The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton

5 Stars

Love hurts...if you're lucky. Kaden knows he's dying, but before he goes, he has one problem he needs to solve - he must ask his oldest friend Seth to take over as his beloved wife's Dom and Master after his death. Seth has always seen himself as the perpetual screw-up and Kaden as the strong and steady one, so his friend's request rocks his world. Now Seth finds himself immersed in a role he's far from comfortable with: inflicting pain to provide emotional comfort for the woman he's secretly loved for years. Can he deal with his crushing grief and learn the skills he must master in time to become THE RELUCTANT DOM?




Goodreads description

My thoughts;  After reading Fifty Shades and Bared to You, I thought, "Hey, another  BDSM novel. Sure, I will give it a shot." Several of my girls had read it so I was confident it was going to be a good read. However, the warning included with the Goodreads description (see below) kinda had me a little worried. I started reading and it suddenly became clear just how "vanilla" the other two books were. Wow, is all I can say, just Wow. Anyway, when I began this book and I was confronted with the news of Kaden's diagnosis, I was prepared. I knew what the book was about so no surprises. But then, I got to know him. You quickly fall in love with him and at the same time Seth. I was halfway through the book when Seth's "mental heartbeat" -kadensdying- finally became mine as well. I had to put the book down. Walk away. I even contemplated not finishing the book at one point because if I didn't finish, IT, wouldn't happen. I gave it the afternoon and then decided to finish. I have never read such a heart wrenching story. There has only been one other series (possibly two) that has provoked so many tears from me. I held my hubs a little tighter as we slept that night. The thought of ever losing him is just to much to bare. While there were definitely some blush-worthy/jaw dropping moments while reading this book, I promise you it is well worth the read.

Happy Reading!! :-)


**Warning: m/f/m menage, anal sex/play/toys, BDSM, bondage, D/s relationship, and the lesser-known "normality" of the world of BDSM

Providence by Jamie McGuire

4 Stars
(Providence series book 1)

In the old world shadows of Providence, Rhode Island, Nina Grey finds herself the center of a war between Hell and Earth.

Struggling with her father’s recent death, Nina meets Jared Ryel by chance…or so she believes. Although his stunning good looks and mysterious talents are a welcome distraction, it soon becomes clear that Jared knows more about Nina than even her friends at Brown University. When questions outnumber answers, Jared risks everything to keep the woman he was born to save—by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect.

When her father’s former associates begin following her in the dark, Nina learns that her father is not the man she thought he was, but a thief who stole from demons. Searching for the truth behind her father’s death, Nina stumbles upon something she never expected—something Hell wants—and only she holds the key.

Amazon.com description

WOW.....I Can't Believe it!!!

Hard to believe This is number 100!!!!

I have really had fun doing this and I hope to do hundreds more :-)

Sharing the love.....Fate's Call #5

An Author friend of mine is doing a serial on her blog. She is posting a new peice each week, I highly recommend you stop by and check her out. She has a book due out early next year. It will be the first in her King's Riders series, called Sword's Call. I can't wait :-)

C.A. Szarek Author: Fate's Call #5: Hope you enjoy I am enjoying writing this. The closer they got to Dalunas Main, the harder Erron’s heart thundered. She gripped the ...

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

4.5 Stars
(Mortal Instruments series book 5)

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Amazon.com (buy book here)


My thoughts; I ended the last previous book, City of Fallen Angels, with my heart in the pit of my stomach. After everything Clary and Jace have been through, you would think they could catch a break. But no, if it CAN go wrong it WILL go wrong. COLS starts with Simon, at the moment COFA left off. Then it jumps forward two weeks later. I found my self slightly bored at the beginning of the book. It was kind of like nothing was moving forward. After several chapters the rhythm of the story starts to take shape and I was (as always) in love. I could feel the heartbreak Clary was feeling over Jace's absence. The feeling of not knowing. And when his fate is realized and she decides to set off to "save" him, I couldn't wait. I can't believe I am going to say this, but, in the time she was with Sebastian and Jace, I almost felt sorry for Sebastian. It was like he wanted to really be her brother. Like maybe somewhere deep down inside he really did have a heart. But everything changes in the blink of an eye and the world just stops turning...... And that is where I stop to prevent spoilers. ;)

As, you know the side characters in this series are not side characters at all. They are just as central to the story as the main characters. Simon is still struggling with being a vampire. His relationship with Izzy is at the are we or aren't we stage. Isabelle is just as stubborn and vulnerable as always. Alec, is torn apart inside by the fact that Magnus is immortal. He wants so much to be with Magnus forever. I want so much more of these couples. I want to see them have a happily ever after.

But alas, we are once again left hanging with the burning question; How will they ever truly be together and happy. *sighing in contemplation of the next installment in this series*

Happy Reading!! :-)

Black Dawn by Rachel Caine

3.5 Stars
(Morganville Vampires series Book 12)

When a tide of ferocious draug, the vampire's deadliest enemy, floods Morganville, its eclectic mix of residents must fight to save their town from devastation. Chaos has taken over the quiet college town of Morganville as the threat of the draug rapidly spreads with the help of the city's water system. Whilst most of the locals have already fled, student Claire Danvers and her friends Shane, Eve and Michael choose to stay and fight. Things take a turn for the worse when vampire Amelie, the town's founder, is infected by the master draug's bite. Unless Claire and her friends can find an antidote to save Amelie and overcome the draug, Morganville's future looks bleak...


Amazon.com description


My Thoughts; I spent most of this book hoping it would be the end of the series, I know it isn't, but I was hoping just the same. Don't get me wrong love this story and the characters. I would truly hate to see it come to an end. That being said I am starting to worry that Caine will run out of really great story line and the story will just go south. I never want to see this happen. I love these guys way to much.

At the ending of the last book Amelie had been bitten by the master draug and all hope seemed to be lost. At the beginning of this book things were just as bleak. Everyone has taken refuge at Founder's Square and are furiously trying to come up with a plan. They must avoid water at all cost (unless it is bottled) and a monsoon has come to town. You can see how this may pose a problem. Things quickly go from bleak to dire and Claire is fit to be tied. No one including Myrnin, well on second thought ESPECIALLY Myrnin better stand in her way. The story was really good, it had a good tempo and it kept me there with the characters. I am just not in that heart pounding place I was toward the beginning of the series. I still recommend this series to anyone but I just want more, pulse quickening excitement back and I am hoping to get it in October when the next installment is released.

 (I am hopeless when it comes to these characters. I will always want to know what happens next)

Happy Reading!! :-)

Sharing the love....Fate's Call #4

An Author friend of mine is doing a serial on her blog. She is posting a new peice each week, I highly recommend you stop by and check her out. She has a book due out early next year. It will be the first in her King's Riders series, called Sword's Call. I can't wait :-)
C.A. Szarek Author: Fate's Call #4: So, sorry this is a day late, but it's better than Friday, right? ;) It's taking a dark turn, but I hope you still will enjoy it! H...

Bared to You by Sylvia Day

 4 Stars

(A Crossfire Novel)
Our journey began in fire...Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness--beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily...

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private wounds... and desires.

The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

Amazon.com description


My thoughts; I find it necessary to point out that this is not typically the type of book I read. Usually the cover alone would have me turning the other direction. But this thing happened to me last month that I can sum up with two words. Christian Grey!! After several of my book club friends had read this book they told me it was very fifty-ish so I said I would give it a shot.

This is truly a relationship that had "Doomed" stamped on it from the beginning. It starts out with and intense physical attraction, followed by a very crude proposition, followed by an understanding, followed by two people's world being rocked to the core. Eva and Gideon are perfect for each other one minute and the worst possible thing in the next. And Me?? I am completely in love with this story. We are left hanging at the end of this book, so many questions left unanswered. I need to know what is going on in Gideon's head. Eva's story is apparent because we are reading from her POV. But Gideon is such a mystery. I want to know more about Cary (Eva's roomate), he is fighting demons of his own and I hurt for him. I would like for Corrine and Magdalene to dissapear, I just know they are going to cause by blood pressure to rise. All in all I was pretty happy with the storyline. I will definitely be reading the next in this series.

**Warning**

This an erotic novel. Sometimes it was a little more that I was comfortable with. So if that is not your cup of tea you have been forewarned. (I am thinking maybe I should have put this on my Fifty Shades Reviews, but I guess the news coverage has since remedied that necessity)

Happy Reading!! :-)

Sharing the Love..... Fate's Call #3

An Author friend of mine is doing a serial on her blog. She is posting a new peice each week, I highly recommend you stop by and check her out. She has a book due out early next year. It will be the first in her King's Riders series, called Sword's Call. I can't wait :-)

C.A. Szarek Author: Fate's Call #3: Like the last one, I guess I don't have much to say here. Hope you like it and you check back for the next segment! I am going to Chicago Th...

Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready (Review)

Stars

In this dramatic conclusion to the Shade trilogy, Aura and Zachary’s relationship sizzles as the secrets of the Shift are revealed.
Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.
As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves…even if that means betraying her own heart.

Description from Amazon.com


My thoughts; As I sit here minutes after finishing Shine, I am still snot sobbing. Not because of the ending but because it ENDED. I wasn't ready, I will always long for just one more page.......

I sat down with Shine completely prepared. Comfy chair, check. Snuggly blanket, check. Box of tissues, check check!! I made it to the second page of chapter one before the tears set in. I was so proud of myself for holding out for so long. *grins*

This book picks up almost literally where Shift left off. Aura is still standing by the grave. I was glad that there was not a passing of time that we would have to catch up on. I was very upset for the first, almost half of the book. If I could have jumped in there I would have went all Rambo and taken care of the situation. But then everything is ok and the world is set right. And then it isn't anymore. And then it is December and Aura is finally going on the trip she had planned for her birthday and everything is AMAZING. And then, well you get the picture. I was so captured by these characters from the moment I picked up book one. I will forever and always hold them in my heart. If you have not read this series PLEASE I beg you, do it. This is one of those stories that I will come back to over and over and hope to one day pass down to my grandchildren so that this world that Jeri Smith-Ready created will live on forever. 


Happy Reading!! :-)

This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

3 Stars
(Night Huntress book 5)

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance...

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally"--the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war. ...to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

Amazon.com description


My thoughts;  I am kind of at a loss for words. Generally when I finish a book I immediately sit down and type out my review. I want things fresh in my mind. But with this one I don't really know what to say. For reasons that I can not seem to figure out, this book did not hold my attention like the previous ones in this series did. Maybe I should have taken a break and came back later. Maybe it was because I realized halfway through that I was suppose to read Mencheres book, Eternal Kiss of Darkness, before this one. Some things were mentioned during this one and I was both lost and covering my eyes because I didn't want it to give anything away. I have stated numerous times that I will not even read the back of a book if it is part of a series I am reading. I like to experience the story as it is happening and I am always scared that the synopsis will give something away. So the fact that there were details mentioned in this book about Mencheres story kinda bummed me out. I also think that a certain part of this story hit me to close to home. I related personally to something that happens and it made it difficult for me to read.

I don't want to turn anyone away from this story at all. I love Cat and Bones and I feel that they reached a new level in their relationship in this book. We get to see more of Vlad, who I LOVE, as well as the other characters who I adore. I still highly recommend this series to anyone. As with all series books there will always be that one that just didn't do it for you. Well this one was mine. Now, I will back track and read Eternal Kiss of Darkness so I can be back on the right track. But first, I must step away from this world and take a trip to a few others I have been missing. Stay tuned...

Happy Reading!! :-)

Sharing the Love... Fate's Call #2

An Author friend of mine is doing a serial on her blog. She is posting a new peice each week, I highly recommend you stop by and check her out. She has a book due out early next year. It will be the first in her King's Riders series, called Sword's Call. I can't wait :-)

C.A. Szarek Author: Fate's Call #2: Don't have much to say, other than I hope you enjoy the 2nd section of my serial! And check back next week for the next one!             J...

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

5 Stars

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.


Goodreads.com description. Also on Amazon.com




My thoughts;  This book was AMAZING!!! Wow, I fell in love by chapter 2 and I was hooked. It literally kept me up all night. I could not put it down.

First, let me say I am a sucker for the bad boy, the tortured soul, if you will. Secondly, dimples are my weakness. So when Travis Maddox appeared I was done for. I immediately fell head over heels. Why?? Well first time Abby meets him it is at the edge of a fight ring and he had just splattered some guys blood all over her. Then it is the lunch room where he trys to talk to her and she is totally giving him the brush off. Is he phased NOPE! He constantly has girls hanging on his every movement. Abby makes a trip to his apartment with her best friend America, who is dating Travis' cousin/roomate, only to find Travis giving a brush off of his own to some random girl he has just... er....finished with. So at this point I am still asking myself, WHY? What is it about this boy? Well it is everything. He is sweet, loving, protective to the point of insanity. He falls head over hills for Abby and never looks back.

What about the girl you may ask. Abby is running. Running from her past, running from Travis, running from anything that could possibly break her heart. I understand her. Although there were times when I should have been so mad with the choice she was making, I couldn't be. I completely understood why she was making it. As much as Travis feels like he is not good enough for her, she is also feeling he deserves better than her. Abby and "Mare" head off to college together with the sole purpose of leaving her past behind. She wants to forget about everything she grew up with and Travis' is just that combination of wild and reckless to remind her of all of it. She was treated like a curse by her father so she spent most of her time growing up, with America and her parents. America makes a pact to go wherever Abby goes to college and to help her move on from her past. I only hope that friends as loyal as Mare, really do exist is this world. She is a wonderful person.

This book takes you on a roller coaster ride of epic proportions. No matter how they are feeling from moment to the next. Be it a fight or completely in love it is done with so much PASSION! I am so glad this book was recommended to me. Several others in my book club are currently reading and they are just as in love as I am. Give it a shot. You wont be disappointed.

Happy Reading!! :-)

Waiting On.......

City of Lost Souls

by Cassandra Clare

Mortal Instrument Series book 5

It's Release Day!!!!!!

Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready