Unspoken Promises (Western Escapes) by Becca Dale

Story: 8
Presentation: 8
Total: 16
Publisher: Decadent
Sweet Contemporary Romance
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Blurb: Billie Jensen hates liars and cheats. She’s spent her entire life watching her mother forgive the unforgivable with just a few words from a smooth-talking man. So different from her father, Officer Treynor Pandoah seems like everything Bille has ever wanted—quiet, solid, and truthful—until he snuggles up to another woman on Valentine’s Day. He says her eyes lied, but how can she trust a man who won’t share what’s in his heart?

Treynor’s done waiting for Billie to forgive him for something he didn’t do. A man shouldn’t have to explain himself to the woman he loves, but if he can’t find the words to take the tears from her eyes, he could lose her to Unspoken Promises.

Review: A very short story by Becca Dale.Treynor tries to make amends with his girlfriend Billie, which is short for Willamina. Billie thinks she saw Treynor cheating on her. Treynor has spent the last two months attempting to explain too her that it was not at all what she thought. Treynor finally gets Billie away from her friend Jenna and makes her listen. It does have a happy ever after ending, despite it's ultra short length. You will enjoy the story, I know I did!

Tonight You Belong to Me by Cate Masters

Story: 6
Presentation: 6
Total: 12
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Erotic Contemporary Romance
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Blurb: Danny O’Malley’s screwed. After he and the love of his life, Jillian, moved to Las Vegas hoping to find their big break in show business, she’d tossed him out, thinking he’d cheated. Now he’s in deep with a loan shark to pay for a 1Night Stand—a date he believes is his last chance to win her heart again.

Jillian Jones wants to see Sin City—in her rearview mirror. Agreeing to a blind 1Night Stand date on her last night in Las Vegas as a favor to a friend, she discovers her match is Danny. When he plays their song, Tonight You Belong to Me, she melts. But when two thugs break in demanding money, she finds she might go out with a bang in an unexpected way. Can she save him, and their relationship?

Review: A nice quick little read if you don't have a lot of time to finish a whole book. A sweet little romance short story that's perfect as a quick 'pick me up' if you're feeling a little run down by every day stress. A little too sweet for my taste, normally, but I needed a quick 'pick me up', and Cate Masters delivered perfectly.

Diamond Heart by Ann Mayburn

Story: 8
Presentation: 10
Total:18
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Historical Romance
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Blurb: After catching her no good cheat'n rat bastard ex-fiancé in bed with her best friend, Rowan Belmont leaves the mills and factories of the Midwest to move nearer her sister in San Francisco. After being robbed in Kansas City, she loses the money to complete her journey and she tries to pawn her engagement ring, only to find out that it‘s fake. Alone, broke, and on the edge of giving up, Rowan hopes for a miracle.

Marcel Champlain can't get the beautiful woman he met at the Kansas City hotel out of his mind. When she turns up at his family’s jewelry store he knows that God has brought them together. He makes Rowan a job offer: Go with him to Freewill, Wyoming to open a new jewelry store and pose as his wife.

With only three months to convince Rowan that she should become his wife in truth, Marcel intends to show Rowan that no other man on earth will ever love her as much as he does. Their time together may be cut short by when it seems like fate will take Marcel from Rowan all too soon and leave her once again alone in the world.

Review: This is the second historical romance I have read by Ann Mayburn and it is just as impressive, if not more. Diamond Heart takes us on a journey from Kansas City to Freewill, Wyoming set in the late 1800's. We meet a young woman named Rowan Belmont and a gentleman by the name of Marcel Champlain. Each of them carries their own secrets and inner turmoils which only make you love these two characters even more.

Rowan is a feisty, heartbroken and guarded woman who is on her way to move in with her sister. Marcel is a businessman about to embark on the beginning of a new town. Their undeniable attraction to each other is apparent from the very beginning. A business proposal of sorts throws these two together and the passion builds into an enthralling journey of hot romance . Is it all about the money? Or will they both find a way to let go of the past and embrace their future together?

Ann Mayburn has placed a few surprises in this book and they are amazing. I never thought arranging a few photographs within the book would be an asset. But she has truly brought this story to life. We are not left to our own imaginations in this one. We can see what the characters look like and in this case, visual aid is an amazing thing!

Ann Mayburn has a way of creating stories that feel as though they are made for the reader. I can only imagine the types of stories she told herself before going to bed at night as a child. Her amazing knack for creating towns, worlds and characters will be legendary! If you haven't had the pleasure of reading any of her work, I strongly suggest you do. For those of you who have read her work, this is a must read that needs to be added to your collection.

Pandora's Box (Road to Hell Series Book 1) by Gracen Miller

Story: 9
Presentation: 10
Total: 19
Publisher: Decadent
Paranormal Romance
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Blurb: Where does the road to Hell begin?

What happens when your son turns homicidal overnight and your husband disappears on his way to work? Do you cower in fear or fight for your life? Madison Wescott fights against the odds. Distrustful of a God she doesn't believe in, she finds herself face-to-face with a world she didn't know existed and discovers her own soul is darkened with demonic connections.

With good intentions? Or by demonic design?

Phoenix Birmingham bursts into Madison’s life in a whirlwind of sarcasm and sexual appeal. A hero for the masses—and for her jaded heart—but few will ever know the sacrifices he has made or the sacrifices to come. Discovering her entire life has been influenced by multifaceted paranormal beings, Madison is determined to defeat the apocalyptic blueprint fate has decreed, but only one man dares to challenge the supernatural forces manipulating them. Even with Phoenix's aid, can destiny be denied? Or will demonic design prevail while they pay the crucial price with their souls?

Review: Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. Words such as Wow! Amazing! Phenomenal!...are just not enough to express how well written this story is. Pandora's Box has an amazing paranormal plot and plenty of real life heart wrenching emotion to carry it's own weight. Gracen Miller knows how to keep readers on the edge of their seats, biting their nails and begging for more. Hold on tight! The hounds of hell are coming and they're hungry!

Madison is the perfect heroine. She isn't one bit whiny. Even when he five year old son starts carving up neighborhood pets like they're nothing more than Thanksgiving turkeys, she doesn't turn into a sniveling mess. In fact, she becomes even more stubborn, strong willed and fiercely protective of her son Amos. Where as most mothers would likely buy him a one way ticket to "Loons R' Us", have him set up in the most comfortable padded room and wearing only the finest suburbanite approved straight jacket...Madison holds her son and rocks him to sleep.

She is in a bit of denial, but who could blame her? Every doctor, priest and psychic she takes him to wants to use him as a guinea pig. Madison will protect her child even if it kills her. Or should I say even if HE kills her? Madison is suddenly faced with unfathomable decisions to be made, truths that cannot be denied and only one way out.

Throw in an ex husband with a penchant for sadistic body jewelry and a group of demon hunters that are unparalleled and you'll find yourself on one wild ride. This book is further proof that "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions". Watch out demons. You have one ticked off, ass kicking mother coming for you and she's bringing with her a fury like you've never encountered.

Unite Our Souls by Rachel Carrington

Story: 10
Presentation: 10
Total: 20
Publisher: Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Paranormal Erotic Romance
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Blurb: A sexy Angel of Death had to tell me I was dead. But he wasn’t there to offer comfort. He was there to take me to the other side. Wherever that is. I wasn’t ready to go, though. My nephew, Joey, needed my bone marrow if he was going to survive, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to give it to him now that I was dead.

Grayson, the angel, told me he’d help but then I’d have to cross over. I certainly didn’t expect to fall for the one being that intended to hustle me across the mortal realm. I don’t think he expected to fall, either. You’d think that would be difficult enough, but the real trouble began when I discovered his ‘help’ came at a price…or a punishment, rather. He’d broken a rule, and for that, he would suffer if I couldn’t stop it.

So here I am in love with the Angel of Death, trying to save my nephew’s life, and wondering what exactly happens on this other side Grayson talks about. And learning more and more that I didn’t want to leave my angel any more than I wanted to stay dead. Sometimes, though, life just doesn’t give you choices.

Review: So there is a girl name Erica and she wakes up and realizes that she is dead! When she realizes that she is dead a angel of death comes and visits her telling her that she is dead and that she needs to cross over, but Erica doesn't was to because she was a perfect match for her nephew. Her nephew has cancel and would only live if he got Erica's bone marrow, but now that Erica is dead he will die to and that's what she tells the angel of death whose name is Grayson. A sexy breathtaking angel of death who is trying to get Erica to cross over but she cant cross over if she is fighting. So Grayson trys to help Erica through this the whole part about being dead. So Grayson goes to the people who is in charge of the angels to see if there is any way that he could help Erica's nephew. But they turn him down so he has to take matters in his own hands which only gets him into trouble. Then him and Erica only gets closer as they go through this journey together.

I loved this book! I love this series! I can not wait to find out if there is a 3rd book in this series because I would run out to the store and buy it!

Mine To Take by Rachel Carrington

Story: 8
Presentation: 6
Total: 14
Publisher: Decadent Publishing Company
Paranormal Romance
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Blurb: I didn’t ordinarily break the rules, but everyone has bad days, right? I mean, as an Angel of Death, I always toed the party line. That is until one night when I was feeling particularly vulnerable and along came Dominic. He’s another AOD, but don’t think of him as an angel because really, he’s anything but. To me, he was more like a walking advertisement for sin.

So that night, Dominic and I broke a cardinal rule—no fraternization between Angels of Death. Don’t ask me why it’s a rule. I guess that was why Dominic hauled ass before I even woke up the next morning. As an AOD, I understood. As a woman, I was pissed.

So fast forward two months, and both Dominic and I are facing disciplinary punishment if we don’t figure out how to put our differences aside and work together. Unfortunately, I’ve never been one to let go of a grudge very easily, and when it seemed like Dominic had no issues about what he did, my anger grew by leaps and bounds.

An argument generated more heat than Chernobyl, and once again, Dominic and I delved into the disallowed. And while we were busy getting busy, we lost a soul in a horrifying way. Now, we’ve been given an ultimatum. Find the soul and help her cross over, or both Dominic and I will have to cross over ourselves. As in permanently.

Review: I thought this book started out really slow, I actually almost gave up on it. I really hate giving up on books but then decided that every book deserves a second chance.

The story is about angels of death, and helping people to cross over. There are two angel's of death that the story focusses on Cleo and Dominic who broke one of the rules of being a angel of death which is that they are not allowed to date or anything else.

Well, one night Cleo and Dominic make love, and everything gets complicated there as it would. Dominic leaves Cleo the next moring which makes Cleo angry, and hard to work with . So the counsel makes them work together no matter what happened or why they broke the rules. On one job they loose a soul and was told to find it or would suffer the conquences of permanently crossing over.

While they were fighting over who lost the soul and what had to be done about it then some how went back to that day on why Dominic left Cleo in bed alone. During that fight they ended up breaking the same rule of sleeping together. They finally find the soul and then they are told they are never allowed to see each other due to that fact that the same mistake (as they call it) keeps happening and they lost a soul! I was shocked by the ending and what happened between Cleo and Dominic.

This book is a must read!

Of Light and Darkness: The Vampire's Daughter by Shayne M. Leighton

Story: 3
Presentation:5
Total: 8
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
YA Paranormal Romance
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Blurb: When one human stands before an army of impossible obstacles, the likelihood of overcoming them in this coming-of-age modern fairytale may result in war between light and darkness.

Abandoned as an infant in Prague, naive and strong-willed Charlotte Ruzikova was raised by one of the last Vampires left alive. As a human, she knows no other home than the one nestled deep in the woods of Eastern Europe, where Witches drew spells of enchantment, Phasers threw tea parties, and Elves are the closest in kin. Charlotte has lived her life in the dark with her Guardian, content to having him to herself and reveling in his attention, until she's realizes she wants more...

Resident medical doctor and Vampire, Valek Ruzik fears the day his ward would come of age and blossom into a fine woman, and he is forced to confront his own motives as time is of the essence once his past catches up to him, and their lives become endangered...

As genocide and war threatens their secret society, the dictator in power is ready to wipe out Valek's race, but Charlotte will not allow that to happen. Fighting for the only one she's ever loved and truly believed in, she will do whatever it takes to save their love...before the sun comes up and light takes over.

Review: I didn't like this book at all.

I had to force myself to finish it because I found it to be too boring, not enough action and when there was action it was poorly describe. From what I gather this book was about Charlotte who was Abandoned by her parents and was raised by a vampire named Valek. Valek is the last of his kind, they live in Prague. War basically breaks out where they live and force them to find feelings for each other that they never knew they had. That's all I really took away from this story.

Like I said the book wasn't that good, I mean I loved the idea of the story but not the way it was presented. And when combined with editing and spelling errors...it just didn't do it for me.

Xavier's Loving Arms by KT Grant

Story: 10
Presentation: 10
Total: 20
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Contemporary Romance
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Blurb: Xavier Marks has the looks, great job, and more than enough money to throw around. The only thing missing is a woman by his side. He hasn’t had much luck in love since he caught his fiancée’ cheating on him, and isn’t too happy about his current bachelor status. But that may all change when a cute barista from a coffee shop catches his eye. Perhaps she can help him lick his wounds?

Life hasn’t always been too kind to Rebecca Price. She hides a shameful secret that still threatens to destroy her. With a grandmother suffering from dementia, and the threat of foreclosure on her childhood home, she may have no choice but to turn to a possessive ex-boyfriend who won’t settle for anything less than marriage. She’s ready to give up all hope when a suave, yet seemingly kind-hearted man enters her life and comes to her rescue.

Rebecca is wary of placing her trust in Xavier, who wants to be more than a shoulder for her to lean on. But as the two grow close, Rebecca’s guilt over her past continues to haunt her. Xavier wants to show Rebecca that the one place she can feel whole and at peace is in his loving arms.

Review: Rebecca is at the end of her rope, her life cannot possible get any worse. Her grandmother is suffering from Dementia ,in order to try to save her beloved home she works to extremely awful jobs and to top it all of her ex-boyfriend as turned into a weirdo who is constantly harassing her. But like for us all she has good days and she also has some bad days but she is not the kind of woman to give up she believes that one day it will all work out for.

There is also Xavier the waiter who works with Rebecca at her awful second job who has been checking her out on more than one occasion however Rebecca is damaged goods and believes that Xavier is just as much of a shallow woman using man as her ex and she will not go down that path again ever !

But just like Rebecca, Xavier is not the type to give up on what he wants. So begins the tale of two people fighting the attraction for each other without realizing that they each can actually save each other and be happy.

The author really does surprise me, she brings the heat between the two characters to such a intense sizzle that you cannot help rooting for them to sort through their different obstacles.

The author does introduce us to a fabulous damaged woman and the man that saves her, and as for Xavier, man is the character hot ! This is book 3 from a series (according to some research) which I found out just before I stared reading and and I kind of thought that it was going to be one of those where I would be able to follow anything as I have not read the others but after the first few pages it really does get very intriguing and I carried on and was delightfully surprised that without the other books I could still follow exactly what each character brings to the story and it did not feel like I was missing anything.

Definitely a great read !

Amber Moon by Ann Mayburn

Story: 8.5

Presentation: 9

Total: 17.5
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Paranormal Ménage (f/f/m)
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Blurb: Sabrina Wayne yearns for the perfect mates to fill the void in her heart. As a werepuma Beta, she is driven to find the strongest Alpha to submit too, or in her case, Alphas. Sabrina craves the delicious softness of a woman as well as the rugged strength of a man. She has almost given up finding the right couple when she takes a leap of faith and allows Madame Evangeline of the 1Night Stand matchmaking service to arrange what Madame Eve promises will be an evening Sabrina will never forget.

Alphas Nick and Madeline Turea have been searching for a woman like Sabrina for a very long time. After a disastrous relationship with a former Beta female, the couple has been extremely cautious to let anyone else get close to them or the Amber Moon pride. When Madame Evangeline contacts them about a possible match, both are eager to meet the beautiful woman who may complete their family.

A night of reckless desire and burning hot passion leads to an unknown danger that might destroy Sabrina's one chance at a perfect love. She must learn to surrender to the power of her Alphas and gain their trust before it's too late.

Review: Nice set up, right from the beginning there is a great build up of sexual tension. The story is short and every page was a pleasure to read. You won’t want to skim because in addition to hot sex, (and it’s nice to see some girl on girl action) the story is solid. I wanted to see Sabrina’s needs met and her connection with Nick and Madeline was perfectly balanced. I hate when one character seems to be left out of the ménage. That doesn’t happen here. A solid short story and totally worth reading.

Back In The Saddle by Ashlynn Monroe

Story: 8.5
Presentation: 9
Total: 17.5
Publisher: Decadent
Paranormal Erotic
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Blurb: All Jesa wants is peace from her father and aunt meddling in her life. When she decides to use 1 Night Stand to find a date, she never imagines she’d be matched with the very type of man she’s trying to avoid.

David is a werewolf. As the oldest male in his family he must battle the inner violence that his wolf begs him to unleash. His sister’s meddling leads him and Jesa to a meeting that will rock their worlds, bringing them an emotional connection and ecstasy neither expected.

Review: Holy Crap!! I am in love with this series :) Yet again another knock out from Decadent. Ms Moroe has really nailed this story and dazzled me with wonder. Amazing to the finish :)

Wet Dream by JM Madden

Story: 9
Presentation: 9
Total: 18
Publisher: Decadent
Contemporary Erotic
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Blurb: Ex-FBI agent Ginger Hampton is not surprised when her date is a no show. Madame Evangeline, owner of 1NightStand promised her a perfect night…but Ginger is used to disappointment in love. The fact that she’s six feet tall, model perfect and owns her own high-end security firm tends to intimidate men. In spite of herself, she’d had high hopes for this date.

Madame Eve’s email had told him to watch for a woman in distress, and the woman at the bar is exactly that. Chief of Security Cameron Jones doesn’t see himself as a hero, but he’s willing to check on a special guest for his boss. He doesn’t realize until he sees her face that it’s Ginger Hampton, his own personal weak spot. She’s not turned off by his brutal scarring, and even flirts as if she’s interested. When he escorts her to her room, does he have the balls to respond to her interest, and stay the night? How can he say no to…his own personal wet dream?

Review: Youch!!! OMG what a hot read. The blurb just doesn't do justic for what JM has created here. HOT HOT HOT and all that with characters that I just loved to love :) A total winner for me and one that I plan on reading again....and again :)

Tempting A Cowboy by Clarissa Yip

Story: 8.5
Presentation: 9
Total: 17.5
Publisher: Decadent
Contemporary Erotic
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Blurb: Clueless when it comes to women, Shane McCormick only talks geek. On a business trip to Vegas, he attends a masquerade dressed as a cowboy under the persuasion of his sister, only to find out he’s been set up by Madame Eve.

On a dare with her friends, Mia Hunt asks for the impossible: A 1NightStand with a hot cowboy, except her date is the one person she shouldn’t be seen with.

When their attraction fuels the night, trouble follows as desire collides. Will their time together end in calamity or a promise for more fun?
Review:  I am a fan of the hot geeks :) Ms Yip did a good job slapping this nerdy stud into total hotness that was enough to steam up my monitor :) Sexy, smokin' and a full blown enjoyment

Most Eligible by Lindsay Marene Ordone

Story: 5
Presentation: 8
Total: 13
Publisher: Decadent
Contemporary
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Blurb: Gavin Dimarco is a journalist for The Los Angeles Times. As Gavin Martin, however, he is a successful author of historical mystery novels. When his agent calls with an opportunity to be the next reality TV “Bachelor,” he agrees—with one stipulation. None of the ladies vying for his heart can know his true identity until the end of the show. Gavin’s past has made him leery of women seeking his fortune, and that fear has left him alone, with only his dog and his love of reading as company. When Gavin meets the girl of his dreams right before Most Eligible airs, he’s ready to abandon the show. Everyone knows that you can’t find true love in a week on a TV show. When Hollywood reality meets Gavin’s reality, he has to make a tough choice—is he still eligible?

Review: One thing that you don’t get from the blurb is that this story is in first person. If I put that aside because it really isn’t that big a deal, I still just didn’t dig the story which is really sad because I really wanted to.

The blurb really snagged me but once I got started I found myself left wanting. The majority of the story is being “told” to the reader. Not an active dialogue and for me that just made me feel like I was missing so much of the story. It seemed to just fly through some parts and linger over others that I really wasn’t interested in.

The idea that these 2 people could fall in love after only 5 or 6 days of knowing each other and only about a couple hours of any type of conversation just wasn’t believable to me. I realize that there are times when folks just click with each other but I still had a really hard time buying it.

The author had a way with words and attention to certain details but I think I would like to read something else by her before I make a final call to put her on my must read list.

Smitten by Silke Juppenlatz

Story: 8.5
Presentation: 9
Total: 17.5
Publisher: Decadent
Paranormal Romance
To Purchase

Blurb: Reserved and shy Jo Button is tired of being the talk of the town. Enough is enough. Time to put her plans in motion, but a mishap forces her to seek out veterinarian Ash Delaney—the one man she has always wanted.


Ex-Guardian Angel, Ashriel, isn't too happy when the reason for his de-haloed state shows up and requests his help. He has avoided Jo Button for ten years, and could quite happily go another ten without seeing her—until he realizes her battered reputation was his fault.

Can Ashriel save Jo, even if it means redemption is beyond his grasp? Or will he lose his halo permanently, along with the woman he's come to care for?

Review: I must confess that this was a really good story. There were some parts near the end that confused me and left me stumbling, but I just read them and moved on hoping that in the end it would all make sense. It did, for the most part but I wish I would have gotten it when I was reading it.

Aside from that one thing the rest of the story rocked. I loved the emotion filled story and the characters. Made for a really good read :)

Melting Frost by Kelly Daniels

Story: 8
Presentation: 8
Total: 16
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Fantasy
To Purchase

Blurb: Bitter and lonely, Jack Frost wishes for a special holiday - one filled with family and friends, but it was impossible. His usual solitary travels leave him wandering from window to window, watching happy folks celebrate the holiday season, which only hardens his resolve, until he spots a car slide off the road into a ditch.


He goes to inspect the damage—only to find a miracle.
Rory sees him while no one else can and her warmth immediately starts to melt the ice within him. As she grants him his wish, he realizes he is keeping her from her own true Christmas. Can he let her go or would he be willing to give up his old life…forever?

Review: This was a really sweet holiday story. Aside from the fact that Rory seems not to be too bothered by sudenly appearing in front of her parents house, I have to say that it was really cute. I enjoy a nice short, cute read even if sometimes there are things that just don't seem to jive. This was one that even with the little things, it read very smooth and flowed good.

Very nice :)

Unwrapping Scrooge by Anne Holly

Story: 7
Presentation: 8
Total: 15
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Contemporary
To Purchase

Blurb: Bestselling author Kale McKinnon is a modern Scrooge – eccentric, misanthropic and reclusive, made bitter by the coldness of his wealthy family. But when optimistic Canadian graduate student Molly Gillis visits Oxford and invades his space, he realizes Christmas is about to change for him forever. But can he make her stay, and force himself to un-Scrooge enough to be the right man for her?


Review: The plot in this one was a really sweet story. While there were times when I could have used more dialogue and not quit so much narrative, I still enjoyed the story for what it was. Two people, spending time together, getting to know each other. They discover that there is more to the other than what they originally thought.

A very nice story.

The Christmas Fantasy by KT Grant

Story: 8.5
Presentation: 9
Total: 17.5
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Contemporary Erotic
To Purchase

Blurb: On a mission to lose her virginity before her thirtieth birthday on Christmas Day, Mandy Lockeheart plans to seduce the only man she’s ever loved; her brother’s best friend, firefighter Jackson Montgomery. With the sexy new body she’s worked hard to earn, she’s certain she can convince him to fulfill her fantasies.


When Mandy comes to him with her sexy proposal, Jackson can’t refuse her adorable seduction. Unfortunately, Mandy’s brother doesn’t want anyone playing around with his baby sister. Jackson must choose between respecting his friend’s wishes and making love to his perfect Christmas present.

Between Mandy’s occasionally poor body image and Jackson’s honor, the lovers must fight to realize their Christmas Fantasy.

Review: This was a very nice holiday story. While my brow quirked at her virginity at her age, the author was able to make it believable. Everything that I needed to buy this story was there along with a healthy dose of HOT and SEXY!!!!

Emotional, sweet, titillating and gut-wrenching all rolled into one wonderful story. I am really impressed.

**SNAPS** KT, I look forward to reading more from you in the future :)

Snowy Encounters by Clarissa Yip

Story: 8
Presentation: 9
Total: 17
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Contemporary Erotic
To Purchase

Blurb: Ever since her divorce, successful Event Planner Maddy Glover dreads visiting her hometown. For the first time in three years, she returns home for the holidays and finds herself caught at the end of an avalanche. Only to be rescued by the one man she’s determined to avoid: her ex-husband.


Ambitious and desirable Cole Harmon lives to rebuild the town and to forget the woman who hadn’t believed he had enough to offer her—until Maddy shows up in her cute city-slicker attire and sexy black boots. In need of a decorator for the holidays, he hires his ex-wife to help, only to be thrown into dark buried memories and snowy encounters that may thaw the ice between them. Will their love rekindle or will Maddy walk away once again?

Review: This was a heart warming tale about giving love a second chance and overcoming the past pains.

Really well written and filled with emotion. Smokin' sex between these two characters. While they do have a pretty heavy past, I enjoyed watching them work through it. Really well done. A wonderful holiday tale that put me in the mood....in more ways than one ;)

Love with an Improper Stranger by Lorelei Mattison

Story: 7
Presentation: 7
Total: 14
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Erotic Contemporary
To Purchase

Blurb: Maggie doesn’t usually do this sort of thing, the one night stand encounters. However, when she meets Hunter she can’t resist his charm, his sexy demeanor, or his relentless approach. She throws caution to the wind and decides to indulge in a heady one night stand.

Hunter can’t resist Maggie. She mentally seduces him from the moment they first meet. He wants to know her, intimately, all he has to do is get her to spend one night with him. He determines from the start to convince her to give in, but it might be an easier feat than he thinks.

Review: The story was good. I loved the set up, the flirtation and the slow slide into an erotic encounter. The sexual tension is thick and I believed the play. Without giving spoilers to the story, the ending wasn’t predictable, but for me, it was disappointing. A bit of an overused conclusion. That aside, I still had all those good fluttering feelings from the chemistry between Maggie and Hunter. My lower presentation score is because this book is marketed as BDSM. In my opinion it isn’t. There is some reference to a future encounter he will tie her up, but none of that happens in this story. He’s an alpha hero in his pursuit, but that’s just good hero quality. In fact, I found the love scenes to be sensually erotic and not overly graphic. Just a good contemporary erotic short story.

One Night at the Beach by Kate Richards

Story: 8
Presentation: 9
Total: 17
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Contemporary romance, erotica
To Purchase

Blurb: A rejuvenating moonlit stroll into passion, love and reunion.

After a bad break-up, Andi sets off to find herself, only to come across the one man whose opinions and friendship had mattered most in the past—if only she hadn’t destroyed their relationship from their last meeting.

Sam has waited years for Andi to come back to him. She was his best friend, his love, but he’d never told her how deep his feelings ran, until their paths crossed once again on a moonlit beach. Will the chemistry between them be enough to overcome the reason they parted in the first place?

Review: What I loved most about this story was how deeply I was able to get to know the characters in just a few pages. The story builds gradually, investing your emotions so that when the sex finally happens, you feel every breathless tummy tug, every ache for these two people to get a chance at something they’d missed out on when they were younger. One Night at the Beach had all the wonderful qualities of a reunited lovers story, although Andi and Sam had never had their chance at love until now. This is a great little love story between two people. You get vivid imagery, memorable characters and an ending with hot sex that will have you feeling the passion along with the characters.