Erotic

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne [Book Review] 15

 in Adult / Books by

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure here.

Summary

He is known only as The Rook. A man with no name, no past, no memories. He awakens in a mass grave, a magnificent dragon tattoo on his muscled forearm the sole clue to his mysterious origins. His only hope for survival―and salvation―lies in the deep, fiery eyes of the beautiful stranger who finds him. Who nurses him back to health. And who calms the restless demons in his soul…

A LEGENDARY LOVE

Lorelai will never forget the night she rescued the broken dark angel in the woods, a devilishly handsome man who haunts her dreams to this day. Crippled as a child, she devoted herself to healing the poor tortured man. And when he left, he took a piece of her heart with him. Now, after all these years, The Rook has returned. Like a phantom, he sweeps back into her life and avenges those who wronged her. But can she trust a man who’s been branded a rebel, a thief, and a killer? And can she trust herself to resist him when he takes her in his arms?

-From Amazon.com

Review

This book caught my attention on one of the stands in my library, just because it was the only romance novel on it and I haven’t read a bodice ripper book in a while. Most of the romance, if not all, that I read are by Nalini Singh, and when I say romance in this context, I’m talking about adult romance. I read fantasy romance and YA romance all the time, but I am REALLY REALLY picky about adult romance, a.k.a. erotic novels. 

Most of them have the girl needing the guy and pining after him to be saved. Like blech. If that’s your thing, then go for it, but I need me a girl who can kick butt and take names. So far I’ve only seen that in the Black Dagger Brotherhood and The Guild Hunters Series (suggestions are always welcome!).

So, I picked this book up because I hadn’t read one of these kinds in a while and I said why not.

The beginning had me a little weirded out – they were kids?!
So the first few chapters of the book were really unclear as to what was going on. I thought that the main character was an adult and was talking to the injured man, later named Ash. Turns out, she was like 14 while she was helping this dude and he was probably about 17 or something. So I was incredibly creeped out with some of the statements that Lorelei was making such as she was feeling things in her body she had never felt. Now, I get that that happens to young girls when they meet a cute guy, but writing about it for adults in a potentially sexual content made me a little weirded out. Additionally, their personalities did not match with their ages. I had no idea she was 14, especially with the way she was thinking as well as speaking until she blatantly stated that she was 14. So that kind of turned me off the book and I skipped ahead a bit until I found the adult age sections.

A little bit…rapey?
I kept getting this vibe, later on, that The Rook was kind of rapey towards Lorelei. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind when it’s like a dominant male scenario, but this, I felt, was a little beyond that. He kept saying he wanted her, kept referencing forcing her and such. But then suddenly the angle would change and it would become like they were old friends. Or that he never wanted to hurt her or something. Um, okay, you just abducted her so…that’s kind of off the table already.

Tough guy to broken and in love.
The Rook, or Ash, was this tough guy. I keep envisioning the Black Dagger Brotherhood characters – all big and muscly and scary and grrrr. But you never really got a good description of what he looked like so I just kind of made it up. He was a pirate, which was like what? And he conquered so much stuff in a short span of time and lived through all this horrible stuff. Like, okay, not terribly believable but okay. But as the book progressed, he’s like all tough and then suddenly he’s all weak and stuff and wanting her to love him. I get when someone opens up and reveals their inner heart, but it was just so sudden. One second he’s like “I’m the worst thing in the world” to “I love you Lorelie – please help me Obi-wan, you are my only hope.” Ugh, come on!

Overall, not terribly impressed.
Maybe my views have changed, and maybe my tastes as well, but overall this book was just so meh. I’ve read fanfiction with better developed stories than this. I’m sorry, it just really wasn’t my cup of tea. It was just so cringey.

As a romance story, a bodice ripper, I’m sure it’s just fine. But I don’t generally enjoy those books so it just wasn’t for me. I have ordered another one of Byrne’s book from my library to give it another chance, as just maybe this story wasn’t for me and I don’t want to hate on all of her books if I’ve only read one. But so far, I’ll stick to other genres for now.

Have you read this? Opinions?

3/5 teacups for my rating.

3 Teacups

 

Trapped (The Condemned Book 1) by Alison Aimes

 in Book Events / Books / Fantasy / Hot Off The Press / Interesting / Older Readers / Otherworldly by

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure here.

Trapped book cover

Summary

“When Bella West crash lands on prison planet Dragath25, the only thing standing between her and a mass of brutal criminals is one of their own, a ruthless loner known only as 673. But what starts out as a desperate trade based on protection and raw lust soon blossoms into a scorching need that will push them both to the edge….

Cadet Bella West has one simple objective when she joins the scientific mission to Dragath25, the notorious penal planet housing Earth’s condemned. Earn the credits necessary to save her family from starvation. But when her shuttle crashes and the majority of her crew perish, her simple mission becomes complicated fast. Now, to stay alive she’ll have to depend on one of Dragath’s own. But such protection doesn’t come free.

Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, 673 has become more beast than man after eight grueling years on an unforgiving, hazardous planet of dirt and rock—and even more treacherous inhabitants. He doesn’t look out for anyone but himself and he certainly never grows attached. So when the bold female offers him pleasure in return for protection, he takes the deal without hesitation. He never expects how her touch will alter him. Or the growing realization that saving her may be the key to his own salvation.

But as dangers mount and their ‘simple’ deal unravels will he prove to be her surprise savior or her ultimate downfall? Because caring for someone on Dragath25 may prove the greatest hazard of all.

A tale of unbridled desire, stunning sacrifice, and unwavering love, Trapped is an action-packed, sexy sci-fi romance that takes you to the brink of oblivion on a prison planet where only the strong survive.

The first book in the Condemned Series, Trapped has a HEA [happily ever after] and can be read as a stand-alone.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

One of the exciting things about being a book blogger, who has been around for quite a few years and is slowly getting recognized, is that people come to you asking you to review their books and promote books as well and this was one of them and I’m quite happy that I received an ARC to review ! Trapped was actually a really good book and I didn’t expect it to be as I usually don’t read main stream romance stories. This is, once again, considered to be an erotic romance novel and I never would have picked it up if I wasn’t contacted to ask to review the book and I have to say it was quite enjoyable. While there will be other books in the series, I don’t know if I’ll check them out as while the book was good, it isn’t my kind of story exactly and I’m happy with the HEA, but it was a decent novel to read and easily fitted into the bodice ripper category.

While there was the romance going on, there was a whole other story there too as it was set on another planet, which was also kind of cool too. Not many romance stories have that quality in them. Sure, maybe vampires or some fantasy creatures, but not based on another planet. But all of the people in the story were human, save for some of the animals which the main male protagonist fought.

The whole scene that the book was set in was interesting as well. The planet was actually where criminals were sent and so it was an extremely harsh planet, like lots of sand and hot and dangerous. Except 673 found some nice oasis’ that had water and nice plants. I did feel that there could have been more to the story, like maybe a little more character development because 673 kept going forward and then regressing back to his old ways but in the end he was suddenly different, but it still worked for the story so it wasn’t a down side. I just always like character development as you all probably have figured out by now.

Based on the picture of the cover, which is usually used to represent a character, I did have a different visual of the guy in my mind. I was thinking of more Conan the Barbarian kind of feel but like much much bigger, like 7 feet tall, but he apparently was more like 6 or so and more of a normal guy. I just felt he had a bigger than life quality which was kind of cool and he was sooo badass.

I also really liked the female, Bella, because she was a strong female character and attempted to kick some ass and was stubborn and strong-headed which I really like. I hate when the main characters are simpering females (as you all know) and I liked how she would go head-to-head with this guy who was a lot stronger than her and she wouldn’t back down which was awesome.

This is definitely mature literature so not for 18 and under, but if you’re looking for something a little steamy and a quick read (I read it in only a few hours), this is definitely what you’re looking for. It fits the bill perfectly.

It comes out in March of this year and I do recommend that you check it out and I hope that more books will be coming out because I would love to see how this story develops.

Happy Reading!

Trapped by Alison Aimes Book Tour!

 in Adult / Book Events / Books / Creative / Fantasy / Interesting by

About the Book

Title: Trapped
Author: Alison Aimes
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
Release Date: March 3rd 2016
Publisher: Indie Published
Print Length: 239 pages
Format: Paperback and Digital
Print ISBN: 978-0-996-4683-1-2
Digital ISBN: 978-0-9964683-0-5

 

 

HIS PLANET. HIS RULES… Trapped by Alison Aimes is an action-packed, sexy sci-fi that takes you to the brink of oblivion on a planet where only the strong survive. When Bella West crash lands on penal planet Dragath25, the only thing standing between her and a mass of brutal criminals is one of their own, a ruthless loner known only as 673. But what starts out as a desperate trade based on protection and raw lust soon blossoms into a scorching need that will push them both to the edge. A tale of unbridled desire, stunning sacrifice, and unwavering love, Trapped is the first book in The Condemned Series.

Cadet Bella West has one simple objective when she joins the scientific mission to Dragath25, the notorious penal planet housing Earth’s condemned. Earn the credits necessary to save her family from starvation. But when her shuttle crashes and the majority of her crew perish, her simple mission becomes complicated fast. Now, to stay alive she’ll have to depend on one of Dragath’s own. But such protection doesn’t come free.

Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, 673 has become more beast than man after eight grueling years on an unforgiving, hazardous planet of dirt and rock—and even more treacherous inhabitants. He doesn’t look out for anyone but himself and he certainly never grows attached. So when the bold female offers him pleasure in return for protection, he takes the deal without hesitation. He never expects how her touch will alter him. Or the growing realization that saving her may be the key to his own salvation.

But as dangers mount and their ‘simple’ deal unravels will he prove to be her surprise savior or her ultimate downfall? Because caring for someone on Dragath25 may prove the greatest hazard of all.

Alison Aimes headshotAbout the Author

Alison Aimes is the award-winning author of the sexy sci fi romance series the Condemned as well as the sizzling contemporary romance Billionaires’ Revenge series. A sci fi fanatic with a PhD in Modern History, she’s an all over the map kind of woman whose always had a love for dramatic stories and great books, no matter the era. Now, she’s creating her own stories full of intrigue and passion, but always with a happy-ever-after ending. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two kids, and her dog. When not in front of the computer, she can be found hanging with family and friends, hiking, trying to turn herself into a pretzel through yoga, listening to a fabulous TED talk, or, last but not least, sitting on the couch imagining her characters’ next great adventures.

Alison can be found on line at www.alisonaimes.com

Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook/alisonaimes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alisonaimes
Pre-order on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Qex8hU

Book Excerpts (Disclaimer: Adult content follows)

First Excerpt: First Touch (343 words)

“Come.” He held out a calloused palm.

She swallowed hard, her stare raking from his scowling face to his wide chest and muscular thighs. Payment had already come due.

“No.” Davies grabbed Bella’s arm, glaring at the mud man. “This isn’t right. Take me instead.”

His scowl deepened.

“It’s okay.” Bella hurriedly slid her hand into his. Davies offer was unbelievably brave, but Bella would never allow it. Her colleague was Council—and injured. She’d never survive this. Plus, the idea of a deal had been Bella’s from the start. And she couldn’t regret it. Not when they were all still alive.

His skin was rough—and surprisingly warm.

A shiver slid down her spine. So much so that it took her a second to realize he’d gone perfectly still. His gaze locked on their intertwined palms. Something that looked a lot like wonder etched in the hard planes of his face.

Her gaze skittered to Davies’. Her colleague looked equally confused.

It hit Bella then. Human contact. He was reacting to the sensation of touch. Cherishing something as simple as the heat of her palm against his.

A wave of sympathy rippled through her. This man might be a criminal, but he was also a living being. One who had clearly been alone for a very long time.

On instinct, she interlaced her fingers with his, pressing their hands closer.

He shuddered, his eyes sinking shut, his face tilting upward, the way a person might delight in the sun on his face after a hard, dark winter. Her chest went tight.

After a lifetime of being just one more mouth to feed, one more body that had to be clothed and housed using Earth’s ever dwindling resources, the feeling of mattering to someone was unfamiliar—and nice.

“It’s okay.” It was the same words she’d said before, but this time she meant it. “We‘re on your side….F—friends.”

His eyes flared open, his grip tightening, more possessive now than cherishing. All hints of vulnerability wiped away. “I’m not looking for a friend.”

Excerpt Two: The Challenge (500 words)

A splash sounded. Powerful ripples washed against her back like a surging tide. He was coming for her.

She whirled and discovered small bubbles on the surface of the water. An inky cloud of red and brown streamed in all directions followed by foamy white. Then a dark head broke the surface and he was standing before her, waist high in the water, a mud man no more.

Her mouth opened on a tiny o.

Without the dirt, dark, thick hair, shorn close to his scalp, was now visible. Along with olive skin, a wide forehead, low brows, firm lips, and a square jaw. Tiny droplets left his long lashes spikey while rivulets of water tracked over chiseled cheekbones down his sculpted chest and abdomen to a small trail of dark hair that snaked from his belly button to disappear into the water. Scars of various length and width tracked across miles of pure, hard muscle.

My God, mud man was a flesh and blood man—an incredibly masculine one. If she’d met him at the Academy or the barracks on Earth, she would have been unable to stop staring. He was that beautiful.

Then his hand shot out and her daze shattered.

With a hiss, she stumbled back.

One dark eyebrow rose. “Here.”

She looked down to see a small white bar in his hand.

“It’s soap.” His tone was brusque. “The drones dump trash from Earth. Use it.”

“Thank you.” It took all her courage to reach out and take the bar from his hand. “I—I’ve never used it before. The Academy only allows lasers for cleaning. The use of water was banned a long time ago.” She stopped short.

Of course, he knew that. He wasn’t from some distant galaxy. He was from Earth. He just wasn’t welcome there anymore.

His lips flat lined. “I’ve been here a while, but not as long as that.”

Was that a joke? His expression offered no clue.

“Of course.” Hands shaking, she took the soap and rubbed it against her arm. The blood stayed put. She rubbed harder.

She hadn’t expected this…this talking. Or the kindness of a bath—with soap. It was confusing.

“You need the water to make it work.” Rough hands reached out and took the soap, dunking it under the water, making that same foamy circle she’d seen before.

“Turn around.” His voice had gone husky again.

That overworked heart of hers started up double time once again. Her feet remained planted where they were.

He waited for longer than she would have expected before he spoke again, his jaw locked tight. “Anything?” It was a reminder. A reproach. A challenge.

And her last chance to change her mind.

Her eyes sunk shut.  I can do this. I need to do this.

She whirled around, bracing for a grab. A strike. But the deliberate slow glide of a calloused fingertip down the bumps of her spine slammed through her with more force than any blow.

Excerpt Three: Revelation (498 words)

“Fine. Go.” Bella screamed at the spot where he’d been. “I should have known you wouldn’t keep to the deal. You’re nothing but a lowlife Dragath25 criminal. Who needs you?”

She was turning back toward the cave when the ground shook. Reeling round, her eyes went wide. Convict was steamrolling toward her, a murderous look on his face.

She’d only just begun to run when powerful arms jerked her back against hard, warm steel. Clawing, kicking, she tried to break free, but it was no use. Caged by one thick arm around her stomach and one tangled in her hair, she was trapped.

“That’s right, fighter-girl. I am nothing but a lowlife Dragath25 criminal.”

“Stop.” She shoved against his chest. It was as unmovable as the rock at her back.

“Criminals don’t stop.” He fisted her shirt, drawing her onto her tiptoes, bringing her face in line with his. His knee slid between her thighs, forcing them wide. “We take.” His hand skimmed down her body. “We violate.”

Heartbeat slamming against her ribs, she tried to fix this. “I—I shouldn’t have said what I did. I’m sorry.”

“That’s right. You shouldn’t have said it.” He wrapped his wrist tighter in her hair. “Just like you shouldn’t have ignored my direct order.”

“I understand that now.”

It was as if he didn’t hear her. “You think it’s easy to survive out here. You think this is a joke. You think I made it on this fucking hellhole this long out of sheer luck.”

“No.”

“I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe. Done things I can barely stand to think of.” Echoes of those horrors stretched tight across his face. “But I’ve made it here eight years and I don’t intend to die now.”

Her chest grew tight. She didn’t think she could bear even another few days on this place. She couldn’t imagine surviving eight years.

“I’m sorry. You’re right.” She spoke fast, the words spilling from her, more genuine this time. “I wasn’t trying to get you killed. I was trying to help. I appreciate all you’ve done. Hiding us in the cave. Saving us from the tigos. Even the water and bandages you gave my colleagues.” She cleared her throat. “You were keeping to the deal. I was the one who screwed up.”

He didn’t acknowledge her words, but his grip loosened, the tension in his body lessening. “It’s easy to die out here.”

“But people make it.” Her voice shook. “You’ve made it. I will too.”

He shook his head, something that looked a lot like regret in his gaze. “You’re soft. Delicate.” The finger that had been so predatory against her skin now felt like a caress. “Keeping you alive will be next to impossible. Even without the added stubbornness.”

A new and astonishing idea flooded through her, a live wire of awareness to her brain. It wasn’t cold-heartedness that had promoted his departure, but the exact opposite. He didn’t want to watch her die.

The Research Project (The Research Project Trilogy Book 1) by Sarah Fawcett

 in Adult / Book Reviews / Books / Fiction / Series by

The Research Project coverSummary

“It seems like a good idea. Psychologist Colleen Couisneau is organized and logical. She even schedules date nights with her husband Steve once a week. Unfortunately, Steve leaves Colleen, stating that her robotic and methodical behaviour is the cause of his unhappiness.

Colleen believes that her lack of experience in the bedroom is the root cause of their split and recognizes that she needs to improve her repertoire to reconcile with Steve. She decides to begin a research study about casual sex.

New environments and testing her limits are all key to the research. The samples and data she collects open her eyes and lead her to form new hypotheses about what makes a marriage work.

As Colleen learns about her own wants and needs, she starts to reevaluate her own life. Will she be able to put the new theories to the test?”

–From Sarah Fawcett’s website

Review

Ms. Fawcett contacted me asking to review this book for her and I am sooooo glad she did as I loved it. It does fall into the erotic romance genre, but it did have a lot more going on as well with the whole relationship aspect.

It follows Colleen who has a horrible husband and he leaves her because she is supposedly mechanical in sex, though you find out more is happening later, and she decides to go and explore her sexuality and figure out what she’s doing. I really did like the protagonist because I was able to connect with her because she was so real. She didn’t seem to be this extraordinary woman and she was easy to connect to.

One key thing I also did like in the writing was there was a lot of verbal communication and the use of protection. A lot of romance stories assume that the woman says yes and, I’m guessing, assume that protection is used. But if it’s not there, then I usually assume it didn’t happen. So I was really happy that it stated that protection was used and there was verbal consent as it also made it more realistic as well.

There was a lot going on in the book too. Colleen was searching for her sexuality and finding her way which was nice but she was also doing it for an interesting reason. She wanted her husband back, after everything which happened. I did want to sometimes shake Colleen and make her see what her husband was truly like, but of course I can’t do that. I did like that the story evoked many emotions in me. As a reader I don’t want to be reading it and just reading it for that purpose. I like to feel something or many different something. And when I can dislike a character I really like the story more because I can easily like character, but disliking them is sometimes hard, so I did like that aspect.

But my main love for this book was the whole consent aspect. With sexual assault being a massive issue and some of the new sayings being ‘If she doesn’t say yes, assume it’s no’, I liked how with all of the guys she had relations with they always were asking about consent and that really was comforting. While it isn’t completely realistic in every case, it was nice to ready a story where the consent was obvious.

Overall I really did enjoy the book and do recommend it. I really want to read the other two books in the series to see where it all goes as I’m extremely curious. Enjoy and happy reading!

A Lady’s Submission (The Warriors of Ar’mora Book 1) by Frank Carlyle

 in Adult / Adventure / Book Reviews / Books / Fantasy / Fiction / Older Readers by

Book CoverSummary

“Last of a clan that once ruled over a vast trade network and determined the fate of empires, Mahlon Arn, has the task of reclaiming a place once lost and now hidden within the jungled corridors of a tributary river that feeds into the mighty Amazon River. It’s a past that almost no one remembers except for the few who dare to return and once more reclaim all that once was and begin to build what is to become.

Journey deep into the jungle and follow the story of a warrior who reclaims a kingdom, only to ache for the completion of a prophecy spoken over him by a dying father. A prophecy that comes in the form of a red haired fantasy lady, who is born up the river by chance and circumstance or perhaps by Divine will, and that must be claimed and utterly brought into submission by the man, who has been tasked to not only reclaim a past but to build a future based on righteousness.

A Lady’s Submission is the beginning of a five book journey into the exotic realms of a place that has never been spoken of and is now just beginning to be realized through the lives of the five remaining blood heirs of the House of Arn, of the kindred of people known to the ancient world as the Ar’morians. This is a tale of overcoming faith and erotic conquest. A reality of an ancient place comes alive in this tale of Christian Erotic Themed Fantasy Fiction.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

I was lucky enough to have Mr. Carlyle contact me over this book and ask me to read it and I’m so glad that he did because I really did enjoy this book. I will start off by saying that this is adult literature, as it is erotic themed. And while I don’t usually read blatant erotic literature (while Nalini Singh’s books (as well as others) do count but it’s much more than that), this one definitely needs to be reviewed.

First off, it’s written by a guy. I mean how rare is that?! All the erotic literature that I know is written by women, usually older women as the younger ones don’t want to write it, and so this book automatically caught my interest when I received the email as I was intrigued as to what a male author would be able to do with such a feminine topic. I have to say, I was definitely impressed. Instead of a lot of it being from the females perspective, it was mostly from the main male protagonist of the story which was quite interesting. I thought that reading about sexy thoughts from a guy would be strange, but it didn’t change how I read the story at all. It was just as enjoyable and an interesting touch. I wouldn’t have known that it was written by a guy at all and the different perspective was awesome. So kudos to Mr. Carlyle.

Next, this book falls into a new-ish category (one I’m not terribly familiar with) called Christian Erotic Themed Fantasy Fiction. Now, this is kind of interesting. It’s erotic literature with a christian twist which is different. This means that in the story the main female protagonist spent time praying to God and there were references to Jesus. Now I don’t have an opinion for or against something like this, but I know that some people may view strongly against this, due to the fact that sex and the bible don’t necessarily go hand in hand perfectly. No I’m not trying to start a war here, so please don’t bite my head off. I’m merely stating that when the bible and sex get mixed together, sometimes things can get messy which I respect and understand, but I don’t feel, that in this book, such a problem came up, so if that is a worry for a reader, I don’t believe that they need to feel that way. The writing was respectful and the incorporation of the religion and belief was interesting and added to the story in a very unique way. I was confused when God and Jesus references appeared, but once I realized the genre, then I understood instantly. So another bonus point for the author because he broke two barriers so far: being a male author and adding religious aspects.

Now, more about the story. It was a very decent story. It fit perfectly into the traditional erotic romance category. Think of a basic Harlequin novel, with the two aspects above mixed in, with a little historical kind of feel to it. For some reason, when reading it, I kept having this image of like Conan the Barbarian mixed with Game of Thrones going on. Maybe I’m just loosing my head but that’s what I was picturing the entire time.

The story was interesting and it was nice to see a real commitment between the male and the female. A lot of times the sex scenes which happen is more superfluous sex. I guess you could call it a hook-up a lot of the time and then the love develops through the novel. This one the love was there and it was an interesting story and development.

As a reader, I would have liked more of a story line, a little more something in the story, but that’s just a personal thing as I always like lots going on. But for erotic literature, this fit the bill perfectly in my opinion.

Overall, I thought it was fantastic and I would recommend it. It was only about 135 pages or so and I was able to read it in just over an hour or so (I read fast so maybe more like 2-3 for some readers) so it wasn’t a difficult read. I would say to check it out if you have some spare time and are looking for something. It is unique in my opinion and is different from other erotic literature stories, but not so different that it’s bad. A job well done in my opinion.

Happy Reading!