Beautiful Broken Promises by Kimberly Lauren

I must admit that I am fangirling on Kimberly Lauren right now. Every time she publishes a book I make sure I buy it and read it within 24 hours. I loved both of the previous novels to Beautiful Broken Promises and could not wait to see what Lane was hiding. I was not prepared for this story, so yes tears were shed but it still made my night.

I want to avoid giving too much away about the story because I enjoyed being surprised to discover the source of Lane's heartache. In Beautiful Broken Mess, Lane is portrayed as this giant who protects Aubrey, physically and emotionally. So when we discover that the reason he is so distant and secretive is because he feels like a failure for not protecting someone he loved we better understand the depths of his pain and his affection for his friend. He possessed a maturity that the other characters are lacking in the previous book but here we see that he is not infallible and he allows the weight of his burdens to hinder his good judgment. In spite of that, Lane is still the more systematic and calculating member of his new found family. Although there is a moment when Jaxon has the cooler head and gets Lane out of trouble that I found endearing.

Lane's story continues after Aubrey and Jace have had their baby. The novel moves away from the college romance and focuses on how this group is maturing and embracing adulthood. There is still a silliness to the story and some comic relief, largely thanks to my girl Emerson, who is now begging her husband for a family. The beginning of the story focuses on what Lane has lost, the extent to which he has gone to regain it, what happens when he finds it, and what he gains in his discovery. There is the road trip element in this story which I always enjoy because the characters are faced with new challenges in each setting. Lane travels from Texas, to Mexico, to California, then New York.

We get to meet Lane's parents and a new interest, Raegan. She is young, disoriented, naive and riddled with guilt and self-doubt. She is driven by a singular focus that Lane threatens. Facing this challenge, Lane and Raegan connect; he with her because she returns what he lost, and she with him because she is unwilling and unable to give up what has been hers to protect. Their union is built on sacrifice and compassion. At one point he tells her, "I wish I had found you sooner so I could love you longer." Kimberly Lauren weaves a beautiful love story for Lane, which he deserves.

Rusty Nailed (The Cocktail Series) by Alice Clayton

Ladies and Gentlemen...the Wallbanger is back. I was so pleased to receive my ARC for Rusty Nailed and even more pleased after I read how Simon Parker continues to rock Caroline's world...and bed. As much as I loathed having to wait for more of Simon and Caroline's wickedly exciting romance to fill my fantasies, I must admit that Rusty Nailed is definitely worth the wait and should be added to your summer reading list.

When I first introduced Wallbanger to my romance novel enthusiast friends I got the same reactions from all of them, they couldn't stop laughing at the antics of these people and Clive the cat. I think that is a testament to Alice Clayton's style, she celebrates the embarrassing and graceless moments that most people feel when in a new relationship. She glorifies the senseless but familiar interactions that we have with our friends. In Wallbanger, we laughed when Caroline and her friends jumped up and down on the bed and had a shouting match with Simon and his friends through the thin walls separating their apartments. In Rusty Nailed, we get to laugh at the disparate nuances of conversations between female friends and male friends: a woman can touch her belly and smile then both women start squealing about due dates, gender and names; a man says "dude" and his buddy responds with "dude" and it's as though an entire discourse has been exchanged.

What I love most about Rusty Nailed (besides the hot sex scenes) is that Caroline discovers more about Simon, how his past has shaped him and how he envisions their future. Both of their lives are shaken by change and while Caroline seems to want to run in the opposite direction, Simon surprises her by embracing and creating changes of his own. The renovations Simon is making to their home parallel the changes going in their relationship, it's not just hot sex and baked good anymore (although I must admit that I still muse over the detailed description of exactly how a man removes a woman's panties with just his teeth), Simon and Caroline are growing up in this book. Don’t think this means they are completely mature adults, that would bore me to tears. No, in this story they are moving forward and looking at what they want their relationship to be. 

One of the reasons Wallbanger is so appealing is how Alice Clayton writes her story as though the heroine is having a conversation with the reader. We are listening as Caroline narrates her story and that means we get her immediate reaction to the crazy that is her life, like watching her friend make out with a giraffe (you have to read it to understand it). Rusty Nailed continues in this same style and we are back to chatting up our favorite girlfriend, Caroline. We are listening to her boyfriend woes, work troubles, and friend drama coupled with the locker room talk about her amazing sex life, specifically how Simon truly knows how to use the “P-word”. I will let that marinate on your tongue and finish with this: Read Rusty Nailed. 

Consumed (The Devoured Series Book 2.0) by Emily Snow

Disregard all of the entanglements that kept this book from the public eye for far too long and just let the conclusion to Lucas and Sienna’s story consume your world for a few hours. The story opens up in the exact moment that Sienna watches the music video and Lucas arrives to make amends. From there, after a two night sex fest tucked away in the Tennessee mountains, their story continues and Sienna joins Lucas on tour. The set up is rather obvious because Sienna is going to have to contend with Lucas’ demons and Lucas is going to have to reveal more to Sienna than he ever planned. However, the rest of the story is much more interesting and far more exciting. 

I read Devoured some time ago and became enamored with Lucas Wolfe, the sultry lead singer of Your Toxic Sequel in this story. He embodies the rock god persona mingled with the fantastical alpha male with a penchant for a little bondage and BDSM.  In Consumed, Lucas is full frontal (pun intended) and we see EVERYTHING! His big secret is revealed... he opens up and lets Sienna in... I mean this is book boyfriend ambrosia. Lucas is laid bare and you just want to touch all of him. He hasn’t lost any of his tendency to be a jerk that we read in All Over You or Devoured, but he is more open and ready to love Sienna. He recognizes that their relationship is better for him and its function is better for him, “...I turn my head and find her mouth. I devour her. And she consumes me. It’s the only way we will work.”

Sienna was the most surprising aspect of this book. That fiery red hair always matched her personality and she could give as good as she got, but in this story she changed her approach with Lucas. At first I worried she was being too compliant and letting him have his way too much (who wouldn’t?) but then I realized she was stroking his ego and allowing him to be the man he was telling her he was. The bonus to all of this was the unabashed pleasure he provided in exchange for her compliance. I also realized that by gentling her approach to him she was better able to get him to open up to her. In spite of his want for Sienna and promises to her, Lucas still remained guarded about his past. His defense proves problematic for Sienna throughout the story (great for the plot line, not so much for her overall health). 

Of course, Lucas’ sister, Kylie appears in the novel along with the rest of the band so there is plenty of good-natured jibing and comic relief. A few more details of Wyatt and Kylie’s story are revealed and we see the happily ever after is happening for the entire Your Toxic Sequel family. This book is going into my ‘will definitely read again” column.

Reasonable Doubt by Whitney Gracia Williams

Amazon is slowly becoming my favorite place in the whole cyber world. Just when I was thought that there was nothing out there to read I get an email from Amazon with book recommendations. I came across Reasonable Doubt while exploring my Safari page and did some research.  I discovered that this was the first novella in the series and a first erotic romance for the author. I gave it a shot.

The story centers around Andrew Hamilton, a high power attorney in a law office in North Carolina. He seeks one-night stands through a online dating service under the name of Thoreau. He has been having email and phone conversations with Alyssa, an attorney in another office. Andrew hates liars and has been burned by women in the past so he is adamant about protecting his bubble. Alyssa, however, throws a curveball and sets off Andrew’s world in a way he is struggling to manage.

My first comment is the warning to all readers: there is a cliffhanger. A good one. Andrew is a lovable bastard. He is handsome, smart, and quick-witted. His playful banter is one of the highlights of this book. When Alyssa asks “What if the real reason I don’t want to meet you is because I’m ugly?” He responds with “I’d fuck you with the lights off.” He is a jerk but his bad behavior is what so many crave. He knows that he turns Alyssa on during their conversations, even calling her out when she tries to avoid him. “Because I know you screamed yes when you came, and you hung up because you didn’t want me to hear it.” I love how he plays with her during their tete-a-tete. The story only gets better when Alyssa turns the tables on Andrew and he begins to lose some of the control that he yields over everyone around him. At the end of this novella, I was scrambling to find out when the next book in the series will be released. I am very curious about where this story will go.

The Will (Magdalene Series) by Kristen Ashley

I blame Kristen Ashley for my foray into the motorcycle romances. Her Chaos series coupled with Sons of Anarchy had me taking unnecessary detours past my local Harley Davidson story just on the off chance I might meet my book boyfriend come true. This also had me taking a lengthy detour away from stories like The Will, stories I like to call the quiet romance. I use that term because my first Kristen Ashley novel was Lady Luck and it was the first time I read a novel where the hero was over 40 and beyond hot (admittedly Tate's motorcycle did help). So I have been gone, off dreaming of Tack, Shy, and Hop and any other man with his legs wrapped firmly around a hog, until now. And after reading The Will, honey it feels good to be back.

Josie returns to Maine for her grandmother's funeral and discovers that her grandmother has done something very untoward, she has relinquished Josie to a man, Jake Spear. Jake is a divorced dad of three and on paper does not fit Josie's standard of a suitable mate. But deciding that her grandmother would never lead her astray, Josie decides to extend her stay at Lavender House and give Jake a chance.

I read quite a few reviews before reading The Will and I was surprised to see that a common factor amongst readers was that they did not like Josie at the beginning of the book. They found her cold and detached and her language to be very off-putting. I completely disagree; Josie is hysterical. I would read her dialogue and just get so tickled by the things she would say to people. I should preface this and explain that I spent over a decade as an English teacher, so her jargon did not bother me in the slightest. I did not find her cold at all, in fact I thought she was a rather "stand-up broad." After she insulted Jake's business and he called her out for being judgmental, she did not let 24 hours pass before she went to him to apologize, most women I know will not do that. Even though everything about Jake's life was completely opposite to what she was accustomed and preferred, she still kept an open mind and allowed him and his children to invade her space. I loved Josie, even at the funeral when she seems overly critical of the people in attendance, I liked her. Not because she was judging them but because she is sitting at her grandmother's funeral trying to fight the feeling of that loss. I love the image of her crying and hiding behind her big sunglasses and oversized hat, knowing that Jake is watching her the entire time. And that is what readers should understand about Josie is that the speech, the clothes, the manners, all of it is a mask.

Now Jake. There is so much that can be said about Kristen Ashley's men and Jake Spear is no different.  He's an alpha male. He's a boxer. He's a dad. He's an alpha male (it bears repeating). The one thing about the men in her books is the way they set their sights on a woman and then proceed to know that woman in every which way so they can read her and understand her needs without her saying much at all. In fact, they usually insist the woman shuts up (usually making her do it with kisses or saying "babe"). Jake has all of that and then some. He is understanding and caring and so ridiculously honest with Josie. On their first date, Josie asks questions and rather than dismissing her questions Jake asks her how much of the truth she can handle ("How real do you want it?). That is beyond sexy.

The one complaint I have about returning to my "quiet romances" from my adventures in motorcycle heaven is the crying gag at the end. It never fails, every time I read one of Kristen Ashley's contemporary romances I get near the end and the tears fall. It doesn't matter if it is a tearful speech, a sentimental gift, and heartfelt goodbye, or a letter read posthumously from some endearing relative. It all just breaks me down and The Will did just that with all of those things. I am looking forward to reading this again, mostly because Jake is too enticing to be only enjoyed once.

Into the Deep by Samantha Young

I read On Dublin Street over a year ago and once finished I knew that I had to read any and everything that Samantha Young published. I am always a little on the fence about new adult romance because I prefer my book boyfriends to be established gentlemen (or hot, sexy, alpha male, badass bikers). Imagine my surprise at discovering Jake Caplin to be a rather mature and self-assured charmer. I have had Into the Deep in my cue to read for some time now and with the recent release of Out of the Shallows I figured now was as good a time as any other. 

Into the Deep is the story of Jake and Charley, a young couple who meet again at a study abroad in college after a heartbreaking separation that happened when they were teenagers. Jake is firmly attached to a new girlfriend and Charley is unable to trust Jake four years after their break up. Both Jake and Charley have best friends who are with them on this adventure in Edinburgh and they end up spending time together with their collective group. Somehow in the midst of all of this mingling, things get complicated: Jake wants to make amends with Charley without hurting his girlfriend and Charley wants closure with Jake but knows she could very well get hurt again in the process. In the meantime, Charley is quite fetching and manages to attract the attention of the lead singer of a band who also happens to be friends/roommates with Jake. See? Complicated.

Into the Deep is definitely a page-turner. Jake and Charley are a couple you want to know more about, you want to see what happens. In truth, I despise love triangles. I personally do not bother with the complicated. I am an all in or walk away type of girl. So I found myself urging Charley to not listen to her heart and walk away from Jake throughout the story. The wonderful thing about the structure of this story is that the reader does not immediately know how Jake hurt Charley, we just know that he did. The first two-thirds of the book alternates between the present day and four years ago. We toggle between their reconnection and their initial introduction and burgeoning romance. This configuration allows the reader to see how incredible Jake is without holding too strong a grudge against him. Charley often comments on his maturity and charm and all of the things about him that led her to give him her heart. So by the time we do discover the awful truth the hurt and heartbreak is felt from both parties. The scene encapsulates the hurt Charley feels at the words and actions Jake renders while also capturing how much pain he feels in giving them to her. It is harrowing and enchanting all at the same time.

Charley is a strong-willed heroine who unfortunately suffered heartbreak much too early. She is fortunate to have a close-knit family and group of friends that add a lot of body to this story. I found myself laughing out loud at a good deal of the banter between the friends. The secondary characters are really good at helping Charley and Jake come to terms with all that they are dealing with, placing a multitude of perspectives on what happened between them four years ago and what is happening with them in the present day. Top all of this off with the beautiful and always bewitching setting of Scotland and Into the Deep is a lovely story. QUOTABLE: "I knew after weeks of meeting you that I was never going to love another girl like I love you. You're it for me. They write books about what we have." Whew!

Mine (Book #2 in the Real Series) by Katy Evans

After reading Real, I was longing for this book. However, the timing of the release coincided with my venture into the motorcycle romance so Brooke and Remy had to wait. I finally caught a break this week and I read this follow up. Unfortunately, I came across some reviews that were rather scathing because the readers seemed to be disgruntled with Brooke and her ravings on how much she was in love with Remington. After reading the novel, I realize that these readers might be missing the point. This story is about a woman in love, from the point of view of a woman in love. Brooke is completely infatuated with Remington and anyone who chooses to read the novel should understand that before cracking open the book. In the follow up, Remy is back on tour and now he has his woman beside him.  Scorpio is still lurking about and causing trouble so there is that element of danger looming over their HEA. Brooke is determined that this season, she will not allow anyone or anything, including herself, especially herself, to get in the way of Riptide regaining his title.

I love how in Mine, Katy Evans uses these animal images and references to detail Remington and his behaviors. He is primal and fierce and a little scary. She continues with the lion motif and his licking and petting of Brooke both in public and private. The growling when someone comes near his mate, the looks, the stalking toward her, the possessive way he marks her, whew!!! I find it sad that anyone could read about a book couple like Remington and Brooke and find her weak because of his nature. When in fact, Brooke is much stronger than most women in that she is able to handle a man like Remington, not just his illness that he battles but his entire nature. He is overwhelming and it takes a very strong woman to contend with him. She is able to nurture and cure him and act as a foundation for him when he begs her not to let him make her leave. He begs her to stand by him, even when she may not understand all that he does. I love that Katy Evans does not write these things to be glaringly obvious, that while reading I am remembering what is felt like to be enamored with a man. I am remembering how it feels to know a man that consumes you while still giving back more than he was getting. This was not the perfect story but this couple is perfectly endearing.