This week at Smexy…

A review – Skies of Gold by Zoe Archer (steampunk)
B+ review – Risk & Reward by Alisha Rai (erotic contemporary)
B review – Masked Cowboy by Sarah Anderson (contemporary)
B- review – Caught up in You by Roni Loren (bdsm)
B- review – Crave by Monica Murphy (erotic)
C+ review – Breath of Iron by Kate Cross (steampunk)
C+ review – Just in Time by Addison Fox (contemporary)
C review – The Entity Series by Cat Devon (pnr)
C review – Pitch Perfect by Sierra Dean (contemporary)
DNF Review – In His Command by Rie Warren (futuristic m/m)

The Marriage in Trouble Trope Discussion
Cover Reveal: Rocky Mountain Freedom by Vivian Arend
The Alpha Hole Hero. Hot or Not?
Stacey Kennedy’s Blog Tour – Are you ready to be Claimed?

News from Mandi:  Beyond Pain by Kit Rocha continues to convince me that this writing team writes some of the best erotic scenes out there. But they also build an incredible world and have created very memorable and well done characters. I’ll be reviewing Beyond Pain later this month, but if you have yet to try this series, I highly recommend Beyond Shame and Beyond Control.

What Happens Between Friends by Beth Andrews has some great highlights and one great disappointment. Highlights include a well done hero and heroine who are best friends and have to deal with that pesky thing called romance coming between them. There is some great witty dialogue in this one. My disappointment comes in on the end. It is so rushed and abrupt, I was not quite convinced of the HEA yet. I’ll be reviewing soon.

Burden by Annamarie McKenna is a m/m cop novella, featuring one hero who was in a horrific car accident that caused brain damage. He now struggles with the simplest of things, has memory issues and stutters. When he is out buying a cup of coffee (practicing using money) he sees a gun pointed at a guy and instinct takes over. This guy that he tackles to the ground and saves is also a cop, and these two hit it off. I reallllllly wish this had been a longer book because all the events are super rushed. Otherwise, I liked the potential this one had. Review coming soon.

Stay with Me by Elyssa Patrick is her first new adult featuring a famous heroine who now wants to just go to college and leave Hollywood behind. She meets a cute boy and starts to hang out with his group of friends. I loved the supporting cast in this one – they were funny, full of life and well done. But I didn’t feel that way at all about the heroine. She felt flat to me with no personality. And if she was a famous child star that every teenager squees as soon as they see her, I’d think she would have more charm about her. I struggled with her. Review coming at the end of the month.

I ended the week with Sanctuary Island by Lily Everett (aka Louisa Edwards). I really enjoyed this one. I guess you could say it’s more on the women’s fic side but it has a nice romance in it. The heroine has been estranged from her mother since she was thirteen due to her mom being an alcoholic. Her mom rebuilt her life and now the heroine goes to a small island with her sister to reunite. She plans to only stay two weeks, but she ends up meeting a sexy handy man. Oh I liked him. Review to come.

Tori News: Kit Rocha’s newest release, Beyond Pain, is beyond GOOD! An erotic dystopian romance whose blend of violence, sex, and freedom writes an incredible story of love, loss, and survival in a world where everything is for sale. Bren is now my favorite O’Kane. *sorry Jas*  Review to come.

Stacia Kane’s Downside series is one of my favorite Urban Fantasy’s. In Wrong Ways Down, a we get Terrible’s point of view from when he first began to fall in love with Chess. Dark and lush, Terrible ruminantes about his attraction to Chess while trying to discover who is viciously attacking his bosses prostitutes.

Though I’m not a fan of Cherise Sinclair’s Masters of the Shadowlands series, I really enjoyed her latest release, This Is Who I Am. Sinclair not only captures perfectly a romance facilitated by sadomasochism, but she also does so with an older couple. I was enchanted with Sam & Linda. Their journey of healing is a hard road but the lack of childish drama often seen with younger couples was a welcomed approach. A thrilling sub plot underlies the storyline.

Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon surprised me with the direction it took. I can’t say anymore due to publisher/author restrictions. Hard core fans will love. Review to come.

Kristen Ashley Rock Chick Revolution is a mad cap journey of love, laughter, jealousy, and craziness galore as the last Denver Rock Chick finds her Hot Bunch Guy. Review to come.

Kat Richardson’s Possession is a noir urban fantasy that pits a P.I. whose multi death experiences has made her a guardian for the dead against the supernatural creatures that go bump in the Seattle night. A strong police procedural theme makes this thriller a fast suspenseful read. Review to come.

I adore Mary Calmes Matter of Time series so when I saw she had another in the series out-Parting Shot-I jumped on it. Parting Shot is Adrian and Duncan’s story. A sexy, sweet, MUY hot m/m romance between a submissive cop and a dominant millionaire. Loved watching Duncan and Adrian come to terms with what they both wanted from life and one another. A suspenseful subplot only adds to the spice between these two uber protective men.

If you have been reading Karina Halle’s Artist Trilogy, then you definitely aren’t going to want to miss book two, Shooting Scars. Halle smacks your arse coming out the gate and doesn’t let up till the end. Plots twist and turn. Agendas become known and change on a whim. Liars are spoken and truths revealed. Nothing is what you think as you learn more about our protagonists and the games they are playing with one another. Review to come.

Turn and Burn by Lorelei James is the fifth book in her Blacktop Cowboy series and I feel her strongest to date. Focus remains centralized on our protagonists and the emotional journey they are faced with. Plenty of love, laughter, and steamy love play kept this reader satisfied to the end. Review to come.

Forever After: The Encounter by Miranda Evans was a kindle freebie that astonished me by it’s utter lack of appeal. Poor writing, character development, and storyline left me with nothing to recommend.

Stay With Me by Elyssa Patrick is a sweet sexy new adult centering around a Hollywood child star that leaves the fame to go to collage and make a life of her own choosing. Though the conflict(s) doesn’t flesh out in depth and the theme predictable, the characters themselves provide an enjoyable reading experience and I look forward to see how the series progresses.

The Pawn (Sex, Lies, and Spies) by Gennita Low . I honestly liked the theme of the book but hated one of the characters. The actions he uses to obtain his goals were inexcusable. He rapes, though some may argue forced seduction, the man with whom he has had crush on for three years. He lies to him and threatens him all the while internally professing his love. Meh. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

I am currently reading Viper (Sons of Sangue) by Patricia A. Rasey. It’s about vampire outlaw bikers. ZOMG!