[Review] Rome by Jay Crownover [18+ Contemporary]

Rome
Marked Men # 3 | Goodreads
See my reviews of the previous 2 books
Rule (book 1) | Jet (book 2)

Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray.Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . .

Review

I was so excited about reading Rome's story that I skipped Jet after reading Rule. What? I tried to read it, but my eyes kept wandering to my bookshelf where Rome was starting at me going... "Hey Girl. I'm a sexy wounded hero. READ MEH!" And who am I to say no to that. So I read it. And I loved it. (: 

I fell a little bit in like with Rome when I read his brother's book. I mean, where Rule was a petulant, insensitive asshole, his brother, Rome was understanding, levelheaded, and a big teddy bear protector of his entire family. That appealed to me more than his brother's horn- dogging and drunk for no reason ways. Don't get me wrong, I loved Shaw in book 1 and Rule was okay. I want to give the author props for being able to write such an incredibly and horrible flawed character on purpose. And then turn around and write another character so fundamentally different from him. (I did want to punch Rule in the face in this book for being such a hypocrite to Rome, though. I mean, in this book Rule is all, be a great guy and be perfect. I was rolling my eyes, saying, yeah because you weren't a completely unlikable person 2 books ago. Rome is just going through a rough patch. He has a reason to drink himself to sleep. You were just a dick. *Shrug* Sorry, I have not written a review for Rule yet, so I have a little bit of residual opinion from that book still in me... I shall focus on Rome now.)

I also really liked Cora from the first book and her crazy, caring ways. I found it interesting that both Rome and Cora had those protective tendencies towards their close- knit group of friends and was fascinated to see how they would mix. I liked that they are sort of the.. I don't know.. figurative big brother and big sister of the group. 

Well, this book takes place a bit after Rule's story, so there is a lot that has happened to Rome since then and he was not the snuggly understanding man I met in book one. But that man was under there somewhere and I enjoyed watching Cora find him. No, their love story is not perfect. No love story is perfect. It was paved with disasters, misunderstandings, and hot sex. Oh, wait. That's not a bad thing... (: Anyways, I loved the conflict and drama in this book. 

And omg, Rome was such a sweetheart. Where Rule and Shaw's story was [Rule trying not to be such a Dick and managing to somewhat do that every now and then, then Shaw being OMG yay!] Rome and Cora's story was about Rome and Cora finding out that there is no such thing as perfect, but there may be something just as better. And in this one Rome and Cora are great and talk things through and it is just a sweet love story (with hot sex) with the moments where the couple has real and understandable hiccups and disasters due to Rome's PTSD and Cora's past. Neither of the two main characters were complete idiots. They each had their own shit to get through and they each worked at it and tried to get through it independently of each other and with each others help. It was a splendid story with flawed, imperfect characters who were realistic and made the story work. 

Would definitely recommend to adult contemporary lovers. 

[3 Reviews] Coursodon Dimension Series [Special Attractions Tour + Giveaway] 18+

Paranormal Romance/Fantasy/ Urban Fantasy 

(18+; There is some adult language and sexual situations) 

Yay for adult language and sexual situations. ;) 

Special Offers
Coursodon Dimension #1 | Goodreads

Hailey Parrish is quick-witted, irreverent, and hasn’t had a date in three years. She only wanted an eBook reader because her collection of paperbacks threatened to take over her small living space. Little did she know that the "special offers" that prompted the purchase included much more than a reduced price in exchange for a few ads. The device came pre-loaded with the essence of Sebastian Kess, an erudite womanizer with magical abilities from a parallel dimension. When she inadvertently releases him and he inhabits her body, she finally has a man inside her, just not in the way she imagined. And soon her predicament introduces her to yet another supernatural, the handsome could-be-the-man-of-her-dreams Alex Sunderland. Can Alex and Hailey find a way to return Sebastian to his own body, stay one step ahead of the criminals who want to keep him where he is, and not lose their sense of humor?

Review

Okay, may I just say that the author did a phenomenal job creating characters that contain flaws, but are still able to make you love them nonetheless? I adored Hailey, Sebastian, and Alex. 

Sebastian was thoroughly entertaining and I know the book would not have been the same without his commentary and holier than thou attitude. I love that, even as a character inhabiting Hailey's body, he still manages to grow and change for the better as a character. Also, he is charming and funny. Hehe. And a bit of a devil. Oh, Sebastian, you flirt, you. ;) 

Hailey was a complete doll. I loved reading the book from her POV. Her voice was original and refreshing and funny. I love the underlying sarcasm and attitude in which she tackles problems. I was highlighting the best ones from her and Sebastian like crazy. Those two just won me over completely with their wit and humor. And it was not overdone like in a few of the popular urban fantasy series I have encountered. Very nicely done. Hailey is also a very down to earth girl who we can all relate with. She is a bit of a dork, but she has good friends and is very realistic about the obstacles she has to overcome. Like I said, I adored her. 

Alex was a great character as well. (: He was more low key with the wit and humor, but it is there and he was just precious. He was sweet, thoughtful, and sexy. I did not get a deeper connection to him as I did with the other two characters, but I have an explanation for that. As a reader, I was inside Hailey's head in her first person POV. And since Sebastian was "inhabiting" Hailey, I got a front row seat to his emotions as Hailey experienced them. So it's not really Alex's fault that I failed to connect to him as well as I did with the other characters. He was still darling and I DID connect with him. (: Maybe I will get more in- depth knowledge in book 2! Which I am so excited to read. Especially after the ending for this book. I love books that have new ideas or problems introduced leading into the next book or next few books. 

The villain was pretty pretty tame as villains go. I mean, I have encountered some hard core crazy- a## bad guys in books. This guy.. meh. (: I mean, he wasn't a pansy or anything. 

The gore level  is basically low. Well, not counting that one part. (:  The romance is adult (yaaay! sex! lol) so if you do not read books with adult content, then you are really missing out. Er. I mean, then you should probably opt out. ;)  

I loved the characters, I loved the premise, I loved the alternative universe that was just touched on in this book. (Book two, perhaps?) I also loved quirky banter established between the characters. Oh, and I loved the ending! I felt that as far as the story went, the bad guy was sub par, but there is always book 2! The descriptions got a little bit confusing in a few small parts, but that may just be me. This book was pretty awesome. That coupled with the awesome ending has me my hopes pretty high for the second book!

4.4/5

Special Rewards

Goodreads | Coursodon Dimension #2

What would you do if you discovered there was a parallel dimension?

Hailey Parrish used to be an average, everyday human. Boring, in fact. After being possessed by Sebastian Kess, a magically inclined enforcer from the parallel dimension Coursodon, her life took a decidedly less mundane turn. Besides coming to grips with the existence of supernatural beings, she risked her life helping Sebastian and her heart falling for his protégé, Alex Sunderland. Now, Hailey has to deal with the bit of arcane power that Sebastian left behind when he returned to his own body and try to stay out of the crossfire when an unknown assailant seeks revenge against Alex.

Review

I love how the progression of the characters and their relationships is handled throughout the progression of this series. The romance is adult and awesome without moving too fast. It is very realistic. Well... if you don't count the alternate dimensions and the powers. (: 

I still adore Hailey and I have so many quirky, snarky, and inappropriate quotes highlighted in this book as well as in the previous one. She is just so fun and realistic. She deals with her unease and embarrassment the same way I do- by cracking jokes. I guess that is why I love her so dang much. Oh, and I also have a cussing problem. I am not a cat person, though. I am team dog all the way... but that's off topic. Ooh, and I loved getting more information on Alex in this book. I feel a great deal more connection with him in this book and I am so happy. He is sweet and protective, but has his ass-hat moments (I am glad, too. If not, he would have been too awesome) Hehe. I love him joking and the way he fits with Hailey's dorky personality and makes lame jokes along with her. He was awesome! And hot... (:  

Sebastard (I adore her mean nickname for him) is just as awesome in this book as the last one. I am not sure if I prefer him in Hailey's head constantly nagging her or if I like him in real form with his sexy smirk. He is such a proper, uppity, neat freak. But he is also a pervert. A hilarious combination, if you ask me. 

The alternate dimension was awesome! I am not going to even try to pronounce all the crazy names of people and places. I got to meet a lot more characters and got to see strange and.. um.. different sides of characters I already knew. ;)

I love the main theme in this book and enjoyed the suspense and intrigue in the second novel far more than in book one. I loved everything about this book. 

The villain was crazy, but nothing too major. I felt like I could have used a little bit more. I dunno.. villainy? Is that a word. The act of villain..ing? haha. Nevermind. Why can't villain be a verb. To villian: to wreak and or cause havoc or harm to the protagonists in an awesome book. Bam. Webster that mother. 

ANYWAYS, The characters, the villain, the suspense were all entertaining and well done. I am eager to read book three. It sounds like it is going to blow the first two out of the water. I hope I am not getting my hopes up too high. If nothing else, I know I will love my characters! :D 

Loved it. 

4.6/5

Special Attractions
Coursodon Dimension #3 | Goodreads | Amazon | Smashwords | Createspace

The weirdness continues….

Thanks to a magical transplant from an inter-dimensional enforcer, Hailey Parrish can transform into a hawk. When someone begins dismembering hikers along the Appalachian Trail, the enforcers make use of her feathery talents to catch the killer. Unfortunately, like most things in Hailey’s life, there is nothing ordinary about the assignment. Their target turns out to be maddeningly elusive, they rescue a stray dog that makes a sewage treatment plant seem pleasantly fragrant, and stopping the murders turns out to be the least of their worries.

Special Attraction, the third book in the Coursodon Dimension series, combines paranormal romance, urban fantasy, a bit of science fiction and a healthy dose of quirky humor.

Review

I love how these books continue to grow and change book by book, slowly expanding the world in the individual segment. (: Each book is set in different places, so you don't get too bored "sitting" in one place. 

Also, I love how, true to the form of a good urban fantasy, there is a new story or conflict in every book that needs resolving. This was, by far, my favorite plot of the three. I can only assume I will love the individual story-lines even more as the series progresses. 

Hailey and Sebastard are back to their snarking and I still adore their banter and constant arguing. They are like brother and sister fighting all the time. 

Alex and Hailey are still a sweet couple who talk things through. I love that the personalities of all three characters have rubbed off on one another, especially their senses of humor. That makes for a very entertaining read. But again, neither the snark nor the romance are too heavy. I love love love love love that this series has a progression of the romance and it is not insta-love *gags*. This book takes place a few months after the series starts and I am really enjoying the pace.

I am a bit disappointed that I got to go on a reading binge with these three books and have to wait for the next book to come out. It hardly seems fair. 

The villains. *grins* As you can probably tell from the blurb for this book, there is a murder/ serial killer chopping people up and leaving little pieces behind. Um, yeah, this dude is a major step up from the previous villains. 
Maybe I just crave a little bit of psycho in my suspense novels (okay, there is no maybe about it. I'm sick. ) 

I am a huge fan of suspense novels and Urban fantasy, so I loved the whols "catch the serial killer" aspect of the story. I enjoyed this book immensely and eagerly await the fourth book in the series. (: 

4.8/5

M.L. Ryan

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M.L. Ryan is a professional woman - which is not to say that she gave up her amateur status, but rather that she is over-educated with a job that reflects her one-time reluctance to leave school and get "real" work – and she spends a lot of time in that profession reading highly technical material.

She has many stories rolling around in her head, and she finally decided to write some of them. She prefers literature that isn’t saddled with excruciating symbolism, ponderous dialogue or worldly implications. She also doesn’t like plots so reliant on love at first sight that it makes her feel like her head might implode.

She lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband and teenage son, four cats, two dogs and an adopted desert tortoise.

Series Review Recap

Okay, so the snark and romance were amazing. The concepts and story- lines were cool as hell. The suspense was good, the villains were okay, but they seem to be getting better and better. But that is saying a lot, because I hold my suspense novels to very high standards. All in all? I would recommend this series to animal lovers, snark- lovers, fans of slow- romance, Urban fantasy lovers, 18+ peoples (because of the sexy *wink, wink*), and fans of inter- dimensional travel (haha. didn't see that one coming, did you?).

While the pacing and characters are marvelous, the villains seem to go down just a little too easy. I could use some bigger, badder baddies. That was really my only problem. Oh! And all the Coursodon words, phrases, and names were a little much at times. I mean, I enjoyed then and they were super creative and cool, but I found myself skipping over them when I saw them after a while, as opposed to being fascinated with them and trying to figure them out when the series started. I think the second book may have given me a little bit of an overdose on the Coursodon..ness. (: But seriously, though. Loved the series and I told Tiffany she just HAS to read it. 

overall series rating?

4.8/5

Giveaway 

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His Wicked Dream [Promo + Giveaways]

His Wicked Dream

Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo

Haunted by scandal, Eden Mallory is determined to start over in a small Kentucky town. But she won't soon forget the sexy, rugged doctor who rescued her from an outlaw, then rode off into the storm. 

After losing his kid-brother to consumption, Dr. Michael Jones is obsessed with saving lives. He has no room for love or a wife. But the nights are lonely, and Eden haunts his dreams. 

When Eden becomes his backdoor neighbor, she turns his world upside-down with her unconventional healing skills and sweet temptations. Then outlaws return, forcing Michael to confront his past if he is to save the most precious life of all. 

Excerpt

The Kiss 

In that moment, Michael was lost. He couldn't help himself. 

He drove Eden’s spine into the wall, and she squirmed, her nipples hardening like pebbles against his chest. He reveled in the way she clutched his shoulders, in the way she gasped his name. He'd wanted to prove he was a bastard with this kiss, and so he had, but he hadn't expected her to respond like a prairie fire in the wind. He hadn't expected the pretty little maid to explode into the siren from his dreams. 

That she was yet an innocent, he had no doubt, for her caress was a tentative one, sliding along his spine, hovering uncertainly above his buttocks. But the fact that this blushing woman-child would stroke him below the belt fanned his fever to a maddening pitch. To hell with the fantasy, he wanted Eden. Eden. And nothing less than this paradise-in-the-flesh would do.

He swung her toward the settee, his mouth feasting greedily on hers. He was intent on filling his lap with her, on gripping those coltish hips between his thighs and liberating those straining nipples from their buttons and whalebone. Had he been given five minutes more, just five minutes come hell or high water, he would have had her stripped to her stockings and writhing in wanton delight. 

Unfortunately, God chose that moment to answer his prayer.

"Michael," Sera called, "for heaven's sake, didn't you hear the doorbell ringing loud enough to wake the—"

Her voice trailed to a gasp. Michael spun, his face burning hotter than his loins. There on the threshold stood his bug-eyed kid sister with a rain-drenched, but equally slack-jawed 11-year-old Jamie.

Abruptly, Michael released Eden. She staggered, and he had to grab her again so she wouldn't topple over the arm of the couch. Sera's grin broadened. Michael ground his teeth. In that moment, he didn't know whom he'd like to kick harder, his sister or himself.

"Jamie, what's wrong?" he demanded, turning his back on the red-faced Eden, who stood so delightfully disheveled and kiss-dazed. He was annoyed to find his breathing so ragged.

The boy looked past him, blinked suspiciously at Eden, then said, "I didn't know you had company."

"Nevermind that," Michael snapped. "What's wrong?"

"I declare, Michael." Sera snickered. "There's no cause for you to take your embarrassment out on—"

"Is it private, Jamie?" he interrupted, tossing his sister a daggerlike glance. "Man business?"

The boy nodded hurriedly.

"Very well. I'll get my medical valise."

"Man business indeed," Sera taunted as he swept past her.

He ground his teeth.  He wanted to wring her neck. 

But he wanted to flee the scene of his crime even more.

Adrienne DeWoolfe

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Twitter (fantasy fiction | Twitter (Writing News)

Adrienne deWolfe is a #1 best-selling author and the recipient of 48 writing awards, including the Best Historical Romance of the Year for Texas Wildcat (Book 3, Wild Texas Nights) and Doubleday’s Book of the Month Selection for His Wicked Dream (Book 2, Velvet Lies.) Adrienne is excited to announce that she will be donating a portion of her royalties from the Velvet Lies Series to urban reforestation efforts.

Fascinated by all things mystical, Adrienne writes a weekly blog about dragons, magic, and the paranormal at http://MagicMayhemBlog.com to help her research her upcoming paranormal romance series. She also writes a weekly blog featuring tips about the business of writing at http://WritingNovelsThatSell.com. She enjoys mentoring aspiring authors and offers professional story critiques with her book coaching services.

Giveaway

Via the Rafflecopter LINK, below, Adrienne will be awarding a $20 Amazon Gift Card to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour, a $15 Amazon Gift Card to another randomly drawn commenter during the tour, a TIN-STARS AND TROUBLEMAKERS (4 full-length ebooks in a box set by best-selling Western Historical Romance authors Adrienne deWolfe, Patricia Rice, Sharon Ihle, and Patricia Hagan) will be awarded to one randomly commenter during the tour, another randomly drawn commenter will win the best-selling WILD TEXAS NIGHTS series by Adrienne deWolfe (3 books, total) during the tour, and last but not least, the award-winning VELVET LIES series by Adrienne deWolfe (ebooks 1-3) will be awarded to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

So follow the tour stops here and don't forget to comment, comment, comment! (: Good luck, my minions.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

January 20: It's Raining Books

January 21: Rose Wynters

January 21: Buried Under Romance

January 22: Books to Light Your Fire

January 22: Welcome to My World of Dreams 

January 23: Susana's Parlour

January 24: Christine Elaine Black

January 24: Long and Short Reviews 

January 27: Book- Marks The Spot

January 27: Charlene Raddon's Chatterblog

January 28: Book 'Em North Carolina

January 29: Danita Minnis

January 29: Straight from the Library

January 30: Dalene's Book Reviews

January 31: Punya Reviews...

January 31: Reviews By Molly

 

{Review} Bad Kitty (Southern Shifters #1) by Eliza Gayle

If you think you've lost everything. Think again.

Kitty lost her father, her home and her clan. Clinging to what's left of her pride, she's forced into the neutral zone, the supposed safe haven for half-breeds and outcasts. An attack forces her to the wrong side of the treaty line and into an even more dangerous situation. Determined to greet death with the last of her dignity, she is suddenly rescued by a tall, gorgeous...wolf???

As the next alpha leader of his pack, Rafe Comyn has more than enough to handle with pack politics and precarious treaties. The last thing he needs is a pissed off feline landing in his lap, especially when her scent triggers his overwhelming drive to mate. While the daughter of a former rival is quite a conquest, she's both forbidden and dangerous.

But as the heat of desire threatens to consume them, their differences escalate and Rafe must keep his own pack from killing the one woman he can't live without.

Amazon׀ B&N

 

I received this from Netgalley via Gypsy Ink Books for my honest review

Bad Kitty is the first book that I’ve read by Eliza Gayle and I can’t wait to read more. The world she created is unique and very thought out. There are boundaries for the wolf and cougar clans. Then there is the neutral zone, where the half-breeds live and where the exiled live. And the Neutral zone is where Kitty finds herself exiled to. To bad she never steps in the front door of her new home. 

Rafe finds the panther shifter just in time, not that he wants any involvement with her. She is half dead and his pack mates were about to take advantage. He just couldn’t stand back and let it happen. Now he has her at his house and he knows instantly that he is in trouble. He can’t seem to leave her side. To bad that the ones that found her want her back.

Struggles will ensue and the best man will end up the victor.

What happens to Kitty is messed up. I don’t know what kind of trouble she made before she was exiled but no one should go through what she did. She just wanted to be accepted from what I could tell and the other girl shifters were jealous of her beauty. Bad Kitty was a really fast paced book that doesn’t slow in the action department. Something was always happening and I loved watching it all unfold. Kitty is special and it doesn’t really come to light until the end of the book. I was like No. Way. It’s flipping cool and I can’t wait for the next one.

Kitty: Sure she is a little self centered but from what I’ve read I’m surprised she is still alive. I mean seriously. Some men would have cracked with what she had to go through. I can’t even imagine. She didn’t have any friends so she flaunts her beauty around dying for attention. And there are some people who don’t take kindly to her flirting with their men.

Rafe: He is an Alpha in training and doesn’t want anything to jeopardize that. So he is a little hesitant with his feelings towards Kitty…well because she is a panther shifter. He thinks the pack will not accept him as an alpha if he is with her, but can’t seem to stay away from her. Other than that I think he was a pretty great guy. Pretty swoon worthy. He knows how to handle himself. *wink*

Overall: A fast and enjoyable read that will leave you thirsting for more.

4 Stars!

About this author

After growing up in the South and dividing my time between Florida and North Carolina, I decided that 2012 would be my year for change. I rented out my house on the East Coast and convinced my family to join me for a wacky trip across the country. Now I write my romance books from a small island in the Pacific Northwest while contemplating our next home renovation project on the fixer upper we bought.

When not writing, I'm likely to be found with my nose in a book or sitting in a darkened theater watching the latest blockbuster movie. Unless it's not raining, then I guarantee I'll be outside soaking up the sun or exploring one of the many nearby forests.

If you'd like to check out one or more of my books, I'd be tickled pink. I primarily write paranormal shifters and contemporary romance with BDSM elements. I dig reading and writing series, so you'll also find I have several. It's an addiction.

I love getting feedback so I look forward to any and all honest reviews as well as recommendations for good books. I am always on the hunt for a new favorite book.

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