Book Review: Learning New Tricks (Bits & Bytes #3) by Allyson Lindt

We were first introduced to the hero, Archer, in the previous books in this series. Although I wasn't all the crazy about him, I did feel bad that he lost his girl to his best friend. However as this book starts off, the little bit of sympathy I had for him went flying out the window as I am reminded of what giant douche he really is. His explanation of meaningless sex to his best friend Tori just rubbed me the wrong way and made me want to throat punch him.

Tori is stuck in a job that is slowly driving her crazy as she lets them walk all over her. She is also designs costumes that Archer displays in his comic store. She wishes she knew how to separate love and sex like he does. So when he offers her some hands on lessons, she just can't refuse. However, right from the beginning it is pretty clear that these two have deeper feeling for each other than either of them realize.

Archer and Tori have this great chemistry together both in and out of the bedroom, but each also has something from their past holding them back from "more." He still seems hung up on his ex and Tori refuses to be anyone's second choice.

Book Review: Loving Cara (Love Under The Big Sky #1) by Kristen Proby

Kristen Proby's With Me in Seattle series is one of my favorites, so I was excited to see that she was starting a new series. Loving Cara has got a little bit of everything that made me fall in love with her books in the first place. It had the steaminess that I enjoy plus loveable characters, a little bit of humor and a touch of sweetness. But the big fat juicy cherry on top is the sexy as hell cowboy, Josh King. He is beautiful, self assured and a tad controlling - but in that oh so delicious way.

I generally liked Cara's character a lot. The way she is with Josh's nephew, Seth, is heartwarming and she clearly gives her whole heart to those she cares about. She does have her issues with insecurities, but honestly what girl doesn't? I found she was very real and easy to relate to in that way.

They have their obstacles to overcome and there are some angst filled moments, a few that brought tears to my eyes, but its just the right amount to make you feel what the characters are feeling.

Not only did I love the two main characters, but there is also a great cast of supporting characters as well. As with her other series, you already love every one of them and look forward to each one getting their own story. Next up will be Ty and Lauren, which you get a taste of at the end of this book. Sexy lawyer with tattoos hidden under his suit? Hell yeah! I'm looking forward to it.

Cover Reveal: Crashed (Driven #3) by K. Bromberg

When life crashes down around us, how hard are we willing to fight for the one thing we can’t live without, each other?

Excerpt: Ever Hopeful (Ever, Texas #1) by Lori Ryan

Combining heart-soaring contemporary romance with heart-pounding suspense is a trademark of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lori Ryan—and in her novel Ever Hopeful she delivers spectacularly on both counts.

Excerpt
Laura laid her hand in his, so big and strong and protective. She tried to ignore the way that hand made her feel, the way his warm strength caused her body to thrum with electricity. He tugged her out the back of the barn and around to one side where the Jeep she’d seen many times was parked.

“Shane was going to show you this later, but this is probably a better time,” he said, opening the door and reaching into the glove box. Cade pulled out a set of keys and turned to sit on the seat of the car, long legs hanging over the edge. He pulled Laura into him so that she stood with one of her legs brushing his. They’d never stood this close – this intimately. He’d always kept his distance. But, now there was a closeness she hadn’t dared to crave for more than three years. Cade held out the keys to her and pointed out the key to the Jeep. He looked her dead in the eye when he spoke and she could see how much he meant the words he was saying. “This is always in here. If anything happens, if you even think someone is coming or you see anything suspicious, I want you to take the Jeep.”

Book Review: Legal Affairs #1: Objection by Sawyer Bennett

Sawyer Bennett is one of those authors that I will read anything that she writes and love it. After seeing some teasers, I was ridiculously excited for her Legal Affairs series to get started. I did not like this. I loved it! Matthew Connover is hot and sexy and maybe even a little bit of a jerk in the way he addresses McKayla and "the issue". McKayla is a strong girl and she has no problem putting him in his place. Their sex is off the charts hot and I cannot wait to see what happens next. It will be interesting to see how these two lawyers can continue to work together without giving in to the need to devour one another.

This is a super short novella that will leave you hungry for the next installment.

Cover Reveal: Entice (Evolve #3) by S.E. Hall

Cover Re-Reveal: Night Owl (Night Owl Trilogy #1) by M. Pierce

Cover Reveal: Ridge (Wild #2) by Adriane Leigh

Sometimes doing the wrong thing feels so right...

Book Review: The Knight Trilogy by Kitty French

When I got the opportunity to review the entire Lucien Knight Trilogy by Kitty French I was thrilled because I had heard such good things about these books. And let me tell you they did not disappoint. I read all 3 books in 2 days and was a little sad when it came to an end.

Knight & Play
Based on reviews I've seen in the past, I knew this was going to be a steamy read. I just didn't realize how hot it was going to be. Now 2 warnings before I continue:
     1. cliffhanger
     2. cheating
I normally don't like to give too much away, but I know those two things are important to some readers so I wanted to put it out there. Generally I'm not a fan of cheating, though its not necessarily a deal breaker for me. Honestly, I didn't even bat an eye at in in Knight & Play. It felt almost justifiable to me, which is probably ridiculous, but it is the truth.

This is a sensual exploration of a woman's sexuality while she comes to terms with the reality of her marriage. And Lucien knight is just the man to help Sophie Black discover that part of herself. It was very much one explosive sexual encounter after another but there is also a very real and emotional story here as well. Both characters have demons that they need to face and battle and both may be going about it in the wrong ways. You do have to wait for book 2 to see what happens for them both, but it is not a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting to hurl your eReader at the wall. It just leaves you wanting more. 

Book Review: Layers (Stark #1) by Sigal Ehrlich

Daniel Stark is successful, sexy and very complicated. Beneath that brooding and intimidating veneer are layers of compassion, humor and love and Haley Graces loves being the girl to discover them all. Their whirlwind romance is beyond hot but also sweet and tender. When they aren't steaming up the sheets, which they do a lot (yay!), I loved seeing glimpses of the softer side of Daniel. And while his sexiness is undeniable, what really pushed me over the edge to loving him is is propensity to drop the F bomb, my own personal swear word of choice. "For fuck's sake..." is used at least once per day by me so I got a kick out of him using it quite frequently. 

Fans of the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy are sure to enjoy this story, with its yummy, wealthy, powerful yet mercurial leading man. It did start off a little slow for me but it continued to build and get better as the book progressed and by the end I was enthralled. I was so wrapped up in the emotions and the story that I didn't even realize that I was at the end. Which made the cliffhanger a bit of a surprise for me, catching me off guard. Thankfully, the next book is due out the end of January so we don't have long to wait to see what happens next for Daniel and Haley.

Cover Reveal: On The Rocks (Last Call #1) by Sawyer Bennett

He left to travel the world for fame and glory, but only after spurning Gabby Ward and crushing her young heart. Now Hunter Markham has come back home to the sand and salty breeze of the North Carolina Outer Banks so he can open up Last Call, a beach bar nestled among the dunes of the Atlantic.

Book Review: More Than Her (More #2) by Jay McLean

Logan. Logan. Logan. Dear sweet, sexy Logan. All of the mistakes you make are enough drive this girl insane. I loved the little bit we got of Logan in More Than This so I could not wait for his story.  Now we finally get to be inside Logan's head a little bit to see what he is thinking. And inside his head is not an easy place to be.

When he met Amanda a year ago, they had an amazing connection and a great sex-free night together. But he screwed it up. Now they are both at the same college and though she manages to avoid him for a while, they are now thrown together on a daily basis. How long can she resist his charm? Not very long and I can't say I blame her. Logan is hot, funny and charming and underneath that smugness is actually a sweet guy.

This book drove me absolutely insane, but I loved every minute of it. I loved their chemistry together and yeah the steamy sex. But it was also painful to see them both not communicating to each other and making so many  mistakes. There is enough angst in here to fill a swimming pool and at times it made me want to pull out my hair or smack the hell out of these two. Logan for continually pushing Amanda away even though he loves her and Amanda for letting him. I generally liked Amanda, but dammit if the girl loved him half as much as she claimed to, then she should have fought harder for him.

Cover Reveal: Ravage Me (Ravage MC #1) by Ryan Michele

After spending the last two years stuck behind bars for a crime she didn’t commit, Harlow ‘Princess’ Gavelson’s time inside has finally come to an end, and she’s ready for revenge. Unfortunately, being the daughter to the Vice President of the Ravage Motorcycle Club cuts into her plans, as orders must be followed. Trying to settle back into this life is proving difficult when the tables are turned and the woman who framed her is out for blood. Lucky for Princess, growing up in a MC has taught her how to hold her own.

Book Review: My Beautiful (Lifeless #2) by J.M. La Rocca

So... 2 mob stories in one week for me! This is so not my norm, but damn I enjoyed them.B ook one, Lifeless, ended with a cliffhanger and this books picks up eight months later. Kade and Scarlett have not seen each other since that lat night in Atlanta 8 month ago. During that time, Scarlett has tried to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart and move on with her life. Meanwhile, Kade has been pretending to be interested in his uncle's mob empire in hopes of finding a way out. When their paths cross again, will he be able to push Scarlett away once more?

Finally Kade and Scarlett are thrown back together and I was glued to my Kindle to see how this would play out. What I really enjoyed about in My Beautiful is that the "misunderstanding" between them is not long and drawn out or overfilled with angst. No, they got to the point and move forward and that was refreshing. The mob aspect adds a layer of suspense and I found myself genuinely intrigued by what would happen next. There is a pretty big twist in here somewhere and it totally caught me off guard. Usually I can somewhat see it coming, but not this time. It left me proud of some characters and incredibly disappointed in others but it all fit perfectly into this story. I would have liked to see a bigger glimpse into their future in the epilogue, but I found this to be a very satisfying conclusion to Kade's and Scarlett's story.

Book Review: Vendetta by Autumn Karr & Sienna Lane

Wow. This book. Just, wow. I'm not really one for mob related stories and if I had known that this book was that ahead of time I might not have read it. And that would have been a damn shame because I thought it was awesome. Vendetta is a modern day Romeo & Juliette set in the middle of a mob war in Boston. Teenagers Devon and Leighton are both mob children, but from opposing families. They have danced around each other for years, each very much aware of the other but keeping their distance. Now circumstances have thrown them together. It is obvious that there is a strong attraction there but they also hate eahc other. Or so they keep telling themselves.

The authors did a great job of reeling you into their story and just when you think you have these two figured out - BAM - major twist! I did not see this first twist coming and I swear I had to shake my head in order to clear it and make sense of what I learned. But there are several twists in this story that are all very well done and frankly shocked me.

Vendetta is filled with suspense, lust and sex, twists and turns and also a passionate but sad love story. I cried, I was on edge and 100% devoted to these two characters. I was so terrified of what would become of Devon and Leighton since R & J's story didn't end so well. This book has received mixed reviews, but I loved it with its perfect blend of sex and suspense. I definitely feel it is worth taking a risk on.

Cover Reveal: Worth the Chance (MMA Fighter #2) by Vi Keeland

Meet Liv Michaels
It may have been seven years, but I’d know him anywhere. Sure, he’s grown, filled out in all the right places, but his captivating blue eyes and cocky grin are exactly the way I remember. Even though I’d much rather forget.

Liv Michaels is almost there. She’s smart, determined and weeks away from landing the job she’s dreamed about for years. Time healed old wounds, even her broken heart from the devastation of being crushed by her first love.

Cover Reveal: Goodbye Girl by Scarlett Metal

Chapter One from Spin (Songs of Corruption #1) by C.D. Reiss

C.D. Reiss's Songs of Submission series was my favorite series of 2013. Heck, it is my favorite series of all time! So I was a little bit sad when Jonathan's and Monica's story came to an end. Thankfully, there is more coming from this amazing author in 2014. Her upcoming Songs of Corruption series will tell the story of one of Jonathan's sisters, Theresa Drazen, and Antonio Spinelli. Earlier this week, C.D. sent out the completed first chapter of book one, Spin, to her mailing list and some bloggers. For those of you not on that list (and why the hell aren't you?), I'm thrilled to be able to let you read the entire first chapter right here on A Lust For Reading. I read it as soon as I received it and now I am even more excited for this release. The story has already sucked me in and I cannot wait for more! Without further ado, scroll down for chapter one...

Marianna's Most Wanted Books for 2014

With my 4 boys home from school for the past 12 days (yes I am counting), I didn't get around to putting together a best of 2013 list. Shame on me. So I figured I would start off 2014 with my most wanted list, which are the books that I can't wait to be released this year. I have a feeling this list will change once I finally read Night Owl by M. Pierce, but for now here it is.