Hard Way by Katie Porter (Vegas Top Guns #4)

Available: April 9, 2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Erotic Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Samhain

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki 

“No holds barred. No mercy. No going back “

Warning: Time to put the kidding aside. Although 100% consensual between a husband and wife, this book contains violent sex that, in some scenes, will appear forced. Readers sensitive to rape scenarios should proceed with caution…

Throughout their eight-year marriage, U.S. Air Force Captain Liam Dash Christiansen and his wife, Sunita, stayed strong through long separations. However Sunny s new job as a high-profile legal advisor puts a severe strain on their enduring bond.

Her abrupt announcement that she wants a divorce is like a missile to Dash s gut but her confession that she s met another man is what unleashes his shocking passion. Sunny is surprised and nearly repulsed by her body s reaction to Dash s animalistic attempt at complete possession. That doesn’t stop her from craving more.

With Sunny s whispered approval, their sex life explodes. Not only does Dash s aggression tap into dark fantasies, she s hopeful that now, “at last,” she ll get what she s always wanted from her devil-may-care, don t-give-a-damn husband. Something honest and candid. Something real.

Yet fiery, carnal encounters won t heal two long-broken hearts. Their bodies are finally speaking the same forbidden language, but it will take more than taboo desires to learn each other for the first time and to save a marriage that s only just begun.

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After reading this book I need to make this clear right off the bat. Do NOT read this book if you can’t handle intense violent sex (consensual) and rape fantasies. Believe me when I say this, step away. Don’t read it knowing these things set you off and then complain about them later. The book comes with a warning for a reason..please take it into account before picking this one up.

Sunny wants a divorce. She’s waited around far to long for Dash to get his mind together and yet after years of marriage he still withholds a part of himself from her. He’s closed off. Distant. Working across the country and only coming home every so often awarded her the distance physically and she’s ready to take the next step in ending her marriage.

Faced with the fact that his wife wants to leave him, Dash quickly realizes he isn’t quite so ready to stop fighting for her. Knowing there is another man waiting in the wings to take his place makes him snap and what follows is an extremely violent sexual encounter that leaves both of them shaking with the realization that they have been hiding their true sexual nature. Knowing he doesn’t have much time to win her back Dash agrees to her deepest darkest fantasies and realizes they are his as well. Domination. Force.

Ok….I liked this one! I think the author(s) did an amazing job with a sexual fantasy that some people find difficult to fathom. Katie Porter is no stranger to pushing the limits (asphyxiation fetish, HELLO) in her past books in this series so I wasn’t surprised to find out this one involved  the controversial rape fantasy. It’s a fantasy I find intriguing and more about the need for dominance between two consensual adults then the actual act of sex. More about knowing that while you can indulge in your fantasy that the other person will never truly hurt you. Complete and utter trust in your partner. It. Was. Hot.

Past all the sex though was a story that the author(s) did justice to. Sunny has to come to terms with the fact that while Dash did hold parts of himself at a distance he couldn’t be totally blamed for the state of their marriage. It takes two people continuously working to keep a marriage going and Sunny had dropped the ball just as much as Dash did. I enjoyed how they came together, picked up the pieces and tried to re-learn themselves to save the love that they had lost.

Dash is about the sexiest man EVER. Gah, every time I think about him I get the shivers. His goofy joking demeanor with friends hides his true dark nature to take what he wants from Sunny, anytime, anywhere. He finds letting loose with her releases more then just his sexual needs but instead it helps him to find the man he truly wants to be. Figuring out that he’s been unhappy with his life for a long time but that Sunny was never part of his problems though he’s been punishing her for them for years. I loved how he was willing to do anything to save his marriage and he goes out of his way to make Sunny see it as well.

Katie Porter is an AMAZING author and has become an auto read for me. I simply adore this series with its conflicted, sexy men willing to take the risks to get what they want. I couldn’t put this one down! Emotionally charged awesomeness!

I give Hard Way by Katie Porter 4.75 stars! 

Wayward One by Lorelie Brown

Available: Now Amazon/B&N 

Type: Historical Romance

Publisher: Samhain

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Michelle

He’ll protect her with every vicious bone in his body.

During her ten years at the prestigious Waywroth Academy, Sera Miller clung to a strict code of propriety to shield herself from rumors that she isn’t an orphan at all. She’s a bastard. Now she wishes she had never allowed her friends to talk her into snooping into the mysterious source of her tuition.

Her benefactor isn’t the unknown father she dreamed of one day meeting, but Fletcher Thomas—underworld tycoon, gambling den owner, and a man so dangerously mesmerizing that he could spark the scandal Sera has worked so hard to avoid.

Fletcher is only two steps away from leaving the life of crime he inherited from his father. First he plans to join an aboveboard railroad consortium, then claim the one thing his ill-gotten gains have kept safe all these years—Sera.

With every wicked caress, Sera fights harder to remember society’s rules and reject the painful memories his touch resurrects. Accepting Fletcher’s love means accepting her past—a risk too great for a woman who has always lived in the shadows. No matter how safe she feels in his arms.

“Of both of them, he was by far the better person.”

I don’t usually include quotes when writing a review, but that describes exactly how I felt about this book.

Sera was a proper, compassionate, friendly student at Waywroth Academy where she learned all about society’s rules. She had never known her father, and had been at the Academy ever since her mother died leaving her an orphan. Waywroth Academy was a blessing for her – a chance to enter society as a respectable lady instead of spending her life in the underbelly of her past. Sera was a very likable heroine… until Fletcher came back into her life.

It was in that underbelly of society that she first met Fletcher as a child. Sera’s mother and his father had an “association”, until both died in a fire during one of their liaisons. Fletcher was six years older than Sera and knew the ways of the world. He realized that her life would amount to nothing if she became an orphan of their community. He also knew that taking over his father’s shady business interests was his one shot at making a life for himself. From that day forward, every decision he made for himself and for Sera was for their future – together. He needed Sera safe until she was old enough to join him, and until he could carry out his plans to turn the business around to the right side of the law. Placing her at Waywroth also provided her with the education she’d need to enforce their life of propriety. Lord knows he didn’t have a respectable bone in his body.

Fletcher was one of the most honest heroes I’ve read about. He was who he was: a poor man with no title made rich by his father’s criminal dealings. He wanted a better life for himself and for Sera and he would do anything to get it. Protecting her and providing her with what she needs was all that he lived for. Once he reinstated himself into her life, it didn’t take him long to realize that she was more than just an ideal for him. He fell in love with her and would lay the world at her feet if she’d only ask. He so easily could have come across as a weak pushover of a man, but the author does a wonderful job of creating a strong, protective, sexy and caring hero in Fletcher.

Sera was more difficult for me to like. She seemed way more down to earth with her friends at the Academy. Once she immersed herself into Fletcher’s life and home, she became so uptight. She was completely unwilling to explore any of her feelings for him, deeming them improper. She was uncomfortable with her desire for him and had a lot of trouble reconciling the proper young lady she wanted to be (and she thought he wanted her to be) with the wanton woman who gave herself to him in the dark of night. Their marriage was sadly so one-sided for most of the book. All Fletcher wanted was Sera and it took her forever to come to terms with the fact that she truly reciprocated his love.

I thought the author tidied up the mess of their marriage a little too conveniently, and it was really no surprise who the minor “villain” in the book was. Also, being a Samhain title, I would have liked a little bit more steam. However (mostly thanks to Fletcher) this book is a very satisfying read full of angst and emotion.

I give Wayward One by Lorelie Brown 4 stars!

Lead and Follow by Katie Porter (Club Devant #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Erotic Romance- Menage

Publisher: Samhain

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Michelle

Lizzie Maynes’s torn ACL threatens more than her career as an international Latin ballroom champion. During her lengthy recovery, her longtime professional partner, Dima Turgenev, has been dancing at the Chelsea District’s most notorious burlesque, Club Devant. More than just dancing, he’s been experimenting with shocking new moves that make her want to pull him off stage and get back on tour as soon as possible–the better to keep their successful friendship safe.

Dima knows all about safety, and the lack thereof, because he blames himself for Lizzie’s injury. Far from the pressures of competition, Club Devant is the perfect creative venue to rebuild his rattled confidence. He’d love for Lizzie to join him and revel in the club’s intoxicating freedoms. By exploring the new sensual energy simmering between them, they could become more than friends.

Paul Reeves, a recently divorced Texan starting over in the Big Apple, is all for joining the dancers as they blaze through sexual boundaries. But he also knows their sizzling trio won’t last. Lizzie and Dima belong together. Before the last sparks fade, he plans to transform two stubborn friends into lasting lovers–one raunchy lesson at a time.

There couldn’t be a more appropriate title for this book. There are so many important lead and follow moments, and not just in the dancing sense. Lizzie and Dmitri (“Dima”) have been ballroom dance partners since their early teens. Their partnership had spanned fifteen years, so it’s no surprise that they are incredibly close. They support each other and depend on each other, even if they don’t always realize that.

Their dancing partnership was forced into hiatus by Lizzie’s injury, and while she was recuperating at her parent’s house, Dima took a job dancing at Club Devant. Nothing can replace the joy and perfection of dancing with Lizzie, but after so many years on the professional circuit, he is happy to have another outlet for his creativity on the dance floor. Having earned countless accolades, including three world championships, he feels that they have nothing else to prove. Unfortunately Lizzie doesn’t agree. She thinks dancing at the club is a step down for Dima, and wants nothing more than to get back in professional shape so they can dazzle the dancing community once again.

These two have to be the most out of touch with their feelings people I’ve ever read about. Dima was so closed in on himself and Lizzie was so full of self-righteousness that this whole book should have been a lesson in “too stupid to live”. You could practically see the light bulb go on over their heads when they finally realized all of the craziness was actually love. I can understand how their romantic attachment could have snuck up on them, though. They had formed an honest partnership, living and breathing each other’s space, sharing triumphs and failures for over a decade. They had essentially grown up together and neither of them wanted to chance ruining their friendship by becoming lovers.

All of that changed, though, when Lizzie brought Paul into the mix. Granted he was only in a few (incredibly HOT) scenes with them, but him being their third (a first for them, incidentally) seemed to be the catalyst that brought their feelings out into the open. Paul was just in it for a good time, but even he could sense the strong undercurrents of emotion between Lizzie and Dima. He realized that they belonged together, even if they didn’t, and he had no problem stepping aside and even giving them a push in the right direction.

This book is full of emotion. Dima is a strong, arrogant, dominant Russian who keeps himself and his dreams closed off from Lizzie out of fear of failure. Lizzie is impetuous and demanding and wants nothing more than to have all of Dima. The push and pull between these two emotionally, sexually and on the dance floor, was so beautiful. The way the author(s) opened Lizzie’s eyes to what was real and solid in front of her, and the way Dima was able to finally share himself, were both perfect. This is a complicated, messy, sexy book. The writing is choppy and the emotions and attitudes were all over the place. However, something about it just plain works.

I give Lead and Follow by Katie Porter 4 stars!

Mystic Cowboy by Sarah M. Anderson (Men of the White Sandy #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Pam

One good man could drive her all kinds of crazy. Just who does Rebel Runs Fast think he is? Dr. Madeline Mitchell, the new doctor on the White Sandy Lakota Indian Reservation, knows there’s a good answer to that question. Somewhere. Sure, the Lakota medicine man is every cowboy-and-Indian fantasy she ever had, but he sends patients to sweat lodges instead of clinical trials, talks them out of flu vaccines. Even more irritating, he makes her heart race.

Rebel swore off the white man’s world—and its women—years ago. Madeline doesn’t speak the language, understand the customs, or believe he’s anything more than a charlatan. Yet she stays, determined to help his people. And he keeps finding excuses to spend more time at the clinic. When he discovers her in the throes of dangerous heat stroke, Rebel’s efforts to cool her down set fire to a passion neither thought they wanted. But when the people start falling violently ill, the cultural gap stretches the connection between their hearts to the breaking point… Product Warnings: This book contains smoking-hot skinny dipping, emotional and emotionally satisfying sex, and a shirtless cowboy who is also an Indian.

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An enjoyable story about two people from different worlds finding harmony. I loved this story and look forward to more about this place at the White Sandy. A great start to the series.

Dr. Madeline Mitchell is working in Columbus Ohio, at a large hospital yet wants something more, so she signed up for a two year job as a doctor on the Lakota Indian reservation, a place called the While Sandy. Most of her colleagues believe she is crazy for doing this, her sister Mellie is the only one who thinks she is doing the right thing. However when she arrives she starts thinking that maybe those she worked with are right. The clinic is a rustic simple building that does not look like a clinic at all and the fact that there are no supplies to speak of makes her think that she is taking on more than she can handle.

The first person she meets is her nurse, Clarence Thunder, a former Navy medic, now retired, he does not look like any typical nurse or navy man, and yet this is not the last surprise of the day as she gets a steady stream of people coming in to the clinic seeking her help. Since there has not been a doctor for several months, the backlog is huge.

Rebel Runs Fast is an enigmatic man that seems to be wherever he is needed, helping out at the clinic, translating the Lakota language for the older people or just making Madeline a little nervous. She does not know what to make of him. He calls himself a medicine man and often talks about his visions that seem to foresee future events and scary enough he seems to know a lot about Madeline. And yet she soon finds out that he is much more, he is a top selling artist who has his art in the Museum of the American Indian and who has lived in both worlds yet chooses the Lakota way of life.

Rebel and Madeline come from two very different worlds and although he tried to live in her world several years ago when he was married to a white woman he could not continue to be what his ex-wife wanted, she loved the fact he was a famous artist and lived the jet setter life, yet he needed to come back to the reservation, back to his people and what makes him who he is. It was the best thing for him; however it cost him his marriage since his wife, Anna, only made it three days before leaving to go back to her other life.

Since his divorce, Rebel has sworn off white women and does not want to like Madeline however as he watches her work side by side with the Indian community he realizes that she is different and maybe he can trust her. They struggle with a relationship that neither wants at first yet when one pulls back the other wants to go forward. They try to come up with a compromise and it seems to work until a dangerous situation brings distrust. They must find away to work together to discover who and what wants to kill the residents of the White Sandy. As those at the clinic fight the disease that is ravishing the community Rebel realizes he must learn to trust and work with Madeline in order to make a commitment for love.

I enjoyed this book immensely and loved the characters that I met. Madeline was a little hard to get to know in the beginning, she seemed to get angry at Rebel for unexpected reasons yet Rebel was just this mild beta hero that seemed to wait until she calmed down and they could understand each other. They danced around the relationship for some time as both did not want to commit. Yet when they did come together – it worked, I loved how they felt about each other. I am excited to read more about the characters we met in the upcoming books, Nobody’s story will be a must read.

I give Mystic Cowboy by Sarah M Anderson 4 stars!

Katie Porter Guest Post and GIVEAWAY

If Princess Leah Got a Kitten…

By Katie Porter

Captain Leah Girardi from Hold ’Em doesn’t have a pet. This is probably because she’s a smart woman—and because she doesn’t have an eleven year old son who gives very good begging eyes and promises to take care of it and clean the litter box every single day.

Yeah, I’m writing this post with a four-month-old kitten twining around my wrists and pawing at my keyboard. I ought to leave all his “help” in, except then this post wouldn’t make a lick of sense and would be half in caps. He’s lucky he’s cute.

I’m also writing this with a six year old shih-tzu sleeping on my toes. We’re pet people in our household.

When we set out to write the Vegas Top Guns series, we came up with compelling characters and gave them sexy kinks and amazing cars. What we forgot? Pets. None of them, from Ryan and Cass in Double Down, through Jon and Heather from Inside Bet or Leah and Michael from Hold ‘Em, have pets. (Omg. The pest is trying to eat my necklace. How do you discipline a kitten???)

We’ve joked that Ryan and Cass are such sweethearts that they’d be on their way to some fancy roleplay date and stop to pick up an abandoned litter of puppies on the side of the road. They’ll spend the next couple weeks finding carefully chosen homes for all of the mutts, except Cass will fall in love with the most rambunctious, high strung one and keep it. Ryan will have to take it along on his morning runs or suffer the consequences.

Someday Jon will probably buy Heather a puppy. He’ll point out that it’s a very expensive breed, but she’ll notice that he’s picked the runt of the litter and has a soft spot for the animal even when it eats his Italian loafers. Heather will name the puppy, but I bet it’s Jon who buys its first collar. With rhinestones on it, of course.

As for Leah and Michael… They’re a bit tougher. I think they’d be cat people. Maybe. To be honest, it’s a little hard to think of them as having any pets at all. Leah is so very high strung, and such a total adrenaline junky. Michael is zen and laid back, but his focus is on Leah. Completely. I would call her Michael’s sun, except Leah couldn’t possibly hold still the way the sun does. She’s way more zingy than that. The only time she finds her full focus is in the cockpit or when she’s wielding the flogger that takes Michael on the endorphin rush they both need.

So wait, yes. A cat. They’d adopt some independent tomcat that came to the back door hungry and damp. Michael would feed it scraps and Leah would roll her eyes, but she’d put together a bed for the bedraggled animal. They’d promise each other they’re only giving the cat shelter from the rain, except the next day it would still be raining, so the animal would stay. Again. And then Leah would accidentally name it Terminix when it was being a pest and nibbling on her hair.

And they’d have to make sure to lock it out of the playroom when they’re having sexy times or it tries to eat the falls of the flogger and that is so inappropriate.

A man with handcuffs. A woman with a paddle. Both fly F-16s. 

Daughter of a world-famous motocross champion, and head-on competitor with three brothers, Captain Leah “Princess” Girardi was born with a need for speed. No one tells her what to do, especially not men with chauvinistic “girls can’t be fighter pilots” attitudes.

That’s what ended her brief relationship with Captain Mike “Strap Happy” Templeton. Now, six years later, he’s been assigned to her squadron, and whoa damn, he’s filled out nicely. Plus he’s cultivated a Zen-like chill factor that pulls at her hormones.

Even after four tours, Mike’s the new kid in the 64th Aggressor Squadron. That’s not the only thing new. Since he last saw Leah, he’s learned a few things about himself. A female who outranks him still makes his teeth grind, but in the bedroom he craves the rush of pain inflicted by an adoring, powerful woman.

Their reunion is an explosive revelation. Leah is the beautiful mistress he’s been searching for, and she takes to her new role like a natural. But Leah’s aware one thing hasn’t changed. Loving him is still an all-or-nothing proposition. She’s not sure her reckless streak is wide enough to risk her career–and her heart.

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Up next for Katie Porter, the co-writing team of Carrie Lofty and Lorelie Brown:

Now that the first three of the RT BookReviews 4½ Star Top Pick “Vegas Top Guns” series have been released, readers can anticipate the final two installments, HARD WAY and BARE KNUCKLE, in 2013.

November brings the m/m Christmas-themed CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR, described as “masterful” by Publishers Weekly. In January, LEAD AND FOLLOW will launch the five-part “Club Devant” series of erotic multi-partner romances set in a hot New York City burlesque club.

Where to find us:

http://KatiePorterBooks.com

Twitter: @MsKatiePorter

Or individually: @carrielofty and @LorelieBrown

We’d like to give away a copy of DOUBLE DOWN, INSIDE BET or HOLD ’EM (winner’s 

choice) in any format. Just tell me about your pet—or the pet you wish you had.

Open till 10/17/12 @ 11:59EST with winner announced shortly after

Thanks again to Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind for featuring Katie Porter and Hold ’Em!

Hold Em by Katie Porter (Vegas Top Guns #3)

 

Available: Now Amazon/ B&N

Type: Erotic Romance

Publisher: Samhain

My Copy: Sent

A man with handcuffs. A woman with a paddle. Both fly F-16s. 

Daughter of a world-famous motocross champion, and head-on competitor with three brothers, Captain Leah “Princess” Girardi was born with a need for speed. No one tells her what to do, especially not men with chauvinistic “girls can’t be fighter pilots” attitudes.

That’s what ended her brief relationship with Captain Mike “Strap Happy” Templeton. Now, six years later, he’s been assigned to her squadron, and whoa damn, he’s filled out nicely. Plus he’s cultivated a Zen-like chill factor that pulls at her hormones.

Even after four tours, Mike’s the new kid in the 64th Aggressor Squadron. That’s not the only thing new. Since he last saw Leah, he’s learned a few things about himself. A female who outranks him still makes his teeth grind, but in the bedroom he craves the rush of pain inflicted by an adoring, powerful woman.

Their reunion is an explosive revelation. Leah is the beautiful mistress he’s been searching for, and she takes to her new role like a natural. But Leah’s aware one thing hasn’t changed. Loving him is still an all-or-nothing proposition. She’s not sure her reckless streak is wide enough to risk her career–and her heart.

Warning: This book contains a hot stud on his knees, a woman wielding a paddle, and filthy-gorgeous femdom sex. Also: dangerous rock climbing, two amazing motorcycles and some bad tequila.

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Recently someone asked me who I’d recommend in the erotic romance category and the name Katie Porter instantly came to mind. It’s funny that a few weeks ago I was unaware of the awesomeness that is the writing team of Carrie Lofty and Lorelie Brown. Now that I have read books 2 and 3 of their Vegas Top Gun Series, I can fully gush and recommend them to everyone who asks. Book 2, Inside Bet gave readers a high stakes game of dares that resulted in some of the most erotic and kinky scenes I’d read. Now we have Hold Em where the heroine is a Dom and the hero…he’s the sub. A gorgeous, cocky sub in the bedroom and a full on alpha out of it. There are few books I’ve read where a female Dom has captured my interest as much as “Princess” Leah. Her craving for power in the bedroom rivaled her ambitious nature in the air. As one of very few female fighter pilots, Leah learned early on that she had to be the best at what she does or the men would eat her alive. She has prided herself on her rise through the ranks but her tightly leashed work persona craves release which comes at the bottle of a bottle. On off nights she goes just a bit crazy, starts fights and gets stinking drunk, which results in her best friends, Ryan and Jon (also fighter pilots) coming to her rescue quite often.

Mike, a blast from Leah’s past, shows up as the new guy in their elite pilot squadron. Though they briefly had a fling awhile back it fizzled quickly because while the sex was decent, it wasn’t what either of them wanted. Later Mike learned what he really craved…submission. At this point in the book I may have whimpered a little. Cuz, well….he’s so big and bad…and he wants Leah to flog him. Holy Hell, I knew I was done for. Leah of course steps up to the challenge and in doing so learns what she craves as well. Dominance. Being what Mike needs requires Leah to give up her vice of drinking in order to hide the pain of her past. Which for a while works until she makes a mistake in the bedroom that sends her scrambling back to the safety of drunk oblivion. Having to also mentor him in his training at work makes more some uncomfortable boundaries for both of them.

So if you know me you know I’m a total uniform whore, which meant I instantly loved Mike. Even if his thought process on female fighter pilots pissed me off. Mike’s cocky attitude and quirky personality meshed well with his alter ego submissive to make one hot hunk of a man. But most of all the story line kept me coming back for more. There was a deep emotional attachment for these two characters that I understood. To often I find myself dismayed at the lack of a story line in a full length erotic novel but this entire series  has heartfelt story line mixed expertly with smexy scenes that will stoke your fire. Past characters all make appearances in this one and their involvement in Leah’s life was one of brotherly love. Jon and Ryan obviously care for her deeply, something that can only come after years of working together in the air and on the ground. Along with their girlfriend that made up the only family Leah has and Matt’s slight jealousy at that was endearing.

Great book, wonderful writing and hot goodness all around…you need to read Hold Em!

I give Hold Em by Katie Porter 4.50 stars!

Inside Bet by Katie Porter (Vegas Top Guns #2)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Erotic Romance

Publisher: Samhain

My Copy: Sent

Zero to kinky in 3…2…1 

As assistant director in an accounting firm, Heather Morris is at the top of her game. Her straight-laced colleagues wouldn’t believe the secrets she hides: her wild teenage past, work-of-art tattoo and nipple ring.

Her orderly life veers off course when she’s approached at a wine tasting by an arrogant pretty boy with a dirty mind and a hardcore dangerous profession. She finds herself tempted to step outside her respectable façade for some well-deserved excitement.

Captain Jon “Tin Tin” Carlisle knows women. Loves women. One glimpse of the nipple ring under Heather’s conservative blazer lights up all his instincts. He’s stumbled upon a rare treasure: an exotic beauty with a sexy laugh and a taste for dares.

After a red-hot hour of roulette, their simmering attraction bursts into an exploration of mutual passion that tests even Jon’s erotic limits. Soon he craves something he’s never desired before. More. But for Heather, more means trusting, and trusting leads to trouble.

Now Jon must decide if the best sex of his life is worth chancing his heart on a woman who shields hers so well.

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Gah! I loved this book so much! Seriously, I can’t tell you how hot it was…it’s something you need to discover for yourself. When I first got asked to review this one I hesitated because I had never heard of this author and I hadn’t read the first book in the series. I found out that Katie Porter is actually two authors in disguise….Carrie Lofty and Lorelie Brown are tag teaming and writing together to produce some of the sexiest words I’ve ever read.

I thought Inside Bet was going to be more novella length but ladies this is full length with enough sexy scenes to wear down your mechanical boyfriends batteries! Jon is so stoically sexy. Full of himself to the highest order and sure he can get with the buttoned up woman he spies sitting at a table alone at a wine tasting. What he finds in Heather isn’t a buttoned up ANYTHING, but a woman looking to go just a bit wild. Their attraction ignites instantly and the they drawn into a games of high stakes dares where the winner gets to call the shots on every desire or whim they find appealing.

What starts out as simple sexual fun…and by simple I mean kinky mckinkerston…turns into a game of control quickly. Jon is used to calling all the shots and being able to walk away cleanly in the morning. He finds that Heather calls to him on some primal level. He craves her more with every kinktastic episode they play out. Loved Jon, loved loved loved him! He was so arrogant in the beginning, and while I feel I should have found it horrible…I found him so sexy instead. Seriously, I kept saying “what the hell Nikki, he’s an ass….” then I’d talk back to myself and say “yeah, but he’s  a GOD in bed….” Lucky for me Jon turned out to be less of an ass once he slowly started opening up….and this isn’t real life. One softy spoken french word from Jon and I was a goner. I am an accent whore.

Heather was a harder sell for me. I understood her reluctance to associate with a relationship because of her past, but only up to a point. Most of me wanted her to just move on. She had a bad experience, a really bad one, I get that and so she has worked really hard to remain in control of herself ever since. But why deny yourself the opportunity to flourish in a relationship? Why not at least TRY? Even after Jon slowly starts to open up about his own murky past, she keeps pushing him away. It got a bit tiresome after a while. It’s like having a friend that keeps screwing up and eventually it’s exhausting for you to be there to pick up the pieces….that’s what my connection with Heather felt like. Jon has a friend in this book that was exactly like that too. I wonder if the authors did that on purpose.

I wish the conflict would have been pushed further then Heathers inability to let go of her strong armed control. There was great opportunity to involve the cocky pilot in Jon’s classes that could have been played up. It was all set up and then nothing came of it so I feel that missed the mark a bit. Maybe there will be more on that in the next book, but left as is, it felt uncompleted.

Really…story aside….the sex….was…..HOT. And as a side note, the first book I have ever read that hit on asphyxiation fetishes. I put the book down somewhere in the middle after a particularly hot scene, turned to hubs and said “I need a fighter pilot to have sex with me on the hood of an Aston Martin, you know…..for research”  I mean, how can I know if what I just read is possible? I should check it out so I don’t look like a dumbass in my review. It should be noted that hubs is used to me asking him how hot things would get and if it would be possible to have sex on it comfortably.

I’m off topic, read Inside Bet and don’t blame me when you need new batteries.

I give Inside Bet by Katie Porter 4.50 stars! 

Katie Porter Guest Post and GIVEAWAY

No Really, How Dirty Is This Book?

By Katie Porter

You know that book? The one everyone’s been talking about, the one that chews up the charts and has two sequels? Inside Bet is not that book.

It’s better.

I know lots of people love The Book That Shall Not Be Named. And more power to them for it. If you enjoy reading in any form, that’s awesome. But I’ve also heard from other people that the numeric book actually isn’t that spicy. (For the record, I’ve read several excerpts and those were enough for me.) Not exactly my ball of wax. I need a little more follow through with the characters in my reading material. There are acts discussed that never make it onto the page and except for one spanking and a fairly inappropriate mention of a tampon most of the book is fairly tame.

Inside Bet is not. Tame, that is.

I think the scene that’s gotten the most feedback is the breath play. What’s breath play, you might ask? Well, it’s kind of dangerous, but…that’s some of the fun. Breath play is also known as “auto erotic asphyxiation.” One partner restricts the breathing of the other partner during orgasm. Sounds simple. Makes the person who’s breath is restricted giddy and euphoric and increases the sensations.

Plus there’s just something hot about a hero having his hand wrapped around his heroine’s throat. He’s a good guy by definition—and also by description in the story—and we know that Jon wouldn’t do anything to hurt Heather. So for them to be in such an erotic moment, the pivotal point is the amount of trust that Heather is willingly handing over. And I say willingly handing over because Heather is one smart cookie. She’s no wide-eye ingénue (side note: that is one word I can never spell right on my own). Heather knows what she’s doing when she straddles Jon and lets his hands wrap around her throat while she tosses her cares to the wind.

And Jon takes care of her. In every way that matters, if you know what I mean. In return, Heather takes him places he’s never been—they do things he’s never even considered

submitting to before. Good stuff. Exciting stuff. Besides. When plotting a book involves two characters who can’t help but push each other’s buttons, so every act has to be farther, greater, done with more daring…Things get dirty. All sorts of dirty. Not only the breath play, but toys and boundaries being obliterated.

There’s no foursome, monkey or a banana, but I’d go so far to say it’s the dirtiest book I’ve written so far. Considering that people usually love the sex scenes of my book most of all, that makes this one hell of a good book.

Up next for Katie Porter, the co-writing team of Carrie Lofty and Lorelie Brown:

Now that both RT BookReviews 4½ Star Top Picks DOUBLE DOWN and INSIDE BET have been released, we’re looking forward to the September 25th arrival of HOLD ‘EM , featuring wild child Leah and a surprising reunion with a fellow pilot. The final two installments of the “Vegas Top Guns” series will follow in 2013.

November brings the m/m Christmas-themed CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR , and in January,

LEAD AND FOLLOW will launch the five-part “Club Devant” series

of erotic multi-partner romances set in a hot New York City burlesque club.

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Where to find us:

http://KatiePorterBooks.com

Twitter: @MsKatiePorter

Or individually: @carrielofty and @LorelieBrown

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We’d like to give away a copy of DOUBLE DOWN or INSIDE BET (winner’s choice) in any format. Just answer the question: Yada yada?

*Open internationally until 9-18-12 @ 11:59pm EST*

Thanks again to Ramblings From A Chaotic Mind for featuring Katie Porter and Inside Bet!

Impulse by Moira Rogers (Southern Arcana #5)

Available: Sept 4th, 2012 

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Samhain 

My Copy: Sent

Sera Sinclaire is a New Orleans rarity: a submissive coyote trapped in a town overrun by dominant shapeshifters. Worse, she lacks the willpower to deny the alphas-in-shining-armor who need her soothing presence, even when their protectiveness threatens to crush her hard-won self-reliance.

The only shifter she doesn’t want to push away is Julio Mendoza, a wolf so dominant he’s earned a place on the Southeast council.

Julio doesn’t have the luxury of indulging in the vacation his psychic shrink insists he needs. He can’t turn his back on responsibilities he’s beginning to wish he’d never shouldered. When an obsessive ex endangers Sera, though, instinct drives him to get her out of town. Watching her come to life outside the city makes him feel like he’s finally done something right, and her touch ignites desire he doesn’t want to ignore.

But soon, light-hearted flirting becomes a dangerous game of seduction, where every day spent falling into each other is another day avoiding the truth. Sera’s ex isn’t the only one who’d disapprove of their relationship. There are wolves who would kill to get Sera out of Julio’s life–starting with his own blood kin.

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Loved this book so much! I have heard wonderful things about this series but have never gotten a chance to read one. When I was offered this one I jumped on it even though I was a bit worried that being fifth in the series would hinder my ability to understand the continuing story line. While I do think I would have enjoyed the inter-relationships better had I read the prior books, it really didn’t hinder my understanding of the book at all.

The simmering relationship between submissive Sera and dominant Julio was a thrill to read! I enjoyed how Sera approached her attraction to Julio. She is a submissive coyote which is rare but she seemed to revel in her need to have Julio. While he was often in charge she also had the ability to bring him to his knees, which gave her a lot of the power in the relationship. Julio was never afraid to assert his dominance with her. As a wolf, one with considerable power among his people, he had an image to uphold but his growing emotional attachment to Sera was always forefront in his mind. I loved how protective he was of her. Never once backing down when someone said something ignorant or racist to her. Growing under his love Sera became less afraid and skittish as the book continued on and that growth was well wrote and paced evenly. I just adored them together.

Racism played a big role in Impulse. Being a coyote seems to bring out the worst in people and Sera had to put up with a lot. Especially being seen with a wolf in a world where different species just don’t mix. You can have one as a mistress but as a mate just isn’t heard of. I enjoyed this aspect and the light it shed on the subject. It’s no different then real racism that still exists today, how people handle it and how that can define their character.

The suspense aspect was also well paced and while I generally like a bit more action, what was there was very well done. Since Julio fought with his thoughts/emotions concerning his father and the role he has played thus far in his life, I felt it fitting that he played a vital role in the story. Along with Sera’s dominant and slightly crazy ex-husband there was plenty of suspense to be had. Everyone was hell bent on protecting the coyote from everything but when push comes to shove Sera has more backbone then she gives herself credit for. The journey to her self discovery, while riddled with obstacles was one I enjoyed taking with her. I love when a woman realizes what she is made of and how she can be scared but she’s still capable.

If you enjoy Shelly Laurenston’s pack books you will surely enjoy this series! Wrote with a thread of humor along with the hotness of the characters, Moira Rogers has a winner in Impulse! Sexy alpha wolves for everyone!

I give Impulse by Moira Rogers 4 stars! 

The Virgin’s Revenge by Dee Tenorio (Rancho Del Cielo #4)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Samhain 

My Copy: Sent

If you can’t beat ‘em…seduce ‘em

Amanda Jackman’s love life is the stuff dreams are made of…which is fitting, because it’s all in her head. Thanks to six oversized, overbearing brothers who treat her like the family jewel, she’s lived in a padded little box.

Determined to get a life before she needs a padded little cell, she sets out to throw off the yoke and live on her own terms. Except she seriously underestimates the lengths to which her brothers will go to keep her safe and sound.

Cole Engstrom’s life might just be at an end. Cornered by all six of the massive Jackmans—men he normally considers his friends—he learns he’s their choice to marry their sister…or else. Make that first choice, but not the last.

Rather than watch Amanda’s brothers club their way through potential mates, Cole figures it’s best to just play along for a while and buy her some time to find a man of her own. It’s a good plan. Until Amanda figures it out—and decides he’s the one to relieve her of her “sheltered little virgin” status. One seduction at a time…

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What a quirky fun read! The Virgin’s Revenge is a wonderfully wrote contemporary romance heavy on the light-hearted homespun family values. Ok, ok, maybe that is a bit overboard. Dee Tenorio is a incredibly talented author who can make you feel as if you are there though. Make you laugh and giggle at the realness and make you cry at the sweet nature of her characters.

Poor Amanda, the only female in a sea of overbearing, hard headed (not to mention hot headed) brutish brothers. Intent on marrying their virgin sister off they corner the only man at the top of the list – Cole. Amanda thought she was doing a good job of hiding her crush on Cole but apparently her brothers have noticed. Overhearing them trying to marry her off  she sets out on her own scheme to seduce Cole and then leave him shaking his head in her dust. Unfortunately she isn’t prepared for the guy Cole really is – sweet, good natured and intent on saving her from her brothers.

He may not want to be pushed into marrying anymore but it’s not like Cole wants Amanda thrown at every good looking male in the city either. He does try to valiantly tell her about her brothers but these hilarious situations kept happening and before he knows what hit him, he’s in love with the blonde haired beauty intent on freedom from her family. He was just a fun character, a lot like a boy next door type of deal. Not to say that this wasn’t exactly what he wanted but was afraid to go after. He just needed a push….or shove in the right direction. Amanda keeps ending up half naked around him…what guy can resist a girl wearing peacock lingerie?

I loved how Amanda kept telling herself she wanting her freedom, then would constantly not be able to do what she wanted to do. It’s a wonder she ever managed to move into her own house. The underlying tension between her and her oldest brother was palatable and something I think a lot of families deal with over the years. But in the thick of it, and even though it was gone about in a total bonehead manner, her brothers do have her best interest at heart. Too bad she is HORRIBLE at seducing Cole and every time she tried it ended with me laughing my butt off at her failures.

There isn’t a abundance of sex so I think this one will hit the mark with a wide spectrum of romance readers. It’s told like a heartfelt conversation with a friend. It felt real, everything from the characters and situations to the settings. I even got a bit misty eyed when Amanda and her brother, Locke had their final show down that had been brewing for awhile. I want to read that guys book…wowie wow wow! Locke can be a mean ass or a total teddy bear. I want that man to come completely undone. I think maybe he needs to do that with Amanda’s boss at the towns sexy lingerie store. He seemed way to horrified she posed for her own catalog.

I really enjoyed this one….I think you might too.

I give The Virgin’s Revenge by Dee Tenorio 4 stars!