Extreme Honor by Piper J. Drake

The Basics:
Extreme Honor by Piper J. Drake
Book One in the True Heroes series
Forever
Romantic Suspense
Published January 26, 2016
Source: Received Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo Goodreads

Why I picked up this book:

I was intrigued by the cover, and the role of dog rehabilitation in the story.

Christmas in October: A Bad Boy for Christmas by Jessica Lemmon

Happy Christmas in October!

This is my last Christmas in October book review! It's been great fun reading this set of five Christmas-themed books, I have to say. I'm a huge fan of the holiday, and while I also quite enjoy Halloween (and books that might be considered Halloween-y), there's just something about Christmas books that I find particularly delightful. 

Please, tell me about your favourite Christmas-themed books in the comments!

The Book:

Basics

A Bad Boy for Christmas by Jessica Lemmon
Forever
Book 3 in the Second Chance series
Contemporary Romance
Published September 29, 2015
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo Goodreads

Blog Tour, Christmas in October: Snowbound at Christmas by Debbie Mason

Happy Christmas in October!

Christmas in October continues today with this blog tour stop!

Today I'm hosting a tour stop for Debbie Mason's Snowbound at Christmas. This is the fifth book in the Christmas Colorado series, from Forever. The cover and title made it an easy selection for Christmas in October! 

Check out the other stops on the tour at Tasty Book Tours.

The Basics:

Never Surrender to a Scoundrel by Lily Dalton

Forever
Book Three in the One Scandalous Season series
Historical Romance
Published January 27, 2015
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo Goodreads

Why I picked up this book:

Something about the cover told me I needed

Bringing Home the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon

The Basics:

Bringing the Bad Boy Home by Jessica Lemmon

Forever
Book One in the Second Chance series
Contemporary Romance
Published January 27, 2015
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo Goodreads

Why I picked up this book:

There have been quite a few tattooed/tattoo artist bad boy contemporary romances showing up on my feeds lately and I have a hard time resisting them. Plus, the guy on the cover? Man oh man... I had to 'bring him home.' 

Blitz: Blind Faith by Rebecca Zanetti

In May of 2014, I wrote a 4-star review for Blind Faith by Rebecca Zanetti. 

The publisher is now releasing a mass market edition of the book, and I wanted to participate in the blitz day for it. This is a really good action-romance novel from Forever. If you like covert operations, genetically superior men and steamy sex scenes, I think Blind Faith deserves a spot on your bookshelf!

Inside Out by Lia Riley

The Basics:
Inside Out by Lia Riley
Forever
Book Three in the Off the Map series
New Adult
Published December 2, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo

Why I picked up this book:

I loved the first book in the series (review here) and the second book in the series (review here) and needed to know how it all ended.

Made for You by Lauren Layne

The Basics:
Made for You by Lauren Layne

Forever

Book Two in The Best Mistake series

Contemporary Romance

Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Published October 28, 2014
Amazon Kobo


Why I picked up this book:



I'm a Lauren Layne fan.

Sideswiped by Lia Riley

The Basics:
Sideswiped by Lia Riley
Forever
Book Two in the Off the Map series
New Adult
Published October 7, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo

Why I picked up this book:

I loved the first book in the series (review here) and was very excited to see what happened in the next chapter of Talia and Bran's story.

Slow Satisfaction by Cecilia Tan

The Basics:
Slow Satisfaction by Cecilia Tan
Forever
Book Three in the Struck by Lightning trilogy
Erotica, Romance
Published August 26, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I was looking for erotica to read, and was curious about how this trilogy ended.

Upside Down by Lia Riley

The Basics:
Upside Down by Lia Riley
Forever
Book One in the Off The Map series
New Adult
Published August 5, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

Blurb made it sound like a solid New Adult title, and I was on an Australia-set mini-binge.

Only With You by Lauren Layne

The Basics:
Only With You by Lauren Layne
Forever
Book One in the Best Mistake series
Contemporary Romance
Published July 29, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I like Lauren Layne books.

The Millionaire Affair by Jessica Lemmon

The Basics:
The Millionaire Affair by Jessica Lemmon
Forever
Book Three in the Love in the Balance series
Romance
Published June 24, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I like the live-in nanny falls for employer trope. *shrugs*

Blind Faith by Rebecca Zanetti

The Basics:
Blind Faith by Rebecca Zanetti 
Forever
Book Three of the Sin Brothers series
Romance
Published May 6, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

Betrayed badass forced to turn to a woman he doesn't trust for help?  Yes!

Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine

The Basics:
Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine
Forever
Book One of the Finding Fate series
New Adult, Romance
Published March 4, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:
I liked the connection between Pixie and Levi that was suggested in the blurb. Particularly Levi's desire to protect Pixie and his need for her.

Passionately Yours by Cara Elliott

The Basics:
Passionately Yours by Cara Elliott
Forever
Book Three in The Hellions of High Street series
Historical Romance
Published Mar 4, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I actually loved the cover - it felt very spring-like and I really need a good dose of spring right now. Also, I love headstrong, opinionated historical romance heroines.

Sun God Seeks... Surrogate? by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

The Basics:
Sun God Seeks... Surrogate? by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Forever
Book Three in the Accidentally Yours series
Romance
Published February 25, 2014 (?)
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

This book sounded fun - the idea of a god being manipulated by his sister into, essentially, falling in love, and having to rethink his views on a few things sounded... fun?

Slow Seduction by Cecilia Tan

The Basics:
Slow Seduction by Cecilia Tan
Forever
Book Two in the Struck by Lightning series
Erotica
Published Jan 28, 2014
Amazon.ca Kobo.com


Why I picked up this book:

I liked that Karina, in the blurb, is actively going after what she wants - agency!

This Man Trilogy by Jodi Ellen Malpas

The Basics:
This Man Trilogy by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Forever
Erotica
Published starting June 18, 2013 (amazon.ca date for Kindle edition)

I purchased these books.

Basic Plot (my own words):

Ava O'Shea is a young interior designer making it big. She's personally requested by the owner of The Manor - Jesse Ward - to take care of some decorating for him. Only she doesn't understand the purpose of The Manor, he's determined to have her, and there's a whole bunch of secrets floating around....

As the two come together, break apart and then come together again, Jesse must confess about his past and their present and Ava has to decide if this complicated, sexual man is worth all the trouble.

Why I picked it up:

These books seem to be all over the place if you're looking for erotica to read. I bought the first two on sale after reading some pretty good reviews, and hoped for the best.

My Thoughts:

*sigh*

So the first one wasn't great, but there were some pros.  This series features some reasonably hot sex scenes, which, of course, is important for erotica. There's some variety, some kink, and I think it was pretty satisfying on that front (certainly it was for the Ava and Jesse!)

There's some interesting plot ideas here - we've got a woman who works with Jesse who is determined to usurp Ava's position in his life, there's a rival titan of industry who wants revenge on Jesse, there's layers of secrets for Ava to unravel....  

My problem? Jesse. He's beyond controlling to manipulative, and it made me hugely uncomfortable. The labelling of their sexual encounters as "retribution", "sense" or "reminder" and so on really drove me up the wall. Sex became a weapon between them rather than something more profound or simply passion. I found it hard to see it as creating a connection between Ava and Jesse when it was always about teaching a lesson. Even if I viewed the lesson-teaching as play between them, it still made me uncomfortable because it was a game that was *always* on.  

Meanwhile, the driving plot point of the third book, for which Jesse is responsible, was also really frustrating. I felt like it was a real violation of Ava, and that it was really the cherry on top of how manipulative Jesse was.

Now, Ava's not really a prize. She was pretty immature and I think if she'd been more capable of making a decision and sticking to it AND of sticking up for herself - then these books might have been quite a bit different and perhaps more enjoyable. But because she waffles, and doesn't hold Jesse to any kind of reasonable behaviour....  

The Bottom Line:

This trilogy is really popular - I think if you're a fan of Fifty Shades, you might like it. Unfortunately, it just did not do it for me, and though I held out through the third book hoping for a climactic turn around.... Not so much.

I cannot recommend the series, but I acknowledge that your experience with them could be vastly different.

2 stars
For fans of Fifty Shades, erotica featuring control, manipulative men.