Tag Archives: Stark Trilogy

Review: Hold Me (Stark Trilogy #4.1) by J Kenner

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Title: Hold Me
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year: Evil Eye Conceps 5/23/17
Length:   120 Pages
Series:  Stark Trilogy #4.1

Overview

My life with Damien has never been fuller. Every day is a miracle, and every night I lose myself in the oasis of his arms.

But there are new challenges, too. Our families. Our careers. And new responsibilities that test us with unrelenting, unexpected trials.

I know we will survive—we have to. Because I cannot live without Damien by my side. But sometimes the darkness seems overwhelming, and I am terrified that the day will come when Damien cannot bring the light. And I will have to find the strength inside myself to find my way back into his arms.

My Thoughts

I’ll never get enough of Damien and Nikki, especially as we see their lives grown and change together so this novella is a great little snippet into how their lives have changed once again.  We left them after Nikki had a miscarriage while trying to grow her business in Dallas, and then how she and Damien struggled to understand what that meant for their relationship.  As things happened, they ended up not only adopting a little girl but finding themselves pregnant again and this time it stuck.

So we’re in the future, just as Nikki is about to go back to work and as all new moms struggle, we see that she has a tough time knowing that she’s going to miss those moments of her kids growing up, all those firsts, but also knowing that she wants to stand on her own and grow her company since that’s her passion.

The short novella we have here is a sweet one of seeing how a relationship changes, yet how those struggles are real, but can be managed through the never ending support of your partner.  Damien continues to amaze us in how patient and understanding he is, and how he’s supportive until the end.

It’s when problems arise in Nikki’s company that we see things change, and we can only wonder what those outcomes and decisions will be and how they will shape the lives of the Starks moving forward.

While it was perhaps a bit too short to truly give us the amazing bits that we have come to crave with this couple, it’s a nice little bit of reading to keep things moving with this story.  Enjoy!

Review: Entice Me (Stark Trilogy #3.11) by J Kenner

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no-brainer

Title: Entice Me
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year: Martinin & Olive
Length:   83 Pages
Series:  Stark Trilogy #3.11

Overview

I didn’t understand passion until I met Damien, the man who turned my world upside down and swept me off my feet.

And though our life together feels perfect, we can’t escape our secrets–and the danger that continually threatens to surface.

But for one night, I seek a respite. A birthday wish for my husband, my lover, my friend-one absolutely perfect night.

It is my most ardent wish.

And I only hope that it will come true…

My Thoughts

I love this series and all that comes with it in terms of spin offs and novella etc.  I think that there’s just so much that we can do with Nikki and Damien, and even with where their story will take them that while this is a short novella, it’s so so sweet.

What do you give to the man who has everything when they have given you the world?  that’s the ultimate question that we have in this installment.  Nikki is challenged to find something amazing to give him since she’s given him the world with his love and affection.

The journey that we go on in this short story is the week leading up to Damien’s birthday, during which Nikki has decided to throw Damien a surprise party and with that comes the need to keep it a secret.

If that weren’t enough, she’s also going through the process of submitting a proposal for a bid on an account that’s based in Dallas that would be the one to put her company on the map and that’s giving her anxiety based on sheer size alone.  If that weren’t enough, she has anxiety about the fact that it’s Dallas and where she’s from and where her mom lives, the one person that she’s trying her best not to let have any affect or influence on her life anymore because of their past together.  She has a moment where she thinks that she sees a reflection of her mother on a window in town, and that makes her rethink everything that she’s doing.  You know though that Damien (and probably her bestie Jamie) will swoop in and remind her that she’s amazing and capable and can’t let her mother ruin things.

The other bit of this story is that if you’ll recall from the main series, there was the threat of photos being released of Damien that had his ex Carmela in them.  There was a point in time when Nikki’s father was being framed for those photos, but we learned that he’s not the culprit.  In this short story though, Carmela comes back and we learn who is behind them and that there is a threat that they will come out.  So in addition to trying to sort out the surprise of the party, they all now have to deal with this scandal yet again.

I don’t know how we were able to fit all that into a short novella, but J Kenner managed to do it amazingly.  Tied all into that, we continue to see the passion and love between Nikki and Damien since we’re not at all missing many scenes between them.  It’s hot and it’s steamy and i think that Damien is the perfect alpha type guy that works so well in this story. All in all, a great mid point while we’re waiting for Anchor Me to come out.  And the teaser that we got at the end of Entice me – it makes me really excited to see what comes next since it seems as though a storm is brewing!

Review: Deepest Kiss (Stark Trilogy #3.10) by J Kenner

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Title: Deepest Kiss
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year:  Random House Publishing 3/8/16
Length:   101 pages
Series:  Stark Trilogy #3.10

Overview

Overview

From New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner comes a tantalizing ebook novella starring fan favorites Damien Stark and his wife, Nikki Fairchild. Deepest Kiss follows the couple from their island resort to their home in Los Angeles, and introduces Dallas Sykes, the seductive bad boy in the newest Stark International Novel, Dirtiest Secret—the first book in a new trilogy of the S.I.N. series.

Includes a special preview of J. Kenner’s provocative new novel, Dirtiest Secret!

My love for Damien Stark runs deep, and my need for his touch runs even deeper. He’s my shelter in this world, my light when everything seems dark, and all it takes is one kiss for my body to come alive.

Yet no matter where we go, our secrets threaten to surface. Someone dangerous from my past is back to stir up trouble, and now it feels like there’s nowhere I can hide.

I know Damien will always protect me, that our fierce desire will give us strength. In his arms I find safe harbor—and the sweetest release.

My Thoughts

I’m more than happy to continue to get these little novellas as extensions to the bigger series since i’m definitely not ready to let the story or characters go.  There’s so much that we get from Nikki / Damien as well as Syl/Jackson and i think that the more and more that we get to see of Dallas – the more excited i get for his own series to come out next month.

That being said, in this short installment, we get to see Syl on the precipice of giving birth, and the introduction of an unknown guy who spooks Nikki on the island, and then is determined to be the same guy that’s decided he wants to hire her for an app development.

The protector in Damien comes out in full blast, and the protector that i’m sure we’ll see in his own series has come out with Dallas, and that makes this series that much hotter and enjoyable to read.  J Kenner continues to give us the passion and heat that we long for – with a chemistry between our mains that is not just obvious but enthralling.  I can’t wait to see what happens next since there’s still a lot up in the air on motives for this guy, and who he may know or doesn’t know.  (blackmail and those photos of Jamie and Nikki have come back into play).

So…that being said – i can’t wait to see what’s next.  Enjoy!

Review: Unwrap Me (Stark Trilogy #3.9) by J Kenner

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No-Brainer

Title:  Unwrap Me
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year: Random House 10/24/15
Length:  96 pages
Series:  Stark Trilogy #3.9

Overview

Damien Stark is my greatest Christmas wish come true. Immensely powerful and devastatingly sexy, he can undo me with the slightest touch, and with just one glance, he can see straight into my soul.   We both have dark secrets, twisted pieces of our pasts that only the other one understands. Though our fierce love and passion keeps me alive, sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if Damien and I hadn’t met in exactly the way we did.   How would my life have been different? Would another man have laid claim to my body and my heart? Or were Damien and I destined to be together no matter the cost?

My Thoughts

I don’t think that i’ll ever get tired of these 2 – they are so in love and always seem so destined for one another that it’s amazing to see and read.  In this next installment, what we have is the holiday novella, with a bit of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled in.  The couple is hosting Christmas at their Lake Arrowhead home and we see that Nikki is at a loss for what to get her husband that’s perfect for what he means to her.  Where that takes us though is so classic.

After falling asleep, Nikki is taken to a time in her dreams where she hasn’t met Damien yet and she doesn’t quite have him in her life – it’s Ollie instead and the way that the story progresses is so sweet and romantic that you can only hope that she chooses Damien over Ollie even though the latter is growing on us.

The special bit at the end, the exchange is something that’s so endearing and delightful that it gives you a renewed sense of what fate and true romance should be.  I think that you’ll melt when you see how the holiday shapes up especially with the various couples all in attendance.

On that note  – Happy Black Friday and i hope you’re all having a great beginning to the holiday season.

Review: Seduce Me (Stark Trilogy #3.8) by J Kenner

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No-Brainer

Title:  Seduce Me
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year: Random House 10/13/15
Length:  46  pages
Series:  Stark Trilogy #3.8

Overview

Perfect for readers of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You, this steamy eBook novella from J. Kenner, bestselling author of Release Me, features powerful billionaire Damien Stark and his wife, Nikki Fairchild, on their impromptu getaway to Las Vegas—and there’s no better place to turn up the heat than in Sin City.
 
I’ve never felt as close to anyone as I have with Damien Stark. I know every line of his body, every secret within his soul. There’s nothing I crave more than his touch, and with his kiss, he seals his claim.

Las Vegas is the perfect place for us, where we can indulge every desire and fantasy. But when someone from my past resurfaces, I can’t ignore my instinct that I have to make things right.

With Damien by my side, I feel safe no matter the danger. Our passion protects us, drives us, makes us whole. His pleasure is an exquisite game, and one that I’ll play forever.

My Thoughts

I love the Stark Trilogy and i think that it’s exactly what i needed – a little snippet of fun to continue Nikki and Damien’s story.  In this novella, Nikki has been invited to Vegas with Jamie who’s got a short term reporting gig for a tech show, and what happens there is quite enjoyable.

The first night that the girls are there, they decide that since they are both quite happy in their respective relationships, they will indulge in a bit of sexting an teasing – just to make things all that much better upon their return home.  What they don’t expect is what appears in the background of a selfie that they are sending home to their men – 2 gorgeous guys in the background who have motives of their own.

For Jamie, well, the game turns to reality quickly as she finds Ryan, her boyfriend there and they just enjoy themselves as they normally would.  For Nikki however, it’s a game that she’s going to hold up all weekend, pretending to be single and playing the game with Damien just because she can.

It’s really sweet actually to see how our lovely author shows us that even though these 2 are married, they are still playful and really passionate for one another.

On top of that though, we have to have a bit of tension – there’s a woman that Nikki thinks that she sees over and over again, and recognizes but can’t quite put her finger on it.  That’s the bit of intrigue that we have here.  Who’s the woman, what’s the situation and what will it mean for Nikki and Damien.  Since we know that this is a novella, it’s not like we’re going to get all that deep, and it’s not going to be all that drastic, but at least it gives us another layer to the story that J Kenner is known for.

And on that note – i’m really done reading for the night – i have to put the books down!

ARC Review: Complete Me (Stark Trilogy #3) by J. Kenner

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Title:  Complete Me
Author: J Kenner
Publisher/Year: Random House Publishing Group 7/30/13
Length:  320 pages
Series: Stark Trilogy #3

Overview

Our desire runs deep. But our secrets cut close.

Beautiful, strong, and commanding, Damien Stark fills a void in me that no other man can touch. His fierce cravings push me beyond the brink of bliss—and unleash a wild passion that utterly consumes us both.

Yet beneath his need for dominance, he carries the wounds of a painful past. Haunted by a legacy of dark secrets and broken trust, he seeks release in our shared ecstasy, the  heat between us burning stronger each day.

Our attraction is undeniable, our obsession inevitable. Yet not even Damien can run from his ghosts, or shield us from the dangers yet to come.

My Thoughts

you guys have no idea how excited i was to come across this ARC since i wasn’t sure that i’d be able to survive the wait until the end of July for this finale of the trilogy.  Let me tell you – you will NOT be disappointed.

What we get here is the resolution to quite a bit, and while you are pretty certain how things will go, J Kenner does an amazing job bringing this story to life in a way that doesn’t make us want to flip through the pages too quickly.

When we left of in Claim Me, Nikki had flown to Germany to be at Damian’s side while he stands trial for the murder of his old tennis coach.  At the tail end of book 2, Damian finally says those words to Nikki that she so wanted~ ‘I Love You’ and that puts Nikki on cloud nine.

What we know that we can always expect from hot steamy novels like this is that it’s never going to be that easy.  We know that Damian tends to push people away when he’s trying to protect himself and others, and the fear here is that the trial is going to take it’s toll on him.  I think that our fear here is that he’ll be convicted and go to jail – leaving Nikki alone to face the world, he’ll get off but only by testifying about what he went through, meaning this his past will come out in public or something completely unexpected.  I don’t know which could be worse though.

I don’t want to give away too much, but there’s something to be said for sure about an author who knows that we know what the outcomes are going to be in certain situations and gets to the point quickly so that we can pick up another plot line.  That’s exactly what happens here.  There’s so much suspense once one story line is wrapped up that we’re trying to figure out who the stalker is, who’s being targeted and what’s going to happen.

There are a few folks that i’m not sure that i trust fully.  Ollie – i don’t know why but he’s been rubbing me the wrong way even after the cheating on his fiance thing.  Giselle – i think at times she’s still interested in Damian and i don’t know what she’s going to do.  Lisa – the timing that she meets Nikki is just too coincidental that i don’t know what to think here.    And don’t forget about Sofia.

Jamie is definitely here in full face – being the bestie that Nikki needs at the exact right moments.  We see Nikki grow and become savvy in her own skin, and we want nothing more than to root for the relationship that has been growing.

The other thing to note is that we don’t go more than a couple pages without an amazingly HOT steamy scene between Nikki and Damian.  Their chemistry is palpable and so intense that i literally felt the need to turn on my A/C last night.

i hope you guys enjoy this read when it comes out – you certainly won’t be disappointed at all.

Review: Release Me (Stark Trilogy #1) By J. Kenner

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Title: Release Me 
Author: J. Kenner
Publisher/Year: Random House Publishing Group, 1/1/13
Length: 352 pages
Series: The Stark Trilogy Book 1

For all you fans of 50 Shades or Bared to You or Gabriel’s Inferno, here’s another series that’s definitely going to be right up your alley.

This story is centered in LA where we are introduced to Nichole (Nikki) who has just moved to LA from Dallas in the hopes of reinventing herself.  She’s trying to get away from a past that haunts her – a mother that’s over bearing and controlling, the suicide of her sister which then turned into self mutilation (cutting) and led to a boyfriend who drunkenly said that because of her scars she was disgusting.

So we meet Nikki at a gallery party honoring an artist, attended by A-listers.   At this party, Nikki is there in a professional capacity, she works for a tech developer who’s looking for investors for his next new ideas.  One investor in particular is on the list – Damian Stark – a young 30 yr old billionaire who is known from being a tennis pro, turned businessman with an eye for the science and tech industry.

At first sight (at least for the night), Nikki and Damian’s eyes lock and there’s is such heat that it’s palpable.  J. Kenner likes to remind us that the air moves and sizzles around them so that they always know when one another is in the room.

From that night on, Nikki’s life will change completely.  She is swept up in the heat and control that is Mr Stark and the demons and secrets that lie beneath.  She learns to trust him with her secrets but finds that there are more secrets that Damian has that maybe she shouldn’t know about and should therefore run.

the heat and passion in this story are obvious and quite enticing without being to graphic.  We get into the basics of bondage but i feel like there’s so much more that could be done given that Damian has his own gear.  we don’t see that come out much yet, but maybe in book 2.  Nikki is growing and coming into her own and it’ll be great to see where this all goes.

so for my questions:

1) what is damian hiding really?

2) what is carl up to?

3) what’s the next move for Nikki’s career?

4) will evelyn play a role in their future?

5) ollie and Jamie ….what’s next for them?

6) what crazy twists and turns will Stark and Nikki take as their relationship develops?