Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan

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Undeniable
Series: Undeniable #1
Author: Madeline Sheehan
Genre: Adult Romance
Source: Personal Purchase
ISBN: B009N539DS
E-Book Edition

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

***Warning*** 
(This book contains several aspects of the uglier side of life; it is not for everyone.)

The story of Deuce and Eva…

An undeniable connection that stands the test of time.

Unforgettable moments.

Love and pain and everything in between.

I was five years old when I met Deuce, he was twenty-three, and it was visiting day at Riker’s Island. My father, Damon Fox or “Preacher”, the President of the infamous “Silver Demon’s” motorcycle club -mother chapter- in East Village, New York City, was doing a five-year stint for aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon. It was not the first time my father had been in prison and it wouldn’t be the last. The Silver Demon’s MC was a notorious group of criminals who lived by the code of the road and gave modern society and all it entailed a great big f**k you.

“Never forget the day Eva came bouncin’ into my f**ked up life, shakin’ pigtails, singin’ Janis, wearin’ chucks and sharin’ peanuts and straight up stole any decency I had left which wasn’t a whole lot but she f**kin’ took it and I’ve been hers ever since.”

MY THOUGHTS

This is one of those books where not only am I at a loss for words, but you will either love it or hate it.  I am on the love it side of the fence, but that is not to say that the book didn’t have its flaws.

First I will warn you of two things. This is definitely for the adults. Also, it is like crack for book addicts. (Think Motorcycle Man like Kristen Ashley) Yes folks, Tack of MM must have had a secret brother in the fictional world because Deuce is just as sexy, bad and hot as hell as him.

Some people will be turned off because of one of the main things of this book.  Not only is Deuce 18 years older than Eva, but he meets her while he is 23 and she is 5.  He falls for the little girl, but I felt it was not in the creepy way you might be thinking.  Yes, she steals his heart from that moment, but the way the author has written it, I didn’t get it as a creepy-naughty sex way.

Eva has grown up in the Motorcycle Club life.  Her mother abandoned her with her father, but you can tell that Preacher thinks the world of Eva. Granted, I wasn’t a big fan of Eva but she started to grow on me.  Obviously, Deuce is the star of this book for me.  What can I say, I love my tortured and bad as hell fictional men.

I wasn’t a fan of the cheating as well in this book.  It seems everyone is married and cheating in this book.  Maybe this is what goes on everyday in a motorcycle club, but cheating is just big no-no for me.

The side character of Frankie — who is sort of the adopted brother of Eva — was just plain bad.  Not sexy bad in a want-to-jump-your-bones bad, but as in the psycho-needs-a-straight-jacket sort of way.  He has a huge temper problem and when he basically rapes Eva, I was reading faster just so I could see how badly Deuce was going to torture him.

While I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending — mainly because it was rushed — I still found myself reading until the  last page late into the night.  It was dark, moody, messed up and oh-so-right.  I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and see what will happen to some of my other favorite bikers.  Also, it will be great to see if Deuce will live up to his promises.

MY FAVORITE QUOTES

“If his girl was broken, someone sure as fuck was going to die for that.” 

“There are weak men; men who run and hide when life slaps them in the ass. Then there are men; men who have a backbone yet occasionally, when life slaps them in the ass, will rely on others. And then there are real men; men who don’t cry or complain, who don’t just have a backbone, they are the backbone. Men who make their own decisions and live with the consequences, who accept responsibility for their actions or words. Men who, when life slaps them in the ass, slap back and move on. Men who live hard and die even harder.
Men like my father and my uncles. Men I loved with all my heart.
Men like Deuce.” 

MY RATING

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn

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Tempting the Best Man
Series:  The Gamble Brothers #1
Author: J. Lynn
(AKA: Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Source: Publisher
Genre: Romance
ISBN: B007WY7T7Y
E-Book Edition

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Madison Daniels has worshipped her brother’s best friend since they were kids. Everyone thinks she and Chase Gamble would make the perfect couple, but there are two major flaws in their logic. 1) Chase has sworn off relationships of any kind, and 2) after blurring the line between friends and lovers for one night four years ago, they can’t stop bickering.

Forced together for her brother’s wedding getaway, Chase and Madison decide to call a truce for the happy couple. Except all bets are off when they’re forced to shack up in a tacky 70’s honeymoon suite and survive a multitude of “accidents” as the family tries to prove their “spark” can be used than for more than fighting. That is, if they don’t strangle each other first…

MY THOUGHTS

Yes, this is by an author well known for writing young adult books.  I was shocked to realize this and didn’t make the connection until after I started reading it. Now granted, I haven’t read her young adult books yet, but I hear she is an amazing writer.  So I decided to take a chance on reading her adult themed book.  This is the first in The Gamble Brothers Series with a new cover as well.

This book started out with promise.  Childhood friends who secretly have pined for each other into adulthood is a common plot within the Romance Genre world.  Who doesn’t like a good romance with a couple who actually start out as friends and have been for a long time.  Even with the great plot though, the story did have its problems.

The main problem is the back story and the characters falling in the “miscommunication” trap.  I wish we could have had read about more of the childhood that Chase had to make him think he wasn’t worthy of Madison.  We get a small piece here and there, but flashbacks would have been welcome in this story.  It would have filled out better and gave the reader a better understanding on how he shaped into the man he is today.

Again, the way writers solve the problem of finding a problem to create a story by using the age old “assuming instead of speaking” route.  This story could have been solved in half the amount of pages if the two would just talk instead of bickering and denying their attraction.  Of course, then we wouldn’t have much of book, but it also wouldn’t start to have our interest wane.  I started to get bored with the story, and if it weren’t for the bickering between the two characters –or hilarious side characters–I would have probably put this book down sooner instead of finishing it.

I am hoping the author gets the groove for the next book in the series because it did have promise.  I am hoping we get a better glimpse into the Gamble Brothers history in the next book as well.

MY RATING

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Laid Bare by Lauren Dane

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Laid Bare
Series: The Brown Siblings #1
Author: Lauren Dane
Genre: Erotic Romance
Source: Personal Purchase
ISBN: 9780425229712

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Unexpected Desire…

It’s been ten years since clean-cut, sexy-as-hell police officer Todd Keenan had a white-hot fling with Erin Brown, the provocative, wild rocker chick next door. Their power exchange in the bedroom got under his skin. But love wasn’t in the cards just yet…

Now, life has thrown the pair back together. But picking up where they left off is tough, in light of a painful event from Erin’s past. As Todd struggles to earn her trust, their relationship takes an unexpected and exciting turn when Todd’s best friend, Ben, ends up in their bed–and all three are quite satisfied in this relationship without a name. As the passion they share transforms Erin, will it be enough to help her face the evil she thought she had left behind?

MY THOUGHTS

I am really hesitant in writing this review since so many are fans of this series.  I wanted to be blown away by it since the reviews I have read have been favorable.  Unfortunately, my feelings fell in the middle for this one.

The beginning felt really rushed to me.  I understand the author need to set up the relationship between Todd and Erin, but it ended up feeling forced and at times unbelievable.  I had hoped after the prologue it would even out and become better.  I love how the two of them reconnected.  I loved the D/s aspect of the relationship.  I even loved the other characters in the book as well.  Ben was even a good character even if I felt he got the short end of the stick in the relationship.  What bugged me about it was the way the relationships were handled and the back story of their lives while separated.

Erin’s back story I can believe.  Anyone who loses a child and suffered what she did would have a different outlook on life and love.  Todd’s on the other hand felt like just a quick excuse to get him back to Erin.  He got married after running away from Erin 10 years before because he thought his kink was wrong.  He grew up thinking his curious fetishes were not normal.  So he takes a pretty trophy like wife, tries the marriage thing for bit, then almost dies in the line of duty which also leads into a divorce.  After the divorce is over he moves back to his home town for a new job.  It seemed pretty extreme for me, but I went with it.

The relationship between Todd and Erin was just okay.  Then the author throws in Ben as another character in play for this relationship.  He is not an affair for them, but an addition in the bedroom and in their lives.  Ben is a long time friend of Todd’s so I guess the reader is suppose to just take it as it is.  Unfortunately, I didn’t feel any real spark between the three.

There is plenty of sex in this book to appease the naughtiest of readers with kink thrown in on certain scenes, but the plot and characters just left me feeling okay.  I wasn’t blown away as I wanted to be, but I still think I will keep going in the series.

MY RATING

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

Losing It by Cora Carmack

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Losing It
Author: Cora Carmack
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Personal Purchase
ISBN: B009QAKUYG / E-Book Edition

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible– a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if if that weren’t embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theater professor. She’d left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

MY THOUGHTS

I will be honest is saying that I am having a hard time rating this book.  I found the characters of Bliss and Garrick to be great, the writing flowed at a good pace, and the supporting cast of characters just as good.  I think the only real problems I had was the summary doesn’t do the story justice and at times the author tried a little to hard to be funny.

The first part of the book felt forced because the author pushed the funny down the readers throat.  Bliss and her sarcastic wit and comments started to get a little too much.  Finally, once the story really starts moving and Garrick is introduced as more than a one night stand, it really started to take off.  Garrick is one hot professor with a British accent to boot!  I will even say that the cover image of him is pretty similar to what I had in my mind when reading about him.  YUM!  Bliss really does fall for him and you just know that the drama is going to unfold at some point.  You can’t have a story without the drama.

While there were some great dramatic parts of the book though, the ending was not what I expected.  The one thing the two were worried about the most — and one the reader thinks is going to happen — doesn’t even turn out to be the one thing that does happen.  The ending was sort of a let down for me after all the build up.  It was sweet and perfect for the couple, but I kept looking for more of a climatic story arc.

Even with all of those things that disappointed me in the story, I still found myself enjoying it.  I am interested in the future writing of this author and of her hints of writing spin-off’s for the secondary characters of this book.  Great for a debut author, but I am hoping she will choose to spread her wings a little more with the drama for the next one.

MY RATING

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

Reflected In You by Sylvia Day

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Reflected in You
Series: Crossfire #2
Author: Sylvia Day
Genre: Romance
Source: Gift from Smexybooks(Thank you Mandi!)
ISBN: 9780425263914

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Gideon Cross. As beautiful and flawless on the outside as he was damaged and tormented on the inside. He was a bright, scorching flame that singed me with the darkest of pleasures. I couldn’t stay away. I didn’t want to. He was my addiction… my every desire… mine.

My past was as violent as his, and I was just as broken. We’d never work. It was too hard, too painful… except when it was perfect. Those moments when the driving hunger and desperate love were the most exquisite insanity. We were bound by our need. And our passion would take us beyond our limits to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession…

MY THOUGHTS

OMG! Oh..my..GOD!  Seriously?! This is how the author is going to leave us?  Okay, I am still floored by the ending of this book — even though we should have seen it coming — and I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to write a review for this.  I know if you are a fan of this series, you have already been stalking other reviews, so I want go into too much detail.  Besides, if I were to go into too many details, it would spoil much of the book.

Gideon. I am now head over heels in love with you.  I was slow going and tried really hard not to let you into my heart, but I failed. I was a bigger fan of Gideon in this book and started to throw imaginary daggers at Eva.  I fell so hard for Gideon that in his words — ” I won’t survive you.”

On with the regular part of the review.  This book in the series focused on Gideon and Eva trying to build their relationship into something solid.  They are going to couple’s counseling and trying to make it work despite the obstacles thrown at them every other page.  There were some small things that happened and then there were huge things that happened.  The one big thing was at the end and literally in the last chapter.  I can’t believe it and my jaw is on the floor with my heart.  I had a what-the-heck moment and had to reread that chapter several times.  I just knew I was reading it wrong.

All I can say is that if you are a fan of this series, read it.  Flat out simple.
If you haven’t started this series yet, then you forfeit your claim in the future of having Gideon as your book boyfriend and I claim him now with no take-backs.

MY RATING
Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!