This week at Smexy…

B+ review – Shadow Rites by Faith Hunter (tori)
B+ review – Chase Me by Laura Florand (mandi)
B+ review – What We Find by Robyn Carr (helyce)
B review – The Beast by JR Ward (mandi)
B review – The One You Really Want by Jill Mansell (tori)
F review – Crash by Drew Jordan (mandi)

Smexy’s Top Ten

Guest Author: Magnolia Smith
Cover Reveal: The Protector by Jodi Ellen Mapas
Giveaway with Penny Reid and LH Cosway (still open!)
Cover Reveal: Twist by Kylie Scott

News from Mandi: Offensive Behavior by Ainslie Paton features a virgin hero who was recently fired as CEO from the company he created and a former Olympic gymnast, turned pole dancer heroine. I liked a lot. Review coming on Monday (it’s on Kindle Unlimited or $.99)

One Night Charmer by Maisey Yates – I didn’t connect with the hero or heroine in this one. I adored books 1-3 but this one was a miss for me. The hero is gruff, but I found him not likable. And the heroine just didn’t do anything for me. There is a game changer in the middle I wasn’t a fan of either. Review next week.

I read and adored Chase Me by Laura Florand, link for review is above. Highly recommend this one – great, great banter.

I finished my audio listen of Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs – great story and great narration. I’ve started a creepy, horror zombie book called The Girl With All the Gifts by MR Carey as my next listen. It’s so good I can’t stop listening (NOT a romance).

Up next for reading is Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle and Undecided by Juliana Keyes. 

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News from Tori: I haven’t read a whole lot this week. We are in the process of rehabbing some of the house which has taken up a lot of my time. Also there is my ongoing war with the post office. Grrrr

Jill Mansell’s The One You Really Want is a sweet humorous British contemporary romance. Read my review here.

I picked up the first book in Robyn Peterman’s Shift Happens series-Ready to Were-and laughed my butt off. A silly PNR with over the top dialogue, characters, and situations about a group of were shifters who work for a government agency whose acronym is WTF.  It’s not Pulitzer prize-winning material but a fun fast way to disappear from reality for a while. Book one is free on AMZ right now.

Ella Frank’s Finley hit all the right notes with this emotional angsty and sexually pumped MM romance that speaks of first love and second chances. This is a spin-off from her Temptation series.

Destination Wedding by Deanna Lynn Sletten is a low-key romance contemporary that forces a mother to spend a week with her ex husband during their daughter’s wedding. Sletten addresses the pain of divorce and infidelity while paving the way for reconciliation in a realistic fashion.

I am currently reading J.R. Ward’s The Beast and then I have Kristen Proby’s LIsten to Me.

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News from Kini:

It was a week of new to me authors and my goal of heroines being over 25 was achieved in only one book. There’s always next week.

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas– My first Kleypas, recced to be by Mandi. I started this on audio and finished on e-book. Contained the taking care of child that isn’t mine trope, I thought it was well done.  I really enjoyed it, won’t be my last Kleypas book.

Trying to get the most out of my continued Scribd subscription.

Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh– Librarian meet sexy rocker, yep you hooked me. This book took me days to get through, but was pretty good with some hot smex. I really like how the author got them through their challenges, very low dramatics and hysteria.

Rock Hard by Nalini Singh– Mousy assistant of large rugby star/CEO, again I was hooked. Charlotte was plagued by fear and Gabriel was patient and kind with her. Another example of relationship challenges but low drama.

The Professional by Kresley Cole  I was intrigued after Mandi’s recent Smex Scene Sunday with the next book in the series. Heroine seeking her birth family gets kind of kidnapped by her Russian mafia father’s best enforcer. This book was HOT. Like get the extinguisher. I described to my friend as kind of like FSoG, but with mafia and not lame. I will be reading the next ones.

Up next:  the new one from Juliana Keyes, Undecided and The Master by Kresley Cole.