Blog Ponderings......

Foxylutely Mantra of the Day

COVER REVEAL!!!

 Into the Deep by Samantha Young

Due out in ebook AND paperback

Release date is 20th August 2013

Live young. Live hard. Love deep.

Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.

Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.

As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.

And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…

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About the Author

Samantha Young is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She's been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestselling novel ON DUBLIN STREET. For more info on Samantha's adult fiction visit http://www.ondublinstreet.com

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What's coming up at Foxylutely in the next 7 days?

Well I have something to divulge next Monday - hint hint - 

*cough* Samantha Young *cough* so please check back so you don't miss out!

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A new but amazing talent - Jessica Hawkins - has her 2nd book in The Cityscape series due out shortly. I've had the pleasure to read and review both books in the series - Come Undone and Come Alive so I shall divulge all next week, along with an exclusive interview with Jessica!

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The fantastic Kerry Taylor will also be dropping by the blog to give an exclusive interview and some fab-u-lous giveaways. Watch this space!

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I will be posting my review of the spectacular book - Cold by Brandon Shire. This author is one of my ultimate faves - if you have not read any of his books you MUST check out the Afflicted series and Listening to Dust. 

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Plus I will be updating much more HOTNESS to the Lush List here on Foxylutely BR and if you have any to add please let me know - it could earn you a prize such as an eBook of your choice.

Remember - MIMO - Miss it, Miss Out!

xMx

Eyes Wide Open - Raine Miller

Eyes Wide Open - Raine Miller

Rating = 4 stars

Erotica

Finally we get to catch up in the third book of The Blackstone Affair series. I must admit I had to go back and read the previous book to recall what had gone on. It was nice to be back in the luscious arms of Ethan Blackstone again (I wish!) with his twinkling eyes and his goatee beard. He is one of the top book boyfriends of all time.

This third instalment takes off right after the bomb scare in London when Ethan whisks Brynne off to his sister’s country mansion to recover but also where they find out some whopping news! What a curveball that was for the insecure couple but could this be the making of them?

The book continues in the same vein as the previous two with the developing relationship of Ethan and Brynne, all wonderfully interwoven with the timing of the London Olympics. I would have loved to have had more written about this and also Ethan’s cousin who was competing. What we got though was page after page of the sexy interludes of the couple which I must say got a little repetitive for my liking. I felt there needed a little more of the back story of the hidden threat to Brynne’s life in relation to the senator over in the US. This came near to the end which had me panicking that we wouldn't have enough time to fit it all in and it therefore felt a little rushed. Oh and I guessed who “done it” way before the big reveal – just call me Poirot but it was obvious to me. It made me a little sad as I was routing for that guy and wanted him to have a HEA too. It’s still a mystery as to what really happened there too.

But saying all that I still loved this book and adored Ethan and his filthy mouth. I liked all the English slang and sayings as I tend to say more Americanisms after reading mostly books based in the US so it was nice to have some “home turf” sayings. I would have liked to have gotten more of a story into Ethan’s darkness due to his time in Special Forces in Afghanistan. I bet that would be a book in itself (hint, hint)

After reading this I felt I needed more and I was happy to hear a rumour that a fourth book is on the cards so this trilogy might become a quad…… four book series. I hope so as I think it warrants more. Who am I kidding – I just want more Ethan Blackstone, the sexy arse!

Looking for some hotness to while away a boring Monday? Well I can highly recommend this book by Kendall Grey - it is seriously Raw, Dirty and off the charts hotness. Oh and did I say it includes totally sexy rockers? Yes it does! Top read of last week for me. Review to follow but deffo a 5 star read people. Go get at it peeps! You will not regret it :D

Click the cover image to take you to Amazon.com

Sugar Daddy - Jon Bradbury

Rating = 3 stars

*Copy provided by author for an honest review.

This book was a trip down a different route for me and I liked the idea. It wasn't all hearts and flowers and there’s not exactly an HEA but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Simone White who is in between jobs and needy for money, is saved when her roommate suggests she joins the escort agency she works for to earn some serious cash. Simone is a little hesitant but finally agrees to do it and their first “assignment” is to attend a party for the wealthy. It’s here that Simone meets Will Marcus who has recently hit the big time when his book has been bought by the movie studio to turn into a screenplay.

Will becomes enchanted with Simone and after their first “date” he requests further escort time via the agency for only Simone. Neither of them are looking for a relationship so the arrangement suits them fine and both are getting what they want from it.

Although I did enjoy this book I did find it a little slow to start and was overly descriptive, as such we did not get to meet Will until nearly half the book was read but we learnt in rapt detail what everyone was wearing down to very minor details which were not really necessary. Some of the conversation felt stunted and didn't pick up a steady natural flow.

I was under the impression that this was an erotic book but it wasn't really, in fact there was only one part that this was touched on. For me this could have been a little more sensual and here we could have used more of the descriptive narrative that we were entertained with for the first half of the book.

However I liked the storyline and for a short read it kept me entertained for a couple of hours. 

Reckless - S C Stephens

Contemporary, m/f

read March 2013

Rating = 5+ stars!!

OMG I absolutely loved, loved, LOVED this book. I adored every itty bitty part of it. In fact this series is possibly the only one I can bring to mind where I have reread the books multiple times. I have read quite a few twice but this series totally rocks and kicks ass and drags me back to dip into time and time again. This third and final part of the series did not disappoint. It gave me everything I had been waiting and hoping for…and praying for…and begging for….it just WAS the ULTIMATE!

Kellan Kyle has had a huge impact on my life, no seriously he has. Even if it has been a few months since I read the previous books he would still pop into my head at the most random times for no apparent reason and I would be yearning for him again. He is one of, if not the most definitive character I have ever read. His strength of righteousness and his overriding love which he found with Keira was glorious to see. Yes he was kick ass and went for what he wanted but the gentle naivety that he tried to keep hidden just pulled you right in and wanting to totally protect him. Even now I am bereft that there is no more Kellan, I actually feel physical pain. Lordy me! I am HIS, spoilt for every other man – no-one could live up to Kellan!

And as for Keira? Well where do I start? I actually didn't really like her in the beginning; I really wanted to shake her! But over the three books you can see the clever way that S C Stephens has developed her. She started off a needy, angst driven little upstart but then at the end of the first book she began to see the errors of what she had done. In the second book she became more confident and mature and it was lovely to see her blossom. But again it’s the way it was written so wonderfully. In this final book she was the driving force of the relationship and so mature and utterly selfless  Everything she did, every decision she made was for Kellan. How she held herself back from the BITCH (I refuse to mention her name) who was just out to use Kellan for her own fame game – well I just know I would have had her in a headlock and shoved her head down a toilet if it had been me!

The first book (Thoughtless) was very angst driven and I was an emotional wreck when I read it – it still does now. The second book (Effortless) was more around Kellan and Keira learning to trust one another and yes there were still instants of “oh my god I can't turn the page…I can’t cry/laugh/sob/scream/rant anymore” but I did! This final book is Kellan and Keira against the World. I hate to say this as this term annoys the crap out of me but it really, really was an epic journey. But I for one was glad to be there for every step of their relationship.

The secondary characters were also absorbing and I just wanted to be on that tour bus, joking with Evan and Matt and laughing at Griffin. He really grew on me and the lovely scenes with Anna and Gibson – oh so sweet. Who knew the foul mouthed, crotch grabbing gigolo could change his life around (although he’s still foul mouthed and crotch grabbing haha)

Now for Denny, aww Denny. Mate. Sweetheart. Even now it brings a tear to my eye with the parts with him and Kellan. It just goes to prove that any impossible situation can be overcome. If not bettered. Beautifully done.

I really cannot praise this book enough and I just want to HUG the author so much. Yes who knew that the emotional wreck that I became reading this series would want me to want to do that but I ADORED this series. Absolutely, wholeheartedly and passionately LOVED it. I want to give it 10 stars! Why can I only give 5? Well I'm giving it 10 stars so there! Big neon signs pointing to *Recommend*. 

Heaven - Jet Mykles

Contgemporary, m/m

Read March 2013

Rating = 3 stars

My first read of a Jet Mykles book. Plenty of times recommended and plenty of times I waited. Anyway I finally succumbed and I'm sad to say I wasn't as blown away as I thought I should be.

I love m/m and I love rock bands so both together should have been 10 stars huh? Nope. That’s not to say I didn't enjoy it. I did. A bit.

Tyler is the manager of his father’s hotel and is opening a nightclub in it to bring in some much needed business. He hires the mega rock group Heaven Sent for the opening night. Enter Johnnie the horny hot bisexual lead singer, who has the hots for Tyler. Unfortunately Tyler is not gay but hey does that make any difference? What Johnnie wants – Johnnie gets.

When does No not mean No? I think that was the part that irked the pants out of me. And this whole “I'm not gay but you can do me anyway, even though I said no” is getting annoying to read.

Anyway saying all that I can’t say it didn't keep me entertained because yes it did. It was nicely written even if the storyline felt a little rushed in parts. However it was hot and steamy, Oh yes!

I will go on and read the next book if only to find out more about this band. Oh and Luc. He was a promise.

So maybe I was on a funk the day I read this but not a big wowie I was expecting but still enjoyable. 

The Rocker That Holds Me - Terri Anne Browning

Read March 2013

Contemporary, m/f

Rating = 5 + stars

This novella was a big surprise for me and amazingly brilliant! I had seen good reviews and how people wanted it to be longer, blah blah blah. But then having read the blurb I was a little “ick” and had therefore put off reading it. After a shove from a bookie pimp who knows my kink well, I decided to read the first page. I was there two hours later completely hooked.

The story centres on Ember and her four protectors who are in a band – Demons Wings. Ember is ten years younger than Nik, Jesse, Drake and Shane but they took her under their “Demon’s” wing from when she was seven and living in a trailer park with her drug addict mother. They take care of her after every beating her deadbeat mother gives her and make sure she is not left her to fend for herself. At that time the band was just getting set up but eventually made the big time. When Ember’s mother dies, she goes on the road with the band where she has been ever since. Skip forward a few years and Ember is now in her early twenties and taking care of the band’s every need – be that chucking out the skank women after a night of ...well you know what, to making sure that they made the stage each night.

Then Ember takes ill and the result is a shocker for them all.

My initial “ick” of Ember taking up with one of the band after they had kind of brought her up was quickly washed away and that was down to the way the author handled it. Brilliantly. I instantly fell for these guys and their lifestyle. They each, individually, had their own endearing quirks that just grabbed you. But for me it was Nik. Gorgeous lead singer but so whoa whoop-whoop!

A wonderful quick read that totally brightened up one gloomy Saturday morning for me. A complete package of passion and rawk! A serious contender for novella of the year. Definitely recommend you grab this little beauty and escape into the world of Demon’s Wing. Fab-u-lous!

Beautiful Bastard - Christiana Lauren

Contemporary. Erotic, m/f

Rating = 3 stars

Read Dec 2012

*ARC courtesy by Gallery Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

I was interested to read this book as I had been made aware that this was a fanfic of Twilight that had been reworked and edited. Firstly I need to point out there is no relevance to Twilight at all, I have never read The Office (the fanfic or any other for that matter) but this is not a book for YA. Nope. Not at all.

OK then on with the book that is Beautiful Bastard who is Bennett Ryan, who is the powerful executive in his family media business. Chloe Mills is the intern in her final months of her internship working directly under Bennett (in more ways than one!)

Bennett had returned from a long stint working in France. Chloe had been working for the Ryan firm for six years and had gained the respect and friendship of the Ryan family who had taken her under their wing. She in return totally respected them and was a hard working intern for them. Then for the last nine months she had been working for Bennett. This was not a good working relationship. In fact they despised each other. Why?

The first part just did not gel for me. There was not much plot and needed more “meat on the bones” of the story. What was the background of the main characters? Why did they hate each other so much? Then came the first sexual contact and from then on it was constant. In the office, on stairways of the building (bet Security loved that although no mention was made of the cameras – maybe Ryan’s building did not have cameras huh?) Then they were at it in the lingerie store (and nobody heard or saw them?)

I found the switching between POVs a tad frustrating too as I had to read the first paragraph before I could figure out whose thoughts they were.

I get that Bennett was only recently on the scene and that sparks had been flying almost since they had met. Yes hate is a close relation to love but seriously? What was the reason for the hate? Would Chloe jeopardise her position at the company and so close to her finishing her internship and also in view of her deep respect for the family? Why would they both want to have hot raunchy sex with each other when they couldn’t (allegedly) bear the sight of each other? I needed a lot more character development to be able to understand this.

I liked that Chloe was not a whiney ass female and that Bennett was a strong alpha male (he was The Boss! As he kept reminding us) I also liked the kink of the knicker/panty ripping – yes people do have strange fetishes and Bennett’s was taking panty souvenirs haha.

However I did like the storyline of last quarter of the book. It was a good HEA but no reason to link it with the earlier behaviours and why all of a sudden these changed. Maybe it was the bed – yes always best to try it out on a bed. Good relationship developments happen in beds!

Overall it was an OK read and I did enjoy it but with a little more story in the beginning it could have been much better.

Thank you to Gallery and Edelweiss for the ARC and the opportunity to read this before publication. 

Second Chances - T. A. Webb

M/M

Rating = Five + stars

WOW. This book just rocked my World. From the first page my heart was gripped, twisted, torn in two then it was caressed, appeased and filled with joy. It was like therapy. Words just cannot convey enough (well not as eloquently as Mr Webb can) of how beautiful this book really is.

It spans a decade in the life of Mark and covers the death of his mother, his love with his partner Brian and his extra special relationship with his best friend Antonio. That is a very high level description and does not give credence of it fully but it is the depth of feelings that are wonderfully written and take you on an eventful journey.

The book starts with the pain Mark goes through when his mother is dying and it is these scenes that made me a total wreck. It took me back to my own painful memory and I could feel everything that was being expressed. I was sat in that car with Mark saying the exact same things! Then the book moves on after her death and you think “Right no more tears, nothing can be worse than that episode, right?” Oh my god. Yes more was to come.

This book was much more than an m/m romance. Yes there were some hot scenes but to me this was more of a book about life, about living with pain, it was about lost and new loves. It was about acceptance and family. It was told from Mark’s POV and this was very articulate and took you through the book feeling as if you were him, from the depths of his despair to the highs of his finding joy. Oh and he had a cheeky side that had me cracking up and cackling like a hyena. He was so endearing and I wanted him to be real! The scenes with Brian were a total surprise as you were expecting to hate this guy who had cheated on Mark but I found myself wanting to hug him. And that was before the big twist was revealed. That just blew me away. More Kleenex please!

Now Antonio was something else and totally my kink with his tats and muscles. Yum. What I would have given to have a massage from him! I loved how he was so open with his feelings and was not some macho A-hole. If he needed to work out what was going on in his head – he went right on and acted on it. A joy to read. I could totally get how Mark and Antonio were with each other and how their relationship built. I loved how they were there for each other through the deaths, money troubles, nasty siblings/women and taking care of Antonio’s son, Jason.

I could go on and on in regards to every little aspect of the book but to do so would give the whole game away and I was glad nobody gave it away for me. I can only say if you don't read this book you will be missing out on a totally and utterly beautiful read. Yes it was emotional but it was one of the best books I have ever read. Tom Webb is a wonderful writer and is now firmly established on my “must read” list and this is not a very long list. So yes I thoroughly, resolutely and abso-frickin-lutely recommend this book. Oh and don't forget the tissues!