brynne states that she wants to take it slow, they do hop into bed fairly quickly.  They also start falling in love with each other almost instantly after having mind blowing sex.  Ethan is pretty dominant in giving orders and getting what he wants, but he actually had feelings and emotions that weren’t bottled up inside.  Brynne on the other hand has secrets and can be frustrating at times.  She wants to be with Ethan, but she doesn’t want to share much with him.  Their sexy times are plenty and quite steamy and erotic.  While at times the story could have left out one of those steamy scenes, they were ones that were hot.

The ending is left with the reader hanging.  We learn that Ethan also had a secret and it is one that is touched on in the prologue of this story.  While we still don’t know what Brynne’s secret is — just hints here and there — the ending was a let down for me.  It was rushed and then we are left with no real part of the story wrapping up.  While cliffhangers can be a huge success, this one was disappointing in the development of the relationship.

While I am curious to read the next book — especially since it will be in Ethan’s POV instead of Brynne’s — I am hoping that it will tie up at least a few loose ends for the reader.  The book was enjoyable and addicting, but needs to be slowed down just a bit for the next book.

MY RATING

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

Review: Heat of the Moment by Elle Kennedy

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Heat of the Moment
Series: Out of Uniform #1
Author: Elle Kennedy

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

In this heat wave, anything and everything goes. A Red-Hot Summer story. Shelby Harper has lusted over Navy SEAL John Garrett for over a year, but no matter how many sexy signals she sends out, the man shows a complete lack of interest in getting naked. Then she overhears Garrett talking to his SEAL teammate–a discussion in which they conclude she’s vanilla. Stung, Shelby sets out to show them exactly how un-vanilla she is. 

Garrett can’t believe it when sweet, sexy Shelby suggests a wild and sweaty menage. He’s been trying to figure out how to ask her out without coming off as a guy who only wants to get in her pants–her friendship is too valuable to him to risk it. But if a crazy, heat-wave three-way is what Shelby wants, then he’s ready and willing to give it to her. 

Once she gets it out of her system, however…well, then he’ll let her know he wants her all to himself.

MY THOUGHTS

Heat of the Moment is the first book in the Out of Uniform series by author Elle Kennedy.

If you are looking for a full length novel, look elsewhere.  This novella is just that — a short story.  It comes in  at 78 pages according to Amazon and I want to mention that it is even shorter than that since the last 10 percent maybe of the book is previews for other stories.

This is a sexy and short M/F/M menage read.  The main couple is John Garrett and Shelby Harper with the third person involved is Carson Scott. After pining for each other for a year, Shelby finally invites John and Carson up to her place after closing time.  She had the cafe open during a heat wave for the service men and she over hears Carson and John talking about how vanilla Shelby probably is.  Shelby is convinced to show them how un-vanilla she is by acting out her fantasy of two men at one time.

I really enjoyed this short story and the writer made it believable.  While Carson was more of a third wheel in the story, he was a pivotal player in getting these two together.  Even though it does feature instant love after one night together with a small glitch of insecurities, I could actually see these two people together for the long haul.

While it was in no means a book that will be above others, I will say that this short story was a great start to being introduced to this author for the first time.  If this had been a full length novel, I am sure it would have rated higher in my opinion. New readers of this author will get a quick thrill with John and Shelby and will be wanting to follow it up with the next novella in the series.

MY RATING
Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

Review: Rush by Maya Banks

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Rush
Series: Breathless #1
Author: Maya Banks

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Gabe, Jace, and Ash: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. For Gabe, it’s making one particular fantasy come true with a woman who was forbidden fruit. Now she’s ripe for the picking…

When Gabe Hamilton saw Mia Crestwell walk into the ballroom for his hotel’s grand opening, he knew he was going to hell for what he had planned. After all, Mia is his best friend’s little sister. Except she’s not so little anymore. And Gabe has waited a long time to act on his desires.

Gabe has starred in Mia’s fantasies more than once, ever since she was a teenager with a huge crush on her brother’s best friend. So what if Gabe’s fourteen years older? Mia knows he’s way out of her league, but her attraction has only grown stronger with time. She’s an adult now, and there’s no reason not to act on her most secret desires.

As Gabe pulls her into his provocative world, she realizes there’s a lot she doesn’t know about him or how exacting his demands can be. Their relationship is intense and obsessive, but as they cross the line from secret sexual odyssey to something deeper, their affair runs the risk of being exposed—and vulnerable to a betrayal far more intimate than either expected.

MY THOUGHTS

Rush by Maya Banks is the first book the Breathless series.  The main characters in this book are Gabe Hamilton and Mia Crestwell.

As I sit here contemplating with how to put my feelings of this book into words, I also have the urge to build a fence around myself because of all the mixed reactions that are being said about it.  I just know people with torches are going to come light a fire and throw me to the flames.  On the other hand, there might be enough supporters out there that would put the fire out and rescue me like a damsel in distress.  Either way, I am going to share my thoughts and maybe I can make my escape before you grab the matches.

I will say that Gabe is one cold man for the first half of this book. He is demanding, emotionally closed off, and has the power to bring his enemies to the floor groveling with just one look.  We do get little insights and the ‘why’ of his personality and the reasons behind the famous contract’s he uses.  I can understand his intense need to protect not only himself, but others that could be involved, even if it does seem a bit extreme.

Gabe is also a billionaire who is in business with two of his best friends.  Ash has to be my favorite so far of the three even though this book focused on Gabe.  Ash is the charmer and the man that explores the threesome’s with Jace.  Jace is the smooth talker and the one that will close a deal while having a little fun on the side with Ash.

Enter Mia Crestwell.  She is Jace’s little sister that he has spoiled and taken care of since the death of their parents years ago.  He provides everything for her including an apartment, money and even paying for her college.  While she appreciates everything Jace has done for her, she still doesn’t know what to do with her degrees from college and is working in a bakery to try and stand on her own feet.

While there were plenty of naughty and intense scenes in this book, I loved the tender moments between Mia and Gabe the most.  When Gabe would open up to Mia and share things that he hadn’t shared with many others, you could feel his emotions and the struggle this Alpha-man was going through.  While he is clearly a Dominant man in the all aspects of his life, you could tell that Mia was his soft spot and was going to be the one who would bring him to his knees.  I especially loved her backbone when it came to the climax of her brother finding out.  Of course, I was also appalled at the way her brother finds out — and the scene was the only reason I lowered the rating from a 5 to a 4 rating. Only because of the abrupt way it happens when we are finally getting an emotional sexy scene from Gabe and Mia.

Now many people have mentioned a scene that happens around the 70% mark in this book.  It is something that many didn’t agree with and wanted to stop with the journey when they read it.  While I won’t spoil this scene in sharing the details of it, I will say that I am glad the author turned it around bringing Gabe back to his senses.  If he wouldn’t have changed halfway through that scene, I probably would have stopped as well.

While the ending had enough sappiness that I was looking for maple trees around me, I still enjoyed it. It was sweet and over the top, but it wasn’t so bad that it made me want to dance around in a field of flowers.  Personally, this a series I am already in love with and can’t wait for the next book in the series.

MY RATING

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

Review: Illicit by Opal Carew

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Illicit
Author: Opal Carew
Genre: Romance / Erotica / (M/M/M/F)

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

What began as a steamy weekend fling is about to change their lives forever.

When Lindsay receives a mysterious invitation to live out her most illicit fantasies, she thinks it’s her best friend playing a joke.  Little does she know, the invitation is from someone else.  Someone who knows her deepest desires…and intends to fulfill them.

Erik is a man of many secrets, and he intends to keep it that way.  When he invites Lindsay to his mansion, he thinks it’s just for a steamy weekend fling.  But from their first night together, there’s an inexplicably deep connection that shakes him to his core.  And with Lindsay in his arms, he feels both thrilled and unnerved.  As Lindsay brings his fantasies to life, he’s unwilling to let her go. But can he tell her how he knows her deepest desires, and will she stay with him if she learns the truth?

MY THOUGHTS

Usually author Opal Carew is a must read for me.  I love her writing and the fantasy worlds she can create within the covers of a book (and between the sheets for her characters).  With Illicit though, I was less than pleased with the story unfortunately.

The summary of this book sounded really good.  I was excited to start another book by this author and dying to see what she would bring for Lindsay and Erik.  The first few pages I was interested.  The few pages after that were okay. Then it went downhill and I just couldn’t finish it.  So needless to say, this review is a DNF but I will explain why I couldn’t read the rest.

Lindsay literally falls into Erik when entering the elevator.  She notices right off the bat how sexy Erik and his two friends are.  She has an entire fantasy about all three of them on this short elevator ride.  Okay, I will go with that. Who doesn’t have little fantasies in their heads when they are attracted to someone? They don’t interact and she quickly exits the elevator when she arrives to her floor.  She catches up with her friend Jill and she tells her all about the three sexy men she met in the elevator.  Jill states that she know who Conner and Travis are, but she doesn’t know who Erik is based on the descriptions Lindsay gives her. Jill tells Lindsay how she would love to set her up with them and she could have a quickie with them and fulfill a sexual fantasy.  Fine, I can handle this situation of girl gossip and bonding.

This is where the book started going downhill for me.  Days later, Lindsay receives an anonymous letter in the mail with just her name written on it.  It is an invitation for her to meet at a certain place so she can live out her sexual fantasies.  She assumes it is a joke from Jill wanting a girls night out and decides to go to this place without even asking if it came from her.  That right there didn’t make sense to me. We later find out that Erik is the one who sent her the invitation.  Moving on though.

Remember that they didn’t have much interaction in the elevator, but I also want to point out that Erik is already assuming things about Lindsay.  This is what Erik thinks just as Lindsay stepped out of the elevator:

“Damn, she was sexy as hell,” Conner said.
“True that, ” said Travis.
Erik nodded absently.  She was also sweet and a little shy.  Had low self-esteem.  And had a burning inferno of passion hidden deep inside.  And he would love to be the one to let it loose.  Along with Conner and Travis. –Erik, page 5

When she arrives at the hotel — and so do Conner and Travis shortly after — instead of hightailing it out of there when two strangers she doesn’t remember arrive, she decides to watch the two men go at it on the patio near the pool area.  If I had two strangers come into the suite, I would have hid until the coast was clear and ran like hell right away. When she does come to her senses, she runs out of the room straight to the elevator.  When the elevator doors open, she runs right into Erik — again!  Oh and he is still in his work uniform for work as a police officer.  This is where Erik really gave me the impression of being stuck up and “cocky”. (no pun intended)

Why would she come all the way here, then leave?
Then again, women weren’t always rational.  He’d learned that the hard way.  In the half dozen or so serious relationships he’d had, they’d all ended with the woman walking out.  Why? Because he knew them too well.  He satisfied them too well. –Erik, page 21

This is where I stopped and decided I wasn’t going to be able to finish the story.  I just wasn’t feeling the characters and any chemistry.  Granted, this was only 25 pages in, but by this time I already know if I am going to be able to get into a book and the characters.

MY RATING
DNF