This week at Smexy….

B review – Soulbound by Tessa Adams (urban fantasy)
B review – Wildcat by Cheryl Brooks (PNR)
B review – Sold to the Enemy by Sarah Morgan (contemporary)
C+ review – Seduced by the Gladiator by Lauren Hawkeye (erotic historical)
C+ review – One Good Earl Deserves Another by Sarah MacLean (historical)
C+ review – Going Under by Lauren Dane (PNR)
D review – Pack of Lies by Sara Dailey and Staci Weber (YA PNR)
DNF/F Review – Rush by Maya Banks (erotic contemporary)

Concealed Desire Book Tour
May Talks – Romancing the Novel
Smexy’s Top Ten

News From Mandi: I read the second book in Jax Garren’s Underlight series, How Beauty Saved the Beast and I liked it more than book one (although this is a continuing trilogy so should be read in order). I adore Hauk (very scarred from severe burns) and Jolie together. They are so cute and have such great chemistry. I still feel like the world building is weak – I really want to dive into WHAT the Underlight really is. And I still feel like this story would have played out better in one book rather than three shorter ones. BUT – I still recommend this series. I think this author has created some really well done characters. Review coming soon.

Sold to the Enemy by Sarah Morgan was a well done contemporary romance with a rich hero and a heroine who has a very controlling father. These two surprised me. The heroine has a great blend of being feisty yet a layer of vulnerability due to her family situation. The link to the review is above.

Reaper’s Property by Joanna Wylde got me all excited. Horse was all growly and possessive and well….just a total Motorcycle Club dude. And I adored Marie. She stood up to him (as best she could) and I think the author did a great job with their chemistry. I like these types of books. I hope we get more. (for an excellent review of this book, check out Kaetrin’s Musings.)

Curve Ball by Charlotte Stein is a freebie novella on Amazon. It made me giggle as it has an awkward heroine and her inner dialogue and some of the stuff she does is so silly! The hero is this huge, massive guy (with a hairy chest!) who makes comments about people being overweight (heroine is overweight) and then conflict ensues between them. This book entertained me but I didn’t quite feel the romance or sexy times. It was a little too much for me.

Collide by Juliana Stone is the second in her Barker Triplet series and I really liked this one. Great sexual tension with a somewhat cranky hero. Past lovers reunited. It was a nice, sexy read. Review coming soon.

Finally I read Uncommon Pleasure by Anne Calhoun, which is two novellas in one book. They go together though – each one has different hero and heroine but it is a continuation of sorts of the story. Features two marines, or ex-marines dealing with coming home from war and starting life in the private sector. I’ll be reviewing this one towards the beginning of March. She writes very well done erotic stories. I was slightly disappointed in one aspect of the book, which I hid under spoiler tags on my Goodreads review. But overall well done.

I’m currently reading High Risk by Vivian Arend – so good so far. I’ll report back next week.

News From Tori:  House Rules by Chloe Neill is a welcome return to the Chicagoland Vampire series we originally fell in love with. Fans will be pleased by this latest installment. Review to come.

Deirdre Martin’s Hip Check is a romantic contemporary that revolves around the lives and loves of a fictional hockey team. An enjoyable story with a very strong vein of sadness winding through it. I did have a slight problem connecting with the characters. Review to come.

Curve Ball, by Charlotte Stein is a silly little friends to lovers novella. You will giggle and snort as you follow the internal ramblings of the heroine as she tries to determine if the hero likes her or wants to kill her. Currently free on Amazon.

If you’re a fan of Sophie Oak’s Bliss series then you definitely need to read her latest release, Once Upon A Time In Bliss. In here, we go back in time to see how Henry and Nell meet. We also get little niblets concerning the beginnings of other favorite characters and hints concerning who will be featured in the next installment. Review will be posted in March issue of RT Magazine.

Lara Santiago’s Shotgun Bride requires you to suspend your disbelief as you read this futuristic polyamory story about a young woman whose father intends to sell her to a pair of grooms. Not bad though I didn’t buy the insta-love between the three of them. Review will be posted in March issue of RT Magazine.

Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan is another winner in her dark and forbidding Darkest London series. Action, suspense, intrigue and some seriously smoking love scenes will keep you firmly submerged in this world till the very end. Review to come.

I was very pleased to come upon Megan Hart’s Reason Enough. I loved meeting Dan and Elle in Dirty and I was happy to once again visit with them.

I read Kate Ashley’s The Proposition and The Proposal. I enjoyed the first book much more then the second. The Proposal seemed very immature in attitude and dialogue and I found myself wanting to slap the heroine for some of the decisions she made.

I am currently reading Amanda Bonilla’s Lost to the Gray and will be starting Maureen Johnson’s The Name of the Star this weekend.