This week at Smexy…

A review – Ripped by Sarah Morgan (contemporary)
B review – Full Throttle by Erin McCarty (contemporary)
B- review – Kicking It by Faith Hunter (urban fantasy/anthology)
B- review – Place Your Betts by Katie Graykowski (contemporary)
C review – Left Hand Path by Jeff Erno (mm/romantic suspense)
C review – At Any Price by Brenna Aubrey (contemporary)
C+ review – Torn by Monica Murphy (contemporary)
C+ review – When It’s Right by Jeanette Grey (contemporary)

Smexy’s Top Ten

Mandi’s News: I spent most of my week reading and listening (ok so I bought the audio but they weren’t reading fast enough so then I bought the kindle) of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Damn it this book is messed up and amazing. I loved it. It’s not a romance (gasp) it’s a murder mystery of sorts. The main reason I read it is because Sophia from Fiction Vixen raved and they are making it into a movie next year so I plunged. I became obsessed. I didn’t loooooove the ending but it was SO worth the read/listen. If you want something cracky and just different, give this one a try.

I also finished Written in Red by Anne Bishop which was fantastic. Thank you to Tori for the rec! Amazing urban fantasy world. If you are a fan of this genre it’s a must read.

I just finished Starting from Scratch by Stacy Gail. The hero comes home from the middle east with a head injury, unable to remember his wife. He demands a divorce. Months later when he is done therapy (and still no memory) he moves back home and meets his wife again. There is angst! Lucy is terrified to open her heart up to him again but he is still her husband in her eyes and can’t help herself. Really enjoyed – review coming soon.

I want to try The Backup Boyfriend by Ryver James next. M/M – looks good.

Tori’s News: I saw Torn from You by Nashoda Rose on Net Galley and the premise was intriguing. A young woman is kidnapped by human traffickers only to find out the love of her life is involved. I enjoyed the first half.  It was dark, erotic, and filled with delicious suspense. But the second half fell apart for me. It became a whiny NA. Our “hero” demands forgiveness without any real explanations and our heroine resists very little before giving in. My main bone of contention in all of it though was a secondary relationship. The man is a complete jerk to the woman and his excuse made me want to punch him in the throat. Torn (snicker) on whether I will read book two.

C791 by Eve Langlais is the first in an erotic romance series about yummy sexy cyborgs. A group of men were experimented on against their will by the military. When they are slated for termination, they rebel, escape, and attempt to find out the reasons behind what happened to them. Humorous, action packed, and a little cheesy made for a fun VERY sexy read. I’m always amused when one half of a couple is not all the way human. Their dialogue and actions are always entertaining. I plan on reading more of the series.

Acts Of Faith by A.M. Arthur is the heart felt continuation in the life of Sam and Rey. We first met them in Cost Of Repairs. Sam and Rey are a couple and their relationship is solid until a flirtatious man and a little girl enter their lives. Sweet, sexy, & emotional best sums up this story of love and sacrifice. Thoroughly enjoyed and hope we see more of them in the future. Review to come.

Shadowdance by Kristen Callahan is the long awaited story of Jack Talent from her fascinating Darkest London series. Answers are given as Callihan leads readers through a dark and twist labyrinth of secrets, deceptions, and betrayals. The first half is a little slow as Callihan builds the romance and the conflict but soon it explodes and we race to that end. Review to come.

Castle Hill by Samantha Young is a novella centering around Joss and Braden’s up coming wedding. Emotionally heart tugging, Joss and Braden are still trying to deal with their respective baggage and hoping to build a future together. A lovely novella that addresses and resolves an important hurdle towards their HEA.

Making Faces by Amy Harmon is a beautiful coming of age story about love, loss, sacrifice, acceptance, and forgiveness. Faint hints of Beauty and the Beast tell the story of a plain looking girl with a heart of gold who has loved the town’s golden boy for most of her life. When he returns from war, scarred and disillusioned, her love and friendship helps to break him out of the darkness he has exiled himself into. It dragged me through the emotional gauntlet. My only qualm was the religious undertones came on a bit strong at times.

I was super excited for Lina Andersson’s Arrow Of Time. Unfortunately, my love of biker/mc romances couldn’t overcome the sheer boredom of this story. It wasn’t bad, it just lacked any real emotional depth. Very paint by number in it’s execution. Also, the heroine’s running every time there is conflict got old real quick.

Holding Out by Lila Rose is another MC romance whose voice and execution is very similar to Kristen Ashley. Outrageous dialogue, bossy alpha men, crazy clueless heroines, and quick resolving conflicts was a mash up of Ashley’s Rock Chick and Colorado series with a plot line straight from her Mystery Man series. Regardless of the similarities, I enjoyed it in a casual way in that it demanded nothing from me. There were some issues that rushed the story and didn’t allow for a realistic timeline.

This weekend I have Kresley Cole’s The Professional and Borne In Blood by Alexandra Ivy up to read.