Monthly Archives: April 2014

Review: Enslaved (Enslaved Trilogy #1) by Shoshanna Evers

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Title: Enslaved
Author:  Shoshanna Evers
Publisher/Year:  Pocket Star 4/8/13
Length:  175 Pages
Series: Enslaved Trilogy

Overview

Elisabeth Anderson has seen Trevor and his friends at the infamous Manhattan BDSM club WhipperSnapper, where everyone calls them the BAD Boys, for “Billionaire Arrogant Doms.” The BAD Boys—Trevor Brooks, Marc Wilde, and Roman Chase—are aptly named; they’ve made money hand over fist due to their aggressive investing at the Brooks Wilde Chase Fund. These guys are so rich they can get away with anything, or so the rumors go.

Trevor gives Elisabeth full reign of his estate in Westchester, letting her do as she pleases. He has only two rules. Rule One: she must obey and submit to him while she is living in his house. Rule Two: always answer the blue cell phone. She’s happy to oblige, because being with Trevor makes her want to obey, to love him the way he seems to be falling for her. But Elisabeth’s never been good at being the quiet sub; she’s feisty and gets off on the punishments more than she does by pleasing Trevor.

Elizabeth can’t submit to Trevor the way he needs her to, so his friend and business partner (and fellow BAD Boy) Roman takes her in hand. But love triangles can have sharp edges…and somebody’s bound to get hurt.

My Thoughts

It’s an interesting take on things, the way that this story comes about.  We meet Elisabeth when she’s in Grand Central with her old Dom Gregory, as he’s seeing her off on a new adventure.  She had been collared to him for years and they had ended their relationship a few months back.  Even though that’s all happened, Elisabeth has had a fear of what’s to come, and Gregory has worked to find a solution since he knows that he needs someone different for himself and that the same goes for Elisabeth.

Enter Trevor – as noted in the overview, he’s one of the 3 BAD Boys – and he’s become interested in Elisabeth over time.  He has his own past and demons to deal with and thinks that maybe Elisabeth is the way to get past them.  He was married once before and the lifestyle that he prefers was a breaking point.

Where this story takes us is on a journey of self discovery for E – given that she knows what she likes – meaning PAIN and a lot of it, she’s slowly learning that there’s other stuff there too – emotions that she’s been trying to fight off – but that keep bubbling up.  Her time with Trevor is one that’s really good for both of them, the find an easy comfort in one another, yet they have a great BDSM relationship as well.  except for those times that she tries to ‘top from the bottom’.All the while, they begin to develop feelings for one another but are too scared to let them happen or even admit.

That’s where the story takes an even more interesting twist.  Enter Roman, Trevor’s best friend, who has taken on the task of training Elisabeth in the hopes that she’ll realize that she has true feelings for Trevor.  Of course things have to become much more complicated right?  you have another sexy hot Dom that’s leading the training of a bratty Sub, and well, fireworks happen.  and not in a good way.

I think that i was hoping for this new love triangle to make things more complicated and it seemed like for a while we were going to get the complex story that i was hoping for.  I’m still not sure that i buy into the clean nature of how things played out – and maybe i will as the series continues, but i think that it’s interesting to say the least.

The other nice thing about this story is that we have a sub-plot of Elisabeth’s old Dom Gregory who has realized that he prefers men and has taken on a new sub in Andrew.  It’s nice to see that he’s finally doing something for himself that is good – v. trying to fit into the mold of something that’s not fulfilling.

What we get in this story is a new take on BDSM, in the sense that we have someone who really prefers to be a full time slave and have someone make decisions for her all the time.  that’s different than most of what i’ve read- but certainly makes for some heated scening.  the other bit that’s nice is that there’s clear chemistry here in the story – and it’s brought through a combination of pain and pleasure, and that takes the story in a different direction than i’m used to as well.  Anyhow, i’m off to read the next installment and see which BAD Boy we get to learn about next.

 

Review: Pushed to the Limit (The Alpha Club #3) by Ruby Taylor

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Title: Pushed to the Limit
Author:  Ruby Taylor
Publisher/Year:  Ruby Taylor 2013
Length:  74 Pages
Series: The Alpha Club #3

Overview

Melissa Jones has finally tracked down Jack. Hell, he’s blindfolded her and cuffed her to a bed in the infamous Alpha Club.

But he’s not fully convinced she’s ready for his lifestyle.

All Mel knows is that no other man has ever come close to having this effect on her.
Can she convince him that she’s not as sensible and sheltered as everyone seems to think?

My Thoughts

So, i think that we all know where things are going to go from here since we’ve seen Melissa turn her inner sex goddess into an outer facing one.  What i really didn’t expect/really enjoyed though was the role that Dylan plays.  We met him in book 2 learning that he was the manager of The Alpha Club, and someone that put Mel in an uncomfortable situation, yet really riled her up.  Because of an interesting link to him via another friend, Mel and Dylan’s paths cross again in this book in quite an interesting way.

So, the question then becomes whether this will turn into a ‘love triangle’ of sorts, or if there’s clear delineation of which one is best for Melissa and which one she’ll be with.

The other bit that’s nice, yet also a bit expected as well is that we know that Jack’s quite wealthy, and in the means expected of someone of his stature, he goes and buys out the company that she works for as a means to get in touch with her.  (yes, there are easier and cheaper ways of doing things).

In any event, it’s a nice culmination of things, although i’ll have to say that the ending was VERY anticlimactic -pun intended…or not.

Review: Put to the Test (The Alpha Club #2) by Ruby Taylor

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Title: Put to the Test
Author:  Ruby Taylor
Publisher/Year:  Ruby Taylor 2013
Length:  77 Pages
Series: The Alpha Club #2

Overview

Melissa’s back in Manhattan, but all she can think about is Jack, the sexy stranger she shared a night of passion with in Miami.

When she mistakes someone else for him on the subway, she’s pushed to do something about her obsession: she resolves to track him down at the Alpha Club.

Her friends have warned her about the notorious members-only club, and she’s read the newspaper articles detailing its excesses.

But she’s determined to find Jack — whatever it takes.

My Thoughts

Well, this story is turning into one that’s quite predictable.  but….i guess that’s ok.  We are starting to learn more about Melissa, the actuary – and of course when we learn that someone is so serious all their life, they have to develop quite a bit of kink, or at least get interested in it.

where we go in this 2nd part of the story is the journey that Mel’s on to track down Jack and what that means.  She keeps getting hung up on and doors slammed in her face, and Jessa, her ‘friend’ has turned her into the joke at work, but what that means for her personally, well it makes her stronger and want to pursue Jack even more.

So, i guess it’s off to book 3, since i’d really like to find out if/when she finds Jack and what it will mean.  Also, i’m really intrigued by what The Alpha club could mean, and well….being a New Yorker, makes me even more curious about the types of things that are going on in this lovely city of mine.

Review: Learning to Let Go (The Alpha Club #1) by Ruby Taylor

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Title: Learning to Let Go
Author:  Ruby Taylor
Publisher/Year:  Ruby Taylor 5/24/13
Length:  44 Pages
Series: The Alpha Club #1

Overview

Melissa Jones wishes she hadn’t listened to her girlfriends when they insisted that she relax and take a vacation in Miami. Surrounded by hot, tanned models, she feels like the least attractive female in South Beach. She can’t wait to leave…

Until she meets Jack. Instantly at ease with this tall, gorgeous stranger, she wants him to be more than just a holiday fling. She’ll stop at nothing to see him again after a misunderstanding separates them right before she leaves Miami.

Melissa doesn’t know that back in New York, Jack is a member of the Alpha Club, an x-rated members-only society frequented by billionaires and celebrities…

Is smart, sensible Melissa ready for his world?

My Thoughts

I always wonder if i’m doing myself an injustice when i read novella series – instead of tracking down the entire story – or waiting at least until all are out.  In this case, i think that since this is a new author to me, i was willing to make the sacrifice and pick up book 1 to see if it’s worth it.

What we get here is a prelude or slight intro into things to come.  We meet our leading lady Melissa on the last night of her week long vacation with a co-worker that she’s really not that close with.  Her friend Jessa is the type that turns heads and is out for a new man every night in the hopes of landing someone rich.  While Mel thinks that is a nice idea, it’s not her real motivation.

It’s on this last night that Mel’s sitting in a club biding her time when Jack walks up to her and things start to look up.  He’s attractive, and has a way of making her feel like his lines aren’t really chat-up lines at all.  They quickly find themselves tangled up in each other, but it’s the next morning when Jessa comes back, that Jack ends up leaving without so much as a good bye that makes Mel wonder if things will go back to the ho hum.

After discovering a card that has just a number on it with nothing else, she takes a chance and dials, and this is when things start to get juicy.

I guess now i owe it to myself to continue the journey – so it’s on to book 2.  enjoy this little snippet – it’s 44 pages, so maybe a 30 minute read at most!

 

ARC Review: Surrender by Tawny Taylor

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Title: Surrender
Author:Tawny Taylor
Publisher/Year: Kensington Publishing 5/27/14
Length:  336 Pages

Overview

Abby is ready to agree to anything to stop her brother from going to prison, but Kameron Maldondo, the owner of MalTech Corporation, is asking for the unexpected. Enthralled by his commanding brilliance, she agrees to be his assistant, at his beck and call for whatever he needs–whenever and however he wants. What that means is for him to decide and for her to submit to. Frightened yet fascinated by what he promises, Abby becomes a willing captive to his caress, undone by his peerless touch, a quivering submission to an aching need for complete carnal surrender. . .

My Thoughts

When i took a peek on Goodreads, i saw that most people weren’t overly thrilled with this book, and that made me a bit weary.  the good thing is that i don’t usually care much about what other people think of a book, and decided to read this one anyway.  I think that i was pleasantly surprised with depth of the story that we got.

The summary gives you a sense that she would really just be Kam’s assistant/sex slave and sub, but that’s not really where things even get going to.  While that’s how their relationship begins, mind you Abby really would do anything to protect her brother, that’s not where things evolve to because we learn that Kam really is much more human than the first few chapters lead us to believe.

This story takes us on a journey of these 2 trying to figure out what they mean to each other, all the while – Abby is trying to find out who really stole the ‘things’ that Kam and MalTech think that her brother took.  While her brother claims innocence, and Abby believes him, his past is too tainted for anyone else to believe it, and if he didn’t do it, there was a really good set up.

The other great thing is that this story takes a nice dark twist about 2/3 of the way through – what you don’t expect to happen does, and that means that there’s going to be someone on the run, and the folks that get called on things aren’t the ones that were initially set up in the story.

I don’t think that i’ve read anything by this author before, although there’s plenty that i’ve discovered that i can now, and i have to say that we get a nice mix of bondage play and romance to make a story good.  Without the fact that we know Kam is very into tying people up, he’s still really sensual and knows how to make a scene steamy.  I’m happy to say that i don’t agree with most of the reviews that i read saying that this story wasn’t good.  maybe a bit predictable, but still good nonetheless.

*click the cover above to pre-order

ARC Review: Heated (Most Wanted #2) by J Kenner

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Title: Heated
Author:  J. Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Random House Publishing 6/3/14
Length:  416 Pages
Series: Most Wanted #3

Overview

 knew better than to risk my heart.
But fierce passion comes at a high price.
 
I grew up believing in right and wrong, good and evil, black and white. I knew better than to trust. And then I met Tyler Sharp.
 
Bold, charming, and dangerously sexy, Tyler always gets what he wants. But his smile can be deceiving, his dealings sordid, his ambitions ruthless. I thought I was the one woman strong enough to resist him, but our need for each other was too urgent to deny.
 
One look and I was in trouble. One touch and I was hooked. One night and I became his.
 
And now that I’ve fallen, there’s no going back.

My Thoughts

Oh how i do love J Kenner and everything that she writes.  We were first introduced to this series with Evan and Angie’s tale in Wanted and Heated, the 2nd book takes us on the journey of Tyler, the 2nd of the trio, and Sloane who is a cop trying to work a case off the books.

Sloane is on the last week of medical leave from getting shot on duty and she’s using this last week to help track down a friend who has gone missing in Chicago.  Her friend Amy was a stripper at a club called Destiny and Sloanes on the trek to find out if anyone knows where she’s gone.

Destiny as you’ll remember is owned by Evan, Tyler and Cole – and it’s newly made to be squeaky clean and legitimate after Evan’s relationship with Angie too a turn for the series.  Sloane figures that the club is her in to see if she can find any info from Tyler or the girls that work there, and that’s where her roller coaster begins.  We get a nice journey of seeing how 2 people who have issues with trusting others come together and play each other, yet find that maybe there’s something special there.

While Sloane thinks that she’s being sneaky, she’s been ‘made’ by the guys, and they know that she’s a cop and push her to see what her agenda is.  It’s during that time though that Tyler begins to think that there’s something more and that maybe he doesn’t want to play her like that.

One of the great things that we get from J Kenner are dynamic leads – characters that have great back stories that make for page turners.  Seamlessly woven into all of that too is passion and heat, and an amazing quality of sensuality that makes you want to read straight through without a break.  I find that i’m drawn into the scenes with these 2 especially – since i know what proclivities Tyler has, and what boundaries Sloane seems less than willing to cross.

The question throughout this story is what will really happen.  I mean, we know that the reason that Sloane is temporarily in Chicago is to find Amy, and it’s looking grim.  We also know that she’s only there for a week, so what does that mean for her and Tyler?  We know that he can’t be changed – his background makes him what he is and he seems to have no issue with it all.  I think that the journey that we’re taken on is a realistic one if you were to spin it longer than a week.  But that aside, i really enjoyed it.  I can’t wait for book 3 – Ignited, because i really want to see what gets under Cole’s skin – he’s quite an enigma, and i think that he’ll bring it all full circle.  Enjoy!

*click the cover above to buy!

ARC Review: Reflection (The Chrysalis Series #2) by Elene Sallinger

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Title: Reflection
Author:  Elene Sallinger
Publisher/Year:  Soucebooks Inc.  5/6/14
Length:  288 Pages
Series: Chrysalis Series #2

Overview

The moment Bridget Ross and Connor Reynolds run into each other on the street—quite literally while out on a run-tempers flare. But when the two get together for an apology coffee date, it’s clear that the coffee isn’t the only thing steaming.

Connor is a charming artist without purpose. His own tragic past prevents him from putting down roots or committing to anything. Bridget is feisty but guarded. She’s aching to fill a void in her life but is wracked with guilt over her past and denies herself true pleasure. Can this gorgeous man tempt Bridget to finally succumb to her desires?

My Thoughts  

in this 2nd installment we get to know more about Bridget and understand what makes her tick.  I think that we came to really enjoy her banter with Claire in the first book of the series so i was really happy to see what we were getting into here.  What i think that no one realized from book 1 is how damaged Bridget was, and although it was years and years ago, it’s something that she’s never processed and gotten past and it still really holds her back in just about everything in her life.

What we have is a story that takes us on a journey of Bridget realizing that what she wants isn’t necessarily bad – but that doesn’t mean that she’ll ever allow it to happen, and as a result, it means that she may never get anywhere with a relationship that seems to be good.

We also get the subplot of what’s going on at Bridget’s job between her and her dean, and between her dean and various others.  I hate to say it, but without the sub-plot, i wouldn’t have been as invested as i was, and while i really wanted to like this story more than i did, i felt it was mediocre.

i’ll tell you where my frustration stems from.  We begin this story seeing into what darkness lies both within Bridget and Connor, but we don’t really get too deep there.  There are glimpses sure – we understand a bit more about why Connor has come to Vermont and how he’s an artist but won’t actually be one because of his parent’s death, but that’s really just as far as we get into it with him.  Same goes for Bridget – we learn about her past, and while we see what stigma it’s placed on her life, we don’t really process it together in the story.

I wanted to really enjoy this book – i feel like i gave it a fighting chance, and it was mediocre at best.  I always feel bad when i don’t enjoy a book since i know that authors take it personally, but i feel like i owe it to myself to admit when i didn’t love a book.  oh well, maybe the series will get better.  i feel like we’ll either get to know Victor or Skyler next and that may be really good. i’d love the back story on Victor to be completely honest.  (part of me wishes that he and Bridget got together – just sayin…..)

**note – clicking on the book image will now take you to BN.com to purchase 🙂

Blog Tour – Trial of Love by Christina Ow

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Morning All

Taking a step away from my usual reviews, I wanted to bring you a preview/interview as a stop on Christina Ow’s blog tour for her new book Trial of Love.  I don’t know how many of you are familiar with her writing, she’s written several books that i’m a fan of and the latest release is coming out soon.

and….there’s a giveaway so keep reading!

Check it out….

Christina OW writes suspense, thrillers, erotica, interracial and multicultural romance books. She is the author of Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Regency Romance books and a poet of currently 3 titles. She loves reading novels that take her on a ride of wild emotions. Books have always been an escape for her, for a few hours she gets to live the lives of characters she grows to cherish and admire. She’s always had an active imagination and because of it has lived in her head more than she has been in the outside world. She always imagined scenarios and wondered how they would turn out in the end, and what kind of emotions they would invoke. Thus began her writing career.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?  My love for reading novels started a very long time, about when I was 10 or 11. I was in awe of how a person’s imagination could just take form and fill up pages. I loved the fact that I would read the words and watch it play out in my mind. Some of the books became way more interesting than watching TV!

I’m a person who lives in her head more than the outside world because off all the stories in my head. So I figured maybe I should put down all the stories I had in my head on paper, and share them, see if everyone else loved them as much as I did.

What about historical/regency romance? I wasn’t much of a fan because the books I’d read so far the characters just seemed stuffy and annoying. But then I found several books published by Second Wind Publishing and I was hooked!

Their books were more than just trying to be historically accurate, they had everything and they seemed to come alive through the words and I couldn’t stop reading them. I’m a huge Regency fan now.

Do you have a favorite and a least favorite scene in the book?  Yes, I do have a favorite scene and a scene that I didn’t like writing but was necessary in the book. A person’s character is built buy the positive and negative things in their lives and the same goes for books.

Is TOL apart of the series? How many books are in the series?  Yes, Trial of Love is apart of the series and the first book. So far, there are 3 books in the series, TOL, A Lady Unbecoming and Lady Nancy.

I’m still playing with the idea of adding more books about some of the supporting characters in TOL. I’ll see how these 3 books go first then take it from there.

Any more new releases for 2014 from you?  Yes. His Paris Affair (Albury Affairs #3) will be out in late June and I’m expecting Book #2 of the Slave Bound series A Lady Unbecoming to be released later on this year.

Trial Of Love, a turbulent love story about a slave from America and the Earl who saved her from a fate worse than death.

Blurb

After her mother’s death, Melanie’s life in America is full of heartache. Still, she has never allowed herself to despair. She was responsible for the care of her beloved father. Then he remarried a woman to wicked to be considered a mother to Melanie or her two sisters. After years of abuse, the stepmother sells Melanie off—to work in a brothel, and about to be sold to the highest bidder. Through a series of fortuitous events, Melanie falls into the care of Christopher, Earl of Ashworth, who has family issues of her own. The solution to his problems—and redemption for Melanie—wind together toward destiny.

Excerpt 2

She nodded, holding tight to his jacket, “Thank you Christopher. I can sleep peacefully now.”
He pulled away and arched a brow at her, “And what is my reward?”
She giggled, “A smile…. and a kiss.” Her hands slid up to his neck as she reached up to kiss him. “Just one,” she warned.
“Just one,” he repeated lowering his head, shortening the trip and capturing her lips. He sighed at the contact, wrapping his arms around her frame and holding her tightly against him.
She tasted so good. Like honey full of hope and love. He could only imagine what the rest of her tasted like. At that thought, he pushed his tongue into her mouth deepening the kiss. She moaned, pulling his neck to her.
Just one… just one long one… He thought.
Christopher’s hand sank to her arse and pushed her up his knee to straddle his thick thigh. He rolled her hips against his thigh releasing a shivered gasp that quickly turned into a heated moan. She lifted her thigh to press against his arousal. Christopher’s member jumped at the contact, sending a fierce heat rushing through him. He lifted his thigh a little higher and pushed her parted thighs to his hip to greaten the contact.
She whimpered, rolling her hips again and pressing her thigh harder against him. Christopher felt his control leave him. He wanted her, then and there, damn the consequences!
As if to counter his resolve, he felt a wet chill rush down his head and down his back. Melanie screamed, pulling away.
Christopher stood, facing the heavy familiar chuckle, “Nicholas!” He hissed, pushing his wet hair back.
“Chris, five more seconds and you would have taken her in your grandmother’s studio.” He announced in a whispered laugh.
Nicholas then turned to Melanie and took her hand, kissing the back of it. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Miss Monroe.”
She pushed her wet hair off her face and curtsied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you too Lord Townson. I’ve heard so much about you, and I am relieved it was you, not the Countess who found us.”
Christopher turned to her with a betrayed look, “You are glad!”
She glanced at him with a familiar chastising look. He’d seen it on many well breed ladies—it annoyed him. “I know what taken means Lord Ashworth.”

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Review: Awakening (The Chrysalis Series #1) by Elene Sallinger

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Title: Awakening
Author:  Elene Sallinger
Publisher/Year:  Soucebooks Inc.  11/5/13
Length:  224 Pages
Series: Chrysalis Series #1

Overview

So Many Possibilities…

The minute Claire walked into his shop, she aroused every protective instinct Evan ever had. She looked so fragile, so lost. He ached to be the one to show her a world she’s never dreamed of, to awaken within her the passion she was so ripe to share. It only takes one touch for him to see how open and responsive she is to his dominant side. But the truth test will be whether he can let go at least and finally open his heart…

My Thoughts 

I decided to check this series out since i got my hands on the 2nd book in the series as an ARC and well, i’m not sure how i feel about it.  What we have here is a story about our 2 leads having such dark and damaged pasts that they combust when they meet each other, and take some time to figure out how to find a way to be near one another.

We meet Claire when she’s decided that a year after breaking up with her long time partner, that it’s time to make a social effort.  she’s really quite shy, but reading is something that brings her out of her shell, so it’s a book club in Bibliophile that makes her at least try.

When she enters the store for the first time, not only is she put on edge because she’s out of her element by being around people, but she finds herself stunned by Evan, the owner of the store who awakens feelings in her that she hasn’t really appreciated and through her time at the bookstore as well as through building a friendship with Bridget, she slowly learns that there’s something to be said about what she likes pain play and BDSM and that it’s ok.

The good thing here is the Evan’s a dom – granted he hasn’t been in an D/s relationship since his wife who passed away, but the fact that Claire seems to wake things up in him puts him off kilter and this is where things get interesting.

Where i’m at a loss is that we spend most of the book seeing these 2 avoid each other – they are mean or rude to each other, and we don’t see much development of anything going on.  I keep wondering when it’s going to get good.  We see that claire’s reading a lot of erotica in the store, but we don’t even get to see the juice and heat in what she’s learning about.  we only get teases.  I don’t know – i feel like there’s so much further that things could have been pushed.  Once we see things start to grow between the 2 of them, it’s still very PG and i feel like it could have gone so much further.

Anyhow, i’m giving the series a shot since the next installment is about Bridget and i think that she has a spark – and hopefully her story will be more passionate and heated.  With the exception of the last few chapters in Awakening, there wasn’t much heat but at least we got a tease that this author knows how to write it, she just needs to write it into things a bit more.

*note – clicking the book cover will now take you to BN.com to buy!

Review: Once Upon a Billionaire (Billionaire Boys Club #4) by Jessica Claire

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Title: Once Upon a Billionaire
Author:  Jessica Clare
Publisher/Year:  Penguin Group USA  4/15/14
Length:  224 Pages
Series: Billionaire Boys Club #4

Overview

The Billionaire Boys Club is a secret society of six men who have vowed success—at any cost. Not all of them are old money, but all of them are incredibly wealthy. They’re just not always as successful when it comes to love…

As a member of the royal family in a small European country, Griffin Verdi’s presence is requested at the wedding of the century. The scholarly billionaire feels out of his depth in social situations, so a good assistant is required—especially when dealing with royal etiquette.

Unfortunately for Griffin, he’s stuck with Maylee Meriweather, a pretty, charming, and thoroughly unsuitable woman who doesn’t know a thing about high society—but she sure can kiss. Her lack of polish may sink Griffin, because after all, even his money can’t buy class. But through Maylee’s eyes, he’s starting to appreciate the simple things in life—if simple means the most complicated woman he’s ever met.

Maylee is everything Griffin isn’t—and everything he wants—if he can let down his guard and step outside his sheltered world…

My Thoughts

I’m a fan of this series – just because i really enjoy the dynamic of the men in the club and i really want to get down to why they are the way that they are.  I think that in the 3 installments that we’ve gotten so far, there’s been a level of quality and depth that we’ve come  to expect, that starts off here, but i wonder if it falls a little short.

This 4th book in the series takes us on the journey of Griffin, a guy that we have come to know as the one that most of the girlfriends really don’t like.  Griff (as his friends call him) is a bit nerdy, and rough around the edges in the sense that he’s quite pompous and snobbish – a result of his royal upbringing.  In this story though for him, he’s put in a position where he has to go back home for a royal wedding – something that he dreads since his family frowns upon the fact that he moves to the US and has given up his claims to the throne and all that.

Maylee comes into the fold only when Griffin’s assistant comes down with Chicken Pox and cannot travel.  As a way of ‘punking’ him, Gretchen, Hunters girlfriend offers up Maylees services – and that’s going to flip Griffin’s world upside down in so many ways.  Maylee is the polar opposite of Griffin in manners and appearance, yet she brings him exactly what he needs.  someone who’s heart is bigger than anything else.

This story takes us on a journey of patience – Griffin trying to tamp down what he has always been because he’s starting to feel emotions that he never expected – guilt and empathy – and his body responds to Maylee in ways that weren’t expected either

As we’ve also come to expect from these stories – it’s often the last third that takes us from the happy point to the one where the girl runs away and this follows suit perfectly.  We see that Gretchen who has claimed to never run, chooses to run because of a series of events, and the question is what Griffin will have to give up in order to get her back.  I think that’s really the interesting piece here – to see if he’s grown and how much through the course of the story.

The other nice thing that Ms. Clare does for us in this series is that she gives us a great peek into what’s going to come next.  We haven’t had an installment on Jonathan yet, however we know quite a bit about him from the club.  In this book, we see his involvement with Griffin in archaeological adventures, and that’s the lead in for the next book.  It’s a teaser that we need – knowing that there’s clearly something going on since Griff’s picked up on it within this own story – so we’ll have to see where things go.

Jessica Clare gives us a fair share of heat and passion for a few chapters – but i think that here it’s more about the story of the character relationships than the sex.  While i usually come to expect more heat in this genre – i think that it’s really key to have the depth of who these folks are in their relationship and we definitely made strides.  Enjoy it!

*note – clicking on the cover will now take you to BN.com to buy!