Review: Escorted by Claire Kent

Title: Escorted
Author: Claire Kent
Blurb:
She hired him to take her virginity...but now she wants even more.

Lori might be a popular romance writer, but she's never been anything but a flop with sex and love in her personal life. Still a virgin at twenty-six and increasingly frustrated by her inexperience, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires a talented, sexy male escort to take care of her inconvenient virginity.

She assumes one time with Ander will be enough, but she never dreams how much pleasure he can make her feel. Once isn't nearly enough. Twice isn't enough either. Soon, she becomes one of his regular clients.

Lori knows that nothing would be as foolish as falling in love with her paid escort, but she's never been wise with her heart. And, despite his professionalism, he doesn't seem entirely immune either.

Links:
Escorted on Goodreads
 
 Kala's Review:
I went in to this book expecting to dislike it because I don't like the idea of a male prostitute (er, escort), but so many reviewers I like had good things to say about it so I decided to give it a shot. Glad I did, because it was surprisingly good!

However, in order to like it I had to get past a few small grievances.

1) The pen name of our main character is Claire Kent (aka, the same name as the author of the book). This drove me nuts.

2) A best selling romance author is 26 years old and a virgin. I don't know. It's possible, but it just seems unlikely.

3) Very clinical and unsexy first few sex scenes. After reading the first sex scene, I was tempted to put the book down. Ander was very clinical about it - describing exactly what he was going to do in a very matter of fact way. Like, "We are going to watch a porn movie now. After that, you will be aroused and I will put this plastic mouth guard in before I give you oral sex." (That is not a direct quote, but that is about how UNsexy the scene was)

Fortunately, the book starts to take off after that. Once Lori actually loses her virginity and she and Ander start having more and more appointments, their lovemaking got hotter and hotter. My favorite scene - ELEVATOR SEX! Woo, that's when Ander finally let go and we got to see a little of the wild side.

Escorted flops a little at the end, becoming slightly cheesy and predictable, but overall it was very sweet. The progression of the relationship between Ander and Lori was as realistic as it can get when you're talking about a male prostitute and a romance author. I believed in them and liked them both and really enjoyed seeing their story unfold.

Definitely recommend this book!

4 out of 5 stars.

Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/543160193

Review: Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

Title: Beautiful Bastard
Author: Christina Lauren
Blurb:
An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling. Discover the story that garnered more than two million reads online.

Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.

Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family’s massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who’d been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he’s never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe’s so tempting he’s willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office.

As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they’re willing to lose in order to win each other. Originally only available online as The Office by tby789—and garnering over two million reads on fan fiction sites—Beautiful Bastard has been extensively updated for re-release.

Links:
Beautiful Bastard on Goodreads
 
 Kala's Review:
Alright, because I was approved for this via NetGalley/Gallery Books (thank you!), I went ahead and read it.

I still have a major issue with p2p fanfiction being marketed as original. If you want to see a great post on WHY I feel it's unethical, read this comment by Alicia.

Now, on to the book...

I like to read a lot of Twilight fanfic (the actual fanfic, not the p2p kind with new names!) and my boyfriend always calls it Twilight porn. THIS STORY is exactly why he calls it that. If ever there was a story that was pretty much porn without a plot, this is it.

Bennett and Chloe hate each other. For the first 2/3-3/4 of the novel, they have a lot of hate sex. They snipe at each other in public, then in private they have rough sex. Shirt ripping, buttons flying everywhere, bent over the desk type of sex. The sex scenes themselves are pretty hot - I will admit that.

But that's all there is. Lots of sex.

Towards the end, the sex becomes less hateful and the characters snipe at each other less frequently, but it's still just a sex story. I can give you the entire plot in a few lines:

Hate sex
Hate sex
Hate sex
Hate sex
Hate sex
Hate sex
Hate sex
Love/Hate sex
Love/Hate sex
Argument/Break up
Make up
I love you sex
The end

The book wasn't poorly written, but there just isn't any substance here. It's Edward and Bella having hate sex all over an office. That's it.

2 out of 5 stars.

Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/471025587

Hot Ticket by Olivia Cunning

Title: Hot Ticket
Author: Olivia Cunning
Blurb:
Book #3 in reading order of events in book series, per author

There are things in bassist Jace Seymour’s past that he is unwilling to share with anyone. To cover his guilt and anguish, he seeks dominatrix Mistress V (Aggie) to temporarily placate his inner turmoil.

Aggie doesn’t have much use for men–besides the power rush she gets when they’re begging for mercy at her feet–but Jace isn’t like her usual clients. His cool defiance and unexpected dominance in the bedroom drives her to distraction and quickly steals her heart.

When circumstances threaten Jace’s position in Sinners, Aggie must help him regain his rightful place in the band while showing him that time and love can heal all wounds.

Links:
Hot Ticket on Goodreads
 
 Kala's Review:
I absolutely LOVED the first Sinners book (Brian and Myrna). I felt a little meh about Sed/Jessica and I sorta liked the Trey threesome book. In those three books we really don't see much of Jace or get to know him very well at all, so I was a little bit worried when I got to his book.

And I shouldn't have been.

Cause JACE IS AWESOME!

I loved him! BDSM and dom/sub stuff isn't usually my thing, so I was really expecting to have mixed feelings about this one. Instead, I loved it!

Getting to know the story behind Jace was my favorite part. Where he came from. His past. His feelings about his bandmates. I thought all of the tie-ins between Jace's pre-Sinners past and various bandmates was a teensy bit convenient, but it was still okay.

I LOVED Aggie. I think she completely won me over in the mugging scene. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't go in to more detail, but yeah. Aggie rocks!

While I loved Aggie, I thought she got kind of clingy after that scene and while she redeemed herself later, her overly mothering/nurturing personality was reallllly annoying.

The sex was hot, as usual. Olivia Cunning writes some really awesome 'alternative lifestyle' sex scenes! I did laugh out loud a few times during the scenes with Eric - now I'm REALLY curious to read his book and see his motivations for why he is the way he is!

If you're a fan of the Sinners books and/or love erotic romance with a side of kink, this book is DEFINITELY something you should check out!
 
4 out of 5 stars.

Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/527739936

Love's Rhythm by Lexxie Couper

Title: Love's Rhythm
Author: Lexxie Couper
Blurb:
"His music moves the world. Can his love move her heart? "

Nick Blackthorne knows all about words of love. They re the reason he s the world s biggest rock star. The irony? He turned his back on love a long time ago, lured away by the trappings of fame.

An invitation to a friend s wedding is a stark reminder of how meaningless his life has become. When he enters that church, there s only one woman he wants on his arm the one he walked out on a lifetime ago. But first he has to find her, even if all she accepts from him is an apology.

Kindergarten teacher Lauren Robbins once had what every woman on the planet desires. Nick. Their passion was explosive, their romance the stuff of songs and it took fifteen years to get over him. Then out of the blue Nick turns up at her door, and all those years denying her ache for him are shattered with a single, smoldering kiss.

But molten passion can t hide the secret she s kept for all these years. Because it s not just "her" heart on the line anymore and not just her life that ll be rocked by the revelation.

Warning: Remember your first crush on a rock star? Now add smoldering sex, a raw and undeniable passion, soul-shattering orgasms. And secrets.

Links:
Love's Rhythm on Goodreads
 
 Kala's Review:
I REALLY wanted to like this book. REALLY bad! I love the rock star bad boy romance/erotica books, but this one just fell short for me.  The cover is absolutely stunning though - LOVE IT!

I liked the main characters, but everything seemed so rushed. The first time Nick and Lauren meet again he starts making out with her. He hasn't seen her in 15 years, he dumped her to become famous and have groupies, and she doesn't really fight it at all. The book is 90% sex, 10% plot and the plot is weak. I guess I just prefer my erotica to be slightly more deep.

If the sex was actually sexy, I could deal with the plot being a little less than stellar... but the sex was kind of weird. Couper uses a lot of weird terms during sex scenes that are jarring and completely ruin it for me. Anytime there is gushing, it kind of destroys the scene.

I probably would have liked this better with toned down and more well written sex scenes, and another 100 pages of character development and plot. For a a short novella, it wasn't terrible... I just think this author's style is not my thing.
 
2 out of 5 stars.

Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/507751555

In Flight by R.K. Lilley

Title: In Flight
Author: R.K. Lilley
Blurb:
When reserved flight attendant Bianca gets one look at billionaire hotel owner James Cavendish, she loses all of her hard-won composure. For a girl who can easily juggle a tray of champagne flutes at 35,000 feet in three inch heels, she finds herself shockingly weak-kneed from their first encounter. The normally unruffled Bianca can't seem to look away from his electrifying turquoise gaze. They hold a challenge, and a promise, that she finds impossible to resist, and she is a girl who is used to saying no and meaning it.

Bianca is accustomed to dealing with supermodels and movie stars in her job as a first class flight attendant, but James Cavendish puts them all to shame in the looks department. If only it were just his looks that she found so irresistible about the intimidating man, Bianca could have ignored his attentions. But what tempts her like never before is the dominant pull he seems to have over her from the moment they meet, and the promise of pleasure, and pain, that she reads in his eyes.

Links:
In Flight on Goodreads
 
 Kala's Review:
This book is about as blatant of a 50Shades knockoff as you can get.

Bianca is a drop dead gorgeous (but she doesn't think so) flight attendant who is a 20-something year old virgin (of course) and has a traumatic past.

James is a billionaire who is the absolute best looking guy in the entire world (nicknamed Mr. Beautiful by Bianca).

Their first real meeting is on a plane while he is in first class and she's his flight attendant. He propositions her. She declines. He does it again. She declines again. Forcefully. He continues to try and proposition her. She VERY CLEARLY and VERY PURPOSEFULLY declines him AGAIN. What does he do at this point? He corners her in the galley in the plane and forces himself on her. Of course, he has magic lips and she immediately loses control and starts willingly making out with him because OMG SHE JUST CAN'T STOP IT FEELS SO GOOD.

After he stops half raping her in the galley, she tells him again she's not interested. So what does he do? He talks her other flight attendant best friend in to telling him where Bianca will be partying that night and he shows up. James arrives at the bar and starts berating Bianca for drinking (the girl is 23 and hasn't had a drop of alcohol in 2 years). Of course she gets really drunk and her BFF roommate decides that this creepy stalker is JUST the right person to take Bianca home while he stays at the bar. (Best friend ever!)

So James takes her home. He starts stripping her naked and she resists at first, but then because he's so super awesome she lets him get her naked. But he is a stand up guy. He tells her he is going to fuck her so hard she won't ever want another man again. But not while she is drunk! He just waits til the morning and in an really unsexy scene he grabs her boobs (and OMG IT IS SO AMAZING SHE PRACTICALLY HAS AN ORGASM RIGHT THERE!). He then gets her off with his fingers in about three seconds flat and of course, virginal Bianca feels bad for leaving him unsatisfied so she gives him a blowjob (her first time ever!). And of course, her first blow job ever, and she swallows on purpose (suuuure!).

I'm only 17% of the way through this book and I don't think I can take it anymore. I should have stopped after the airplane scene because it was so revolting. Do you realize what he did in that plane is ILLEGAL? If I girl declines you multiple times and you force yourself on her, THAT IS A

Schedule

CRIME. Of course it's not in this book because "No" means "Yes" for Bianca (GREAT MESSAGE TO SEND TO ALL WOMEN!).

I am obviously NOT the audience for these types of books. I think it's absolutely disgusting to romanticize an ABUSIVE STALKER. Ladies. A man forcing himself on you after you said no is BAD. I don't care how hot he is. He just FORCED HIMSELF ON YOU AFTER YOU SAID NO. THIS IS NOT SEXY. THIS IS NOT ROMANTIC. A man who keeps purposely showing up at places where you're going to be AFTER you've told him you're not interested is called a STALKER. This also is NOT romantic or sexy!

What the fuck is wrong with people? Seriously?
 
1 out of 5 stars.

Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/478920406

Down to You by M. Leighton

Title: Down to You
Author: M. Leighton
Blurb:
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance- Please be advised that this book is NOT YA friendly, not even in a New Adult category!

The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not.

Olivia Townsend is nothing special. She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business. She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple. Black and white.

But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport. They’re brothers. Twins.
Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy. He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost. He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her.

Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy. He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate. But he’s taken. Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin. That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though. With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.

Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can. But it’s too late to run. Olivia’s already involved. And in love. With both of them.

Both brothers make her heart tremble. Both brothers set her body on fire.

She wants them both.

And they want her.

How will she ever choose between them?

Links:
Down to You on Goodreads

Down to You on Amazon

M. Leighton's Website

 Kala's Review:

This book was just "okay" to me. I found myself having issue with how Olivia behaved quite often and I didn't particularly like her very much. The "twist" ending was obvious from nearly the start and I didn't like it at all (more on that later).

Olivia is a bartender and a student who lives with her cousin, Marissa. Marissa is a huge bitch who constantly puts down Olivia and treats her like garbage. Marissa has no redeeming qualities at all. She's evil just for the sake of being evil for no apparent reason.

Marissa has a boyfriend named Nash, and instantly Olivia is attracted to him and wishes she could have a boyfriend like him. She ruminates OFTEN about how she would love a boyfriend JUST LIKE NASH because he's SO AWESOME. Nash gets Olivia a job working at his twin brother's bar (and the twin is named... CASH... UGH).

Nash is supposedly awesome because he has a job and is a nice guy (and also really hot). Olivia also has a thing for Cash, because he's hot and rides a motorcycle and is a "bad boy." She claims she has a thing for bad boys and just can't keep herself away from them. So she starts a relationship (sorta) wish Cash. Cash is very sweet to her, a monster in the sack, helps her with her broken down car, helps her with her dad's ranch when her dad is in trouble, and acts like an all around nice guy. Even so, Olivia complains internally the entire time because she wants a "nice guy" like Nash.

Olivia also flirts like crazy with Nash, which doesn't really seem to bug her that much despite him having a girlfriend (WHO HAPPENS TO BE HER COUSIN). If a guy is in a committed relationship and is flirting with you, he's probably a douchebag and probably isn't the "nice perfect guy" you think he is.

However, Olivia doesn't see that. She keeps pining after Nash while banging Cash.

Then comes the twist that I saw from probably around chapter 5?

SPOILERS AFTER HERE!

I'm not a big fan of historical romances, but I absolutely LOVE Virginia Henley's "The Pirate and the Pagan." I don't like the rest of her books that much, but that one is my absolute favorite. Maybe because of that book I was able to pick up on the twist so quickly.

The twist is...

Cash and Nash are the same person. When Olivia finds this out, she is upset. She's not upset that she was sleeping with her cousin's boyfriend though. That doesn't seem to bother her that much. She doesn't seem overly concerned with the entire thing for very long at all. Yeah, she got mad for a few days, but when Cash came and said "I broke it off with Marissa" she jumped right back in to a relationship with him - happy because she now has her "perfect" guy (the "nice" guy Nash mixed with the "bad" boy Cash).

The reason behind the deception was so convoluted and silly, I still don't even really understand it. Then the book ends with a huge "TO BE CONTINUED" dun dun dunnnnnnn!!!

Seriously?

Ugh.

I am giving it two stars instead of one because I enjoyed a lot of it. The ending was REALLY weak and Olivia's behavior was annoying as hell, but it was a quick and easy read and I liked parts of the storyline. I'd be curious to see other stuff written by this author, but I wasn't very impressed by this book.

2 of 5 stars.


Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/425345683

Avoiding Commitment by K.A. Linde

Title: Avoiding Commitment
Author: K.A. Linde
Blurb:
Jack and Lexi never had a typical relationship. After 2 years without speaking, she receives a phone call that changes everything. He unexpectedly asks her to convince the new girl, Bekah, that he's ready to commit. Jack is calling now after everything they had been through because there is another woman. She can't believe it. Follow Lexi in this heart wrenching drama as she relives her past relationship, or lack thereof, with Jack, and not just in her own mind, but to his fiance-to-be. Throw in Bekah's hot brother who always seems to be in the right place at the right time, a past with more secrets to unravel than you can even imagine, and you get a recipe for disaster. Find out what happens to Lexi as she travels to Atlanta to get the closure she so desperately desires from Jack, and how the bumps of life seem to keep getting in the way.

Links:

Avoiding Commitment on Goodreads

Avoiding Commitment on Amazon

K.A. Linde's Website (Facebook)

 
 Kala's Review:
 

This review has spoilers!

I finished this book last night and I've been thinking about it for hours. It's nothing like I expected. I expected it to be a typical romance type novel with a happy ending for Jack/Lexi. Instead it was the roller coaster ride of lies and deception between both of them that left me feeling almost shattered at the end.

Lexi is an interesting character. A lot of reviewers expressed hate for her, but I didn't hate her. Yes, she does some terrible things, but she at least tries to fight it. She has this addiction to Jack and she struggles to get passed it for the entire book, but Jack just won't let her. I was really hoping for his redemption at the end. I like happily ever afters. I was really hoping that Jack would finally figure it out, but he never does. I've re-read the last conversation between Jack and Lexi and I still can't figure out what the hell is going on in his head.

Ramsey seems to be popular with everyone, but I think he's just as toxic for Lexi due to being the brother of Jack's girlfriend (future wife?). I don't see any scenario where her dating Ramsey works out. Her love and addiction for Jack won't just go away, but she will always be forced to be around him. Jack's feelings for her are the same - seeing her around Ramsey will keep the whole thing going indefinitely. Lexi needs to kick that whole Atlanta crew to the curb and move on with her own life in NYC. Plenty of other fish in the sea, leave those rotten ones in Georgia please!

I know she kinda does that at the end, but it still felt unsatisfactory, I think because she lets Ramsey kiss her at the airport. After everything that happened in the office, I wanted her to give Jack a big FUCK YOU and then give Ramsey a big FUCK YOU too. She didn't pressure Ramsey much at all about what Bekah said, and that made me mad. She just let Ramsey steamroll her into agreeing to possibly start a relationship with him sometime in the future even though that would be a terrible thing for her given who his sister is.

I definitely plan on reading the next book in the series, whenever it comes out. It appears to be another roller coaster with Ramsey and Jack, but I'm curious to see how things turn out. If you want me to be completely honest, I'm still hoping for a Jack redemption.

I'm still sitting here wondering why I feel so broken at the end of this book. I think it's because right now, Bekah's won. She completely shattered Lexi and got Jack to propose. While we're unsure of Ramsey's true motivations, I don't really find him relevant right now.

It makes me sad that Bekah won. It leaves me feeling really dissatisfied and I hate that. I can't give this book a bad rating for it though, because anything that makes me think and feel this much is obviously well written and deserves a decent rating. I just really hope by the end of the third book these characters all either redeem themselves or get what they deserve.

4 of 5 stars.


Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
www.goodreads.com/review/show/404248131

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

 

 

Title: On Dublin Street
Author: Samantha Young
Blurb:
Four years ago, Jocelyn Butler left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Edinburgh. Burying the grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without any real attachments has worked well for her so far but when Joss moves into a fantastic apartment on Dublin Street, her carefully guarded world is shaken to its core by her new roommate's sexy older brother.

Braden Carmichael is a man who always gets what he wants. And what he wants is Jocelyn in his bed. Knowing how skittish Joss is concerning any kind of relationship, Braden proposes a sexual arrangement that should satisfy the intense attraction between them without it developing into anything 'more'. An intrigued Jocelyn agrees, completely unprepared for the Scotsman and his single-minded determination to strip the stubborn young woman bare... to the very soul.

Contains strong adult content. For readers ages 18+

Links:

On Dublin Street on Goodreads

On Dublin Street on Amazon

Samantha Young's Website
 
 Kala's Review:

As soon as I finished this book I said to myself THIS is what all those damn ignorant 50 Shades of Grey fangirls should be reading if they want actual GOOD romantic erotica. Seeing everyone swoon over Edward CullenChristian Grey makes me sick to my stomach. Seeing FSoG being held up at this shining standard of sexy erotica has caused me to almost lose faith in humanity.

However

I truly believe that if some of those FSoG fans were given truly amazing erotica to read, something like ON DUBLIN STREET, they would realize what complete and utter TRASH FSoG is.

THIS is how you do sexy alpha male who is NOT crazy abusive controlling stalker.

THIS is how you do fleshed out, tortured, fucked up characters without making them pathetic and weak and crazy beyond redemption.

Jocelyn was nearly perfect as the heroine with a completely messed up path who has tried to deal with all her shit in the best way she knows how, though it hasn't been the most healthy way. She's smart enough to realize her way hasn't been the best way, and she struggles to change it, but that doesn't happen overnight.

Braden. HOLY SHIT SEXY ALPHA MALE ALERT. The guy has a dirty mouth and is a monster in bed, but also has a softer side that we eventually get to see. His soft side doesn't make him a complete sap though. When he falls for Jocelyn there isn't a flip of the personality switch where he becomes a lapdog - he stays the same person and FUCKING A IT IS SEXY AND HOT!

This story wasn't perfect, but I'm sitting here so happy after reading is that I want to go read it again. That's after spending the last two hours or so reading it nonstop, unable to stop turning pages. I have a million other things I want to be doing right now, but I'm so worked up over this book that I HAD to come online and read other reviews about it and write my own. I am seriously considering hitting the "go to beginning" button on my Kindle and reading it again tonight. I don't mind a story with a few flaws when it makes me feel like that.

There was one, and only one, scene where I actually facepalmed and had a WTF moment. Early in the books there is a scene where Braden walks in on Jocelyn and it's a pretty embarrassing situation. During that scene, Jocelyn refers to her vagina as her "vajayjay"



PLEASE NO!

Never use that word, ever! It completely ruins the entire scene when I burst out laughing and smack myself in the forehead. Most awful term for vagina EVER!

Fortunately it happened early on and I was able to get past it. :P

I also felt like the trauma some of these characters suffered was a little too much. I don't want to get in to detail here, because a lot of it is major spoilers, but damn there was enough angst and shit going on without adding in more. Primo example is the whole scene where Braden gets mad at the guy who was flirting with Jocelyn and we find out how he knows that guy. How realistic was that? Was that really necessary? I think the scene would have been just as good without that added 'bonus.'

Even so, this book is fucking awesome.

5 out of 5 stars :)

Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/413064791