Joint Review: Love Irresistibly (FBI/US Attorney #4)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Berkley

My Copy: Sent

Reviewed by: Pam/Nikki

HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS… A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.

AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER. A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love . . .

Brooke Parker has been the general counsel for Sterling Restaurants for two years; Ian Sterling has big plans for his company and wants to control the entertainment and ballpark restaurant contracts all around the country, he even set up a sports and entertainment division which Brooke was hired to run. She has been very successful gaining numerous sports arena contracts since she started. The only thing it has cost her are several relationships; Brooke’s boyfriend of three months recently dumps her telling her that she is not a “big picture” kind of girl. He is looking for someone different and ready for a family; unfortunately he is the third one in eighteen months to tell her the same thing.

Cade Morgan works for the U.S. Attorney’s office as a prosecutor, he has worked on some big cases and is well known in the community, however it helps that he is also famous for winning the Rose Bowl in the last few seconds and then having a career ending shoulder injury at the same time. Cade needs help with an ongoing investigation involving a dirty politician so is visiting Brooke to see what can be done; he takes FBI agents Seth and Vaughn to her office to see about setting up a sting operation by gaining access to Sterling’s 5 star restaurant to get evidence while the Senator dines.

Cade also has relationship problems, he just broke up with his girlfriend because she said he was emotionally unavailable and this was also not the first time he has heard that about him. He had several disappointing events in his childhood which caused most of his stilted emotions however he has not wanted to deal with them until life comes knocking in the form of a sixteen year old boy who is his half brother. They form a tenuous relationship which grows as they get to know each other.

Cade and Brooke’s relationship starts slow and as they continue to need each other’s help on various projects the connection grows into something more. It all comes to a head when both Cade’s past comes to meet up with him and she must decide on her future.

PAM: This is the fourth book in the FBI/U.S. Attorneys books and although loosely tied together they do share some of the same characters. The first books had a little more suspense and adventure as the hero and heroine spend some time trying to get the bad guys and getting out of some dangerous situations. However this newest installment did not have any of the previous suspenseful moments. I have to admit I really enjoyed the danger in Ms. James’ previous books and was a little disappointed. This is a true romance that deals with the problems of everyday life getting in the way of true love. That being said I did enjoy the story and the small amount of angst that Cade deals with about his past. I liked Cade and Brooke together as their banter was a witty back and forth continual conversation that was fun to read. Their personalities meshed well and the sexual tension and chemistry work. I really liked Brooke’s best friend Ford and loved when she accidentally “liked” an article on facebook to show all her “friends” she was interested in the Rules of Casual Sex, Ford’s reaction was hilarious. The pace of the story is good as you watch Cade’s and Brooke’s relationship grow into love.

Cade’s relationship with his brother, Zach is emotional as it brought out all the past feelings he had for his absent father, I liked that he made a statement that he was not going to treat Zach like his father treated him. I enjoyed seeing several characters from the other books; I really liked how Cade’s relationship with Rylann and Kyle was still alive despite him arresting Kyle for being the twitter terrorist. There are several characters that could be next in the series and I would enjoy reading any one of their stories.

I give Love Irresistibly by Julie James 3.50 stars!

NIKKI: Uggg Pam, you totally hit it on the head. Where was the heat? Where was the action? Not here, that’s where. I wanted to like this book. I did. I swear it. But nothing seemed to happen the entire book. it was slow paced (heh, Pam and I disagree on this one) and I found myself bored with Brooke’s constant indecision. She wants a steady boyfriend. She wants a life. yet she practically lives at work and then she wonders why even those boyfriends that have strong careers aren’t going for her. Well duh lady, you’re married to your job.

On the flip side I really enjoyed Cade’s character. He had this lawman, strong and steady vibe about him that just did it for me. He also had a ton of emotional baggage, which is nice for the man to have every once in awhile. When his past catches up to him and he finds out he has a half brother from the father who abandoned him…well to put it lightly, he’s rightfully pissed off. The man who left him didn’t leave this half brother and he essentially got to have the life Cade should have. I had to give Cade credit though, he reacted with grace and soon he and his brother are forging a relationship that will no doubt stand the test of time.

Together Brooke and Morgan slowly (and I mean that) evolve into a romance. It’s tame though so a wide range of romance readers should like that aspect. Problem was I just wasn’t blown away by their connection. It felt surface to me and I needed something more meaningful.

I wanted more from this book and really think it missed it’s mark in the string of this series. I will come back and see what the next journey is about and hope for the best.

I give Love Irresistibly by Julie James 2.75 stars

Protector by Nancy Northcott (The Protectors #1.5)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Forever

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

When firefighter and paramedic Edie Lang arrives to battle a wildfire in southeast Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp, she’s dismayed to encounter the man who ruined her life in just one night. Their reunion doesn’t make helicopter pilot Josh Campbell any happier than Edie is. Despite their efforts to ignore each other, the sparks between them have not diminished, but neither intends to let them flare again.

When one of them is gravely injured, the two discover their passion runs deeper than either of them could have imagined and they have Dr. Stefan Harper to thank for that chance.

Dr. Harper is happy to have given the couple a second chance, but realizes through Josh and Edie, as well as his good friends Val and Griff, that what’s missing from his life is love.

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I picked up Protector on a whim because I hadn’t heard of this author before and figured I’d check out a shorter novella before I invested the time in a full length. I liked the mage aspect that this series provided but I have to say I thought there would be more action then there was. Edie and Josh have a prior history from a few years before the novella starts. They were an “almost” item but Josh backed off, took off, and Edie marginally moved on. She still carries a torch for him but has tried to avoid him as he has her. They are thrown back together when a forest fire requires helicopter pilot Josh to drop firefighter Edie off in a remote location to save some fellow firefighters. Edie happens upon a magical box that attaches itself to her and Josh and drains all their magic. As they scramble to find out the origins of the object that is slowly killing them, the raw emotional connection they share flares to life once more.

My biggest problem with Protector was that it felt very slow when usually novellas are all about fast, trying to get information in as quick as possible. There are large stretches of time where seemingly nothing happens as Edie and Josh fight the pull they feel towards each other. Because of that I didn’t really feel connected to them. I admit I wanted to skim often. Characters from book one do make an appearance but the author isn’t real intent on giving much of a back story instead focusing on the evolving relationship of the main characters. So there are things that I didn’t quite understand with the ongoing story arc. I did enjoy when Edie and Josh finally succumbed to their feelings. The love scenes are tame so it should appeal to several levels of romance readers. Josh and his ongoing attitude of not wanting to become involved in a relationship with a woman who has a dangerous job was a highlight for me. I liked seeing him finally understand that he couldn’t control his response to Edie and that he had to compromise.

Northcott seems to ramble endlessly in her attempts to set the scene and convey the emotion but in the end it fell flat for me. I think if you enjoyed books one, then you will enjoy this one. However this isn’t a series I would continue.

I give Protector by Nancy Northcott 2.75 stars

Bungalow Nights by Christie Ridgway (Beach House #2)

Available: Feb 26 2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Harlequin

My Copy: NetGalley

Reviewer: Nikki 

Return to USA TODAY bestselling author Christie Ridgway’s Crescent Cove, California, where the magic of summer can last forever…  Combat medic Vance Smith made a promise to a fallen officer: to treat the man’s young daughter to an idyllic vacation at Beach House No. 9. One month, some sun and surf, a “helmet list” of activities to check off and Vance will move on. But the “little girl” he’s expecting turns out to be a full-grown woman. With silky hair, big brown eyes and smelling sweetly of the cupcakes she makes for her mobile bakery, Layla Parker is irresistible. And Vance shouldn’t lay a finger on her. Honor-and one heck of a scarred heart-says so. 

To Layla, Vance is a hero who was injured trying to save her father’s life. She intends to spend their month of lazy days and warm nights taking very good care of the gorgeous soldier-inside and out….

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Bungalow Nights has everything I enjoy in a contemporary romance. A career driven woman who has a hard time expressing what she needs. A flawed hero (bonus points for him being military) who doesn’t want a woman in his life. Add in a whole host of friends and family misgivings, you’ve usually got a winner. That being said, I found this book long winded and I was bored. I think it would have been much better suited for a novella, or just shorter book in general.

Layla has just laid her father to rest after he was killed in action overseas. Her father’s last wish was that she spend a month at a beach house with the soldier who attempted to save him, doing things on a bucket list he never got to do with her. Upon arriving and meeting the gruff and emotionally unavailable Vance she’s not so sure she can follow through but eventually her heart wins out and she decides to stay and give it her best. She and Vance embark on a poignant journey to fulfill her father’s list wish all the while tying to deny themselves the attraction they feel.

The plot meanders a lot through out the book and it left me wanting to skip ahead. Vance is attempting to get over a blatant betrayal of his brother and now ex-fiance and finds that his emotions stop him from carrying on something with Layla, though he wants to. His family issues run deeper then his problems with his brother and everything stems from his rocky teenage years and subsequent toll on his parents.

Having Layla around eventually wakes Vance up to the realization that his past doesn’t have to define his future. Their growing feelings do result in some rather hot smexy scenes that I found to be the highlight of the book.

There is a side story with Vance’s cousin Baxter and their co-habitant at the beach house, Addy. Even they weren’t enough to save this story. One night together six years prior left Addy satisfied and Baxter guilty. Addy has ZERO self confidence and while I would normally be all over the chunky girl getting the quarterback type story, they both just fell flat with me.

Ridgway never managed to get me on board with this book. The outcome was okay but I wasn’t really affected. Bottom line, I was bored. Immensely.

I give Bungalow Nights by Christie Ridgway 2.75 stars

Black Fallen by Elle Jasper (Dark Inc Chronicles #4)

 

Available: Dec 31, 2012 Amazon/B&N

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Signet

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

There’s only one thing more lethal than a vampire.
A Black Fallen. Rather, a fallen angel engulfed in the blackest of magic.

And three of the most dangerous have descended upon Edinburgh…

Tattoo artist, RILEY POE, has changed. After surviving the bites of three potent Strigoi, she has acquired traits from each that parallel those of the most lethal of vampires. Her strength, speed, hearing are unmatched. She’s a stick of dynamite, fuse lit. She’s about to put those unique powers to good use. And she’ll need them.

Now that the rogue bloodsuckers plaguing the Lowcountry are under control once more, and Riley, along with her guardian vampire, ELI DUPRE, Riley’s brother, SETH POE, and Eli’s brother, PHIN DUPRE, and Strigoi vampire VICTORIAN ARCOS agree to join JAKE ANDORRA’S elite WUP team. Worldwide Unexplained Phenomenon takes cases too powerful and dangerous for mere humans to handle. Comprised of vampires, humans with tendencies, immortal druids, werewolves and witches, there aren’t many situations the WUP members can’t handle. But there are unholy, lethal disturbances in the ancient city of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Riley and the others accept the mission.

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It’s been a long road for Riley. At this point she’s gone from a very human, rockin tattoo artist to a semi human who has had 4 different vampires bite her…and only one of those was by choice. She’s learning how to adjust to these new found abilities she has acquired with the help of her incredibly sexy fiance, Eli.

Faced with an opportunity to become something more, she leaves behind her home to help a whole new set of friends across the globe. Riley must learn to trust and control her abilities quickly when a new foe presents itself bent on destroying everything she holds dear.

I will be honest. I think this book is flawed. Majorly. I have been a champion of this series since book one. I have felt that with each book the writing got stronger and the story got better with each curve that was thrown the characters way. Black Fallen takes away everything that the readers have come to know about these people and instead throws a bunch of new characters into the mix for the sake of extending the story arc. Riley has been asked to join an elite group of warriors that make up the WUP team. They consist of other supernaturals who make hunting down the baddest demons their only business. Along with Eli, Victorian and Eli’s best friend, they set off across the world to train. I hated this. I had come to love the supporting cast of characters these books have provided, and to suddenly be ripped away from them…well it sucked. As did the absence of the person Riley has been, a tattoo artist. A kick ass one.

Riley has the ability to touch someone and view their past. While I appreciated this first hand account of the new characters lives, I think Jasper leaned too heavily on it at times just for word count. I really don’t need to know about the first time someone had sex with their wife unless it directly relates to the story at hand…which it didn’t. These looks took page upon page at times and mostly didn’t further the story along at all. Now times that by a whole handful of characters…it was overwhelming.

Add to this the stripping away of everything Riley has come to count on, I was both furiously turning pages (in between the weird look backs) and being horribly frustrated with the story line. At points the book dragged like a two legged dog and then it got super manic towards the end, ending with a bang that made me want to throw the book across the room. As it was I yelled and scared my poor skiddish cat.

I love this series…but I did not love this book. I’m not happy with this weird locale change and brand new cast of characters who may or may not play a big part of the following books since Riley heads back home at the end of this one. Most everything about this book felt off, like the author was grasping at how to hold everything together for the next few books. I will continue with this series though despite all this because my love for the characters runs deeper then this one book. I can only hope that with Riley heading home, the old feel of the books will reappear.

I give Black Fallen by Elle Jasper 2.75 stars

Bossy and The Brat by Daisy Harris (Men of Holsum College #6)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Gay Romance

Publisher: Siren

My Copy: Sent

Calvin Beaumont is supposed to marry Nicole. He’s a biology major, lab tech, and resident advisor—everything everyone expects him to be. There’s only one problem. He likes boys. In particular, a flirty dance major who was a freshman on his hall.

It’s sizzling summer at Holsum College, and Tyler Burk isn’t a freshman anymore. When he notices his hardworking resident advisor has same-sex feelings, he goads, teases, and tempts Mr. Bossy into dating on the sly. Cal may not be out, but he’s domineeringly hot, and Tyler doesn’t mind keeping things quiet…for a while.

But Calvin has wanted Tyler all year, and their sexting and secret rendezvous soon blossom into something neither one of them can control. Can Cal control his secret, as well as his sexy little brat? Or will he be man enough to admit he’s not the man everyone thought he was.

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I wasn’t overly excited by the end of Bossy and The Brat. I have resisted writing this review for over a week because I just wasn’t sure how I felt. On one hand that says good things about the author because I needed to process my thoughts. On the other hand what does it say that I’m not sure if I liked it or am simply annoyed?  By this point in a series I want to be invested, I want to crave the next book but I think I may be done with this one. I am finding the characters to be one dimensional and that annoys me.

Now I am not a gay man…I know, shocker, but even in a college setting where sex flows freely if I am to believe all my friends that actually went, I find it hard to envision a bunch of gay young men in only two roles…the dominant/confident and the sluts. With these books it seems to be either one of the other. In Bossy and The Brat the sex starved Tyler has no qualms about giving a great BJ to get the attention he craves and it seems as though it doesn’t really matter whose on the receiving end as long as they can deal with his incredibly low self esteem. I really just felt sorry for him…and annoyed that once again the stereotype of gay men being promiscuous was thrown at me. Sure it’s college…sure it’s probably the norm even with those with vaginas but an author shouldn’t fall into the trap of painting everyone the same. I want different. I want unique. I don’t feel like I’m getting that anymore.

Since Cal isn’t “out” his relationship with Tyler has to stay private, at least until he can work up the courage to tell everyone, most importantly his parents who think he is marrying his high school sweetheart…who you know, has a vagina. I thought it was incredibly selfish of him, knowing Tyler insecurities to keep him on the back burner until he figured out his own set of problems. I found their text conversations to be well wrote, as sexting goes anyway.

The length of these makes it hard for a slow build up transition in relationships so you kind of have to get over that need quickly. One minute they are fighting their feelings and the next fluids are being exchanged. They usually get over their need to come out fairly quickly as well. I’m sure that alone takes YEARS sometimes so it’s not believable to me to have a character go from “eh, I kinda like my girlfriend but in a dark corner of my mind I wish she had a penis” to “hey mom and dad I’m gay” in several chapters. Cal does exactly that and I feel it downplays the process many gay men go through in their attempt to feel okay in their own skin. I would much rather they all be out then to have their emotions change so quickly.

I’ve had a tumultuous relationship from the beginning with these books, but I think my annoyance says it all. It’s time for me to take a step back from this series.

I give Bossy and The Brat by Daisy Harris 2.75 stars

Armed and Delicious by Lynn LaFleur (Coopers’ Companions #4)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: erotic romance 

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave

My Copy: Sent

Breanna Talmage has law school almost behind her and is on her way to a satisfying career. She enjoys her job in her father’s law firm, treasures the relationship with her mother, has several close girlfriends. And lots of male friends, so sex is plentiful. And she likes lots and lots of sex, with no strings attached. She’s completely satisfied with her life. Until the threats begin.

Detective Evan Stone doesn’t want to get saddled with babysitting Breanna, a young woman he considers way too immature. Plus, they have a history—a hot one-night stand two years ago. But when her life is in danger, he can’t say no to Breanna’s stepfather, Zachary Cooper, who is one of Evan’s closest friends. He’ll protect Breanna until the person threatening her is caught.

Lust wasn’t supposed to be part of the assignment. Neither was falling in love.

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Armed and Delicious is book four in the Cooper’s Companions series which are slightly longer then novella length books centering around the world of a male escort company. I have not read the prior three books but I really didn’t have any trouble following the continuing story arc because it was pretty far removed from the escort side of things. There are some carry over characters but nothing that was much deeper then surface level.

This book, while classified as an erotic romantic suspense could have used a bit more in the suspense area. After a few initial attempts on her life, Evan whisks Breanna away where no harm can come to her, thus stopping the suspense aspect and instead following a erotic romance road between the two of them. The sex was well wrote, don’t get me wrong, but I was hoping for a bit more story to go along with it. Breanna, who goes through men like I drink bottles of water, can’t seem to understand how someone is upset enough at her to make attempts on her life. My favorite line in the book was:

“So she liked sex with different guys. That didn’t make her a slut. It made her…adventurous”

Well at least her thought process was in tact LOL. The growing connection between her and Evan was the best part of the book. She’s 7 yrs younger then him and since he is being her protector, tries to keep his lust for her in check. They have a tumultuous past, well a 5 minute hookup at a wedding, that he’s been trying to get over ever since. She was just as affected by their past as he was and has spent the last few years running from him and the way he made her feel. She starts the book as a selfish, spoiled woman but by the end she has at least evolved into someone I might be able to be friends with…..maybe.

The ending was horribly done and a complete and total let down. It was all lead up to the person responsible for the several attempts, although not very good attempts, on her life and then nothing happened. NOTHING. I wanted someone to actually be really mad with her. Lord knows any man in the destructive wake she left behind her would have had sufficient cause to want to rough her up. Alas, it was over in two seconds tied up with pretty ribbons and bows and a apology was all it took to make everything alright. Awww sorry I tried to kill you, I promise it won’t happen again. Um, no….no it’s not okay. Sigh.

I give Armed and Delicious by Lynn LaFleur 2.75 stars! 

Run The Risk by Lori Foster (Love Undercover #1)

 

Available: Sept 25, 2012 Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Harlequin

My Copy: NetGalley

When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend’s unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her….Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new “construction worker” who’s moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer’s crosshairs?

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I have long been a supporter of Lori Foster’s writing and have loved everything by her that I have gotten the chance to read. Her last series (Men Who Walk The Edge Of Honor) blew me away and so I eagerly snatched this one up to read it. Unfortunately this one failed to grab me and often left me wanting to put it down.

The first half of the book felt incredibly slow to me. Logan is undercover trying to get revenge for a murdered friend and his only link is Pepper Yates. He takes up residence as her neighbor and slowly tries to integrate into her life under the name of Logan Stark. First off, I busted out laughing (in a good way) at the idea of STARK and PEPPER because of, hello, Iron Man. Maybe Iron Man doesn’t exist in this world, but I thought it was funny.

My main gripe is the utter unbelievably in this one. Pepper and her brother are in hiding because of a crime one of them saw. Logan wants her brother because of this same thing and the information he can give that would bring down a major crime boss. So Pepper is in hiding, posing as a mousey, plain woman living in a crappy apt building in the next county over from where the crime was committed. The next county over people. Now if you had witnessed a heinous crime and needed to go into hiding from a crime boss who supposedly has eyes everywhere, would you go one county over? Hell  no. You’d get out of the state at least. It never jived with me that they would stay that close and never be found, no matter how Pepper disguised her body and personality.

The entire first half of the book is Pepper in hiding and it seemed that nothing happened. The story dragged along and even when we were getting things from Pepper’s view, I felt left in the dark. I had no idea what was going on and the arc of the story stalled completely. I wanted more information sooner and more action. The second half of the book kicks it into high gear as things start coming together but by that point I wasn’t invested enough to care about where the story went. Once Pepper goes back to her real self her demeanor changes completely. Gone is the mousey, insecure woman and in her place is a smokin hot confident woman bent on revenge of her own. Had I seen that woman at all, even in the parts coming from her view, I would have been okay with the change. The only time her real personality shines through at all was while her and Logan were having sex…which was funny because I didn’t understand WHY they were having sex. I guess Foster was trying to get across the idea that what is underneath and personality count for more than looks and yay for Logan for seeing that (and for using her in his personal agenda?). Then to have her actually be hot was a slap in the face to the reader. Sure, it’s whats underneath that counts…and lookie there, underneath she’s hot. Sigh.

The action stays true to Foster’s writing and was engaging and it moved the stalled plot along nicely when I almost gave up and put this one down. There is lead in to book two throughout the story and I will admit to being intrigued by Logan’s partner and his reclusive and shy neighbor.

I am disappointed I didn’t enjoy this one but maybe book two will lead me back to a series I have high hopes for. I did read the entire book so….

I give Run The Risk by Lori Foster 2.75 stars

Dance With Me by Hayden Braeburn

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Self Pub

My Copy: Sent

Champion ballroom dancer Katerina Nemecek pushed the love of her life away when he offered to save her studio from foreclosure. She loved him despite the secrecy surrounding their relationship, but she refused to take advantage of him or his wealth.

Mason Everett wants nothing more than to share his life, his family, and his fortune with Kat, but keeping her a secret was the only way he could keep her safe. He’d rather hide her away than chance losing her.

When Kat and Mason’s relationship finally goes public, it sets in motion a plan to keep them apart. Can they survive the firestorm to dance together forever?

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Where do I start in a review I’m so conflicted about? Dance With Me is Braeburn’s debut novel and while I found the story line to have lots of potential I just can’t say I loved it and thought the execution needed something more.

The book opens with the knowledge that Kat and Mason have been seeing each other nearly a year but have recently broken up due to a fight over whether Mason should help Kat save her beloved dance studio that is in foreclosure. Mason is from an extremely wealthy family and has plenty of funds to help Kat out but her pride won’t allow her to accept his help. Especially when he offers while still naked in her bed. Kat justifiably feels like the hooker in the deal and since Mason has neglected to bring their relationship to light after almost a year, they break up.

When Mason shows up a few weeks later to bring the foreclosure paperwork to Kat they immediately make up in light of the revelation that Mason was simply trying to shield Kat from his crazy ex, Priscilla  and wasn’t ashamed of her in any way. Priscilla has carried a torch for Mason since high school and has managed to run off every girl he’s dated since. She has steadily become unstable and when news hits her of Mason proposing to Kat she has a psychotic break.

Framing Kat for drug possession and kidnapping Mason with the intent to rape him are all in a days work for Priscilla and her spoiled psychotic mind.  The chick definitely had a screw loose and while I wasn’t necessarily scared of her, I thought she had a well wrote personality.

The story line had great promise and I thought overall it was decently done, though it was easy to tell this was a debut novel. The biggest issue I had were the constant perspective changes. Everyone and their grandma had perspective in this book and as a reader I found it overwhelming and annoying. I don’t want or need to know what every single secondary character is thinking. There were times perspective changed with zero warning and even in the same paragraph. I have to wonder who edited this and didn’t catch that. It was simply too much. Way overdone.

I took issue with Mason as well. I had a hard time with him being so easily subdued by Priscilla. Drugs or not I wanted him to put up more of a fight then he did. She sticks him in his office, in the ass no less, and instead of putting up a fight…anything….he meekly leaves with her. No no no. I want my male characters to fight back. The woman weighed 100 lbs wet…knock her over…do something…ANYTHING. Then there was the whole man rape thing which felt way to much. Mason was so traumatized that he then proceeded to talk about how she almost raped him so she could have his babies constantly for a few chapters after the attack. You know…real life, ok. Book men? Man up.

I should also mention that the big abduction/chase scene, which you would normally put at the end of the book, happened at around 60% in. Which meant after the big event you still had 20% or so of the book where Mason is flipping out after almost getting raped, and there is commentary about how everything went down from the view of 10 or so people, a lot of talking about what happened to Priscilla….ect ect. I could have done with way less of that. I want the story to lead up to the climax at the end and then tidy everything up in the last 10% or so. It felt like a whole lot of filler that’s didn’t need to be there.

While I loved the premise of Dance With Me I thought the actual story was lacking and in need of a fresh set of eyes before publication.

I give Dance With Me by Hayden Braeburn 2.75 stars

Townie And The Twink by Daisy Harris (Men Of Holsum College #3)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N/Siren

Type: Gay Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Siren

My Copy: Sent

Insightful to a fault, Gabe Ashton knows Nick Flynn’s gay even if Nick doesn’t. And after seeing how the townie looks at his “buddy,” Gabe knows Nick is in love with a guy who’ll never love him back. So Gabe invites Nick to campus parties and to hang out with new people. But soon their friendship turns physical, and Gabe wonders if he’s in just as much denial as Nick is.

Nick’s straight—or so he’s always assumed. But he can’t deny that the things he’s doing with Gabe are hot. More than that, he likes Gabe in a way he’s never liked anyone else. Well, anyone else except his high school friend, John.

The hardest thing to give up is a fantasy, and the hardest thing to face is the truth. But if Nick wants the man standing in front of him, he’ll have to give up the one he never had.

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I hate to say this..I really do….but I just didn’t like this one. Daisy Harris has continually won me over with her strong writing and her ability to make me care about her characters in a short amount of time. I’ve come to enjoy her gay romance novellas and have found that I don’t generally like that sub genre.

I think my main problem with Townie And The Twink was Nick’s completely delusional  take on his sexuality. Nick spends a good chunk of the book saying things and then doing the complete opposite. Like he keeps saying he’s straight and then engaging in completely un-straight activities like….oral sex with Gabe. Cuddling with Gabe. Showering with Gabe. Touching Gabe. I could go on and on. It’s one thing to be first coming into your sexuality and realizing you’re gay. It’s a complete other to refuse to admit it even as you’re doing a dude. Had Nick not been participating in these activities I could have seen how he was trying to talk himself out of it. Not wanting to be different. Since in this novella he was an active participant it just made me not like him.

Gabe acted like Nick’s doormat for much of the book and that rubbed me the wrong way too. He knew Nick was gay even if Nick didn’t know it and he took it upon himself to try to get him to come out. It’s like he was asking to get hurt. Especially since Nick kept saying he wasn’t gay at all and guys routinely whack off together. Um no…Nick….just no. Gabe basically let himself be used as Nick experiment and I wanted him to balk at that idea. I wanted Gabe to stand up for himself as a proud gay man and not let himself be used like that. It just didn’t happen. There is a point in the book where Nick leaves Gabe sitting at a table to go hang with his straight friend John (who Nick is secretly in love with). Instead of Gabe standing up and bold declaring he won’t be treated like Nick’s bitch…he quietly took it and instead had tears in his eyes at the subtle betrayal. Tears are fine….but I wanted him to be strong too…and I didn’t get that.

I just didn’t connect with either character in Townie And The Twink. This one needed to be longer to delve more solidly into the transformation Nick goes through to embrace his sexuality and learning to love Gabe. It felt way to surface emotion for me and progressed way to quickly in light of Nick’s hedging and insistence that every guy does things with other guys…

I did enjoy returning back to the campus and hearing about past characters and what they are up to now. Even though I didn’t really get into this one it did keep me reading, maybe for the wrong reasons but still…and I will continue to read Harris’ work because to date she’s the only author to make me pick up a gay romance and not want to put it right back down.

Unfortunately I have to give Townie And The Twink by Daisy Harris 2.75 stars

Jaime’s Merman by Daisy Harris (Urban Merman #1)

Available: Now Amazon/Siren

Type: Gay Erotic Short

Publisher: Siren

My Copy: Sent

When a Seattle bartender finds a horny merman in Lake Washington, he tries to be kind and let him down easy. Jamie’s sick of taking home strays, and the needy merman pushes all his buttons. But when Jamie gets rejected by a longtime crush, he falls prey to the merman’s wide-eyed adoration and killer body. 

But the selkie, Marin, has ulterior motives. He wants Jamie to help him impregnate his fertile wife, and soon Jamie’s dragged into a situation he hadn’t bargained for. Can Jamie get over his need to take care of every charity case that crosses his path? And can Marin man up and be the lover Jamie needs? Find out in Jamie’s Merman!

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What Jaime needs is a boyfriend that isn’t down on his luck. No more of these guys who take all his money, his heart, and then leave. The last thing he needs is a merman who isn’t even out of the closet. Marin may be good looking but he’s got a whole bag full of issues and no where to lay them down at.

Marin just wants to be who he is at heart. Though never having been with a man before makes him incredibly needy and Jaime isn’t sure the killer body is worth all the hassle it presents. Jaime and Marin will have to find a middle oasis if they are ever truly to have a shot.

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Jaime’s Merman is a erotic m/m romance from Daisy Harris featuring a horny merman who just wants a little lovin. Bow chicka wow wow! Ok, seriously, I’m not sure I can take this seriously. Jaime’s Merman was so over the top, so out there that I found myself shaking my head during the 90 min it took me to read it. I can get down with some m/m romance. I can even enjoy mermen/mermaids because I love the other mere series Daisy has. I’m not sure if it was the length that bothered me, the lack of relationships, or just a bit of everything.

This was just a bit to short for my tastes. Because of the length there was no real relationship build up between Jaime and Marin. Within five minutes of Marin swimming up to Jaime’s boat in the middle of the bay, Jaime is allowing Marin to get himself off while he watches. I mean, whaaaaa? Jaime doesn’t even know him. He’s a merman for God’s sakes.Something Jaime had never even knew existed. But hey when you need to pleasure yourself, you just need to I guess. Jaime spends a lot of time ogling Marin’s body which I found funny because when they first meet he basically thinks he’s ugly. He then goes back and forth with himself about what he wants, when he wants it and even if he likes Marin or just the sex.

Marin just wants to be gay. Punishable by death in his society he is supposed to mate with a pre-picked female to produce offspring. Problem is he can’t because he wants something she just can’t give *wink wink nudge nudge*…..and she apparently wants a human. So what does she do? Sleep with Jaime’s human and straight room mate within maybe five seconds of meeting! These are just some horny fish.

So way too short, no believable relationship buildup, off the wall horniness and a human that is constantly changing his mind. This just didn’t work for me.

I give Jaime’s Merman by Daisy Harris 2.75 stars