Review: Masters & Mercenaries- Lexi Blake

Hello all! I am continuing my review blitz with the first two books of Lexi Blake's Masters & Mercenaries series.

First up... The Dom Who Loved Me.

I. Loved. This. Book. I am serious. Both of the lead characters completely satisfied me in more ways than one. Grace Hawthorne is imperfect in the most perfect way. She is a widow with two college-aged sons, a normal executive assistant job and a less than perfect body. She devours BDSM romance books but doesn't pursue her secret desires...until she meets Sean.

Sean Taggart is a sexual Dominant and believes that Grace's employer is a front for something illegal. He is working with McKay/Taggart Security Services to find out exactly what those illegal activities are. In the course of his investigation and getting close to Grace to figure out that the nature of her involvement..he discovers her secret submissive side and it is ON! Sean masters Grace's submission while covertly investigating her boss. When his activities are revealed...he has to make a choice. Keep Grace or do his job.

Grace is on my top ten list of favorite female characters. The circumstances in her her life make her easy to relate to..may it be body issues, having children, previous relationship issues and unexplored sexual desires. And Sean...well he is just hot. His thoughtful and sexy domination of Grace is just gorgeous to read. And he isn't perfect either, which totally works for me. As a reader, I get kind of sick of the "totally got it together" male hero.

And the secondary characters are some of the most intriguing ever. So much..that you can't wait to read about them. And you will :)

And next up to bat...The Men With The Golden Cuffs.

This is Adam and Jacob's story. They come as a pair *snerk* and their desire is to find the one woman they can love and share. Serena is a writer of erotic fiction and has recently acquired a rather scary stalker. Everyone in her life thinks she is making up the stalker...so she is forced to hire bodyguards for protection. Jacob isn't entirely sure Serena is on the up and up...but Adam becomes enamored with Serena, especially when he finds out what kind of erotic fiction she writes and her submissive tendencies. Because Jacob and Adam love together... Jacob can't help but fall for Serena and cling to Adam's hope that she might be the woman they both can love, despite his reservations about her honesty. Serena is in heaven, being taken care of by two hot, caring and attentive men. Until the suspicions about her stalker break the trio's trust.

This story appealed to me for different reasons than The Dom Who Loved Me. Adam and Jacob were literally two different sides of the same coin. The way they were written made you want to dig into the book. You can't wait to see how they work in tandem, but in entirely different ways to make Serena theirs. And you feel for all three characters when the distrust and angst come into their lives. I seriously wanted to cry for Serena. Your heart also hurts both of the men, especially Adam.

Serena is also not perfect. She doesn't have a model body. She is forgetful and self-conscious about herself and I related to her even more than I did Grace. And again, the secondary characters help make this book an awesome read.

I can't wait for Liam's book, A Dom is Forever. Alex & Eve's story will satisfy my insatiable desire to learn what makes Eve tick and why she tortures poor Alex. And Ian Taggart...head of McKay/Taggart Security Services and Sean's brother...I really hope Ms. Blake is planning on writing his story.

I can honestly say these have been two of my favorite books to read and I am HIGHLY anticipating the remainder of the series. I am keeping these books on my bookshelf...and will probably re-read them several times over.

I insist you check out Lexi Blake's books. I am adding the Masters of Menage series to my TBR pile as I type this.

Standard disclaimer- Please note, these books contain elements of BDSM and menage. You don't like it...don't read it.

I am still taking recommendations for my TBR pile. Leave a comment or follow me on Twitter @jessieobrien25. I promise I will be interesting at least once a week.

Review: Laid Open- Lauren Dane

I told you this was a review blitz!


Laid Open is a novella in Lauren Dane's Brown Siblings series. I seriously can't lie, this is one of my favorite series of books. The Brown's are so complex and gorgeously written, that I am so glad Ms. Dane choose to follow up on Eric, Todd and Ben's story.

Laid Open takes place after Never Enough (Adrian and Gillian's story) and I will say...unless you read Laid Bare, the first in the series and the beginning of Erin, Todd and Ben's story...well Laid Open won't make a bit of sense. I suggest starting from the beginning because frankly..it's worth it.
But just to lay a bit of ground work, Erin is married to Todd and Ben is their "third". They have a son named Alexander and are a unique and loving family.

As with all Lauren Dane's books, the sex is HOT. But what I was really interested in was knowing more about the dynamic of their relationship. These three people truly love each other, but it's not a perfect world. Readers will get to see how deep their love is, how they deal with the reoccurring memories of a tragedy and what I have been waiting for. A little more of Ben.

Laid Bare focused a lot on Todd and Erin, with Ben coming into the dynamic later. I was desperate to know more about how Ben felt about their relationship and Ms. Dane delivered. There was still the deep love and contentment amongst the three..but it made it a little more real knowing that even though it was pretty perfect most of the time, just like anyone else, they had their issues to deal with.

Please note, this is an erotic romance with BDSM elements and a committed menage relationship...including m/m. For heaven's sake, if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea don't buy it. You won't give it the appreciation it deserves.

This one will stay on my bookshelf keeping my other Brown Siblings books company. I may have to go reread the rest of the series...in anticipation of  Raven's book. (Such a long wait! I am ridiculously impatient!) I am also looking forward to the  new series that will feature Gillian's friends from Never Enough.

Brown Siblings Series
Laid Bare
Coming Undone
Inside Out
Never Enough
Laid Open


Go forth and read!

Review: Crash Into You- Roni Loren

Hello all! Be prepared for a review blitz..I have been reading but lazy about blogging. Now it's catch-up time.

I read Crash Into You prior to starting this blog, but I follow Roni Loren on Twitter and word on the street (yes I have ALWAYS wanted to type that) is that her Loving on the Edge series is getting more books! This caused me to have a fangirl moment and re-read Crash Into You. And of course I remember why I love Roni Loren's books.

Her characters.

Brynn and Reid are the main characters in Crash and they are everything I love about a good character. This is a BDSM erotic romance and Brynn and Reid aren't your cookie cutter submissive and Dom. Brynn is feisty, smart, strong and once she embraces her submissiveness, she helps Reid deal with the fact that it's okay to want to dominate women in the bedroom.

Reid isn't your typical confident alpha male. He is afraid of dominance because of his family history and how high profile he is. I enjoy Reid's character immensely. Don't get me wrong, I love the typical cocky, self-assured, confidant in their dominance, characters that are typical of a BDSM romance...but there is something I find so endearing about Reid and his struggle to accept his desires.

There is a crushing, suspenseful and almost tragic event in Brynn's life that shapes her throughout the book. I found myself thinking "Go Girl!" when she took the steps she needed to heal. And Reid's bumbling decisions when it comes to sharing things with Brynn make him the less-than-perfect guy that I find myself interested in reading. I want to see him fix it and come out on top (giggle).

The secondary characters in the book are also intriguing. Jace, Reid's friend and fellow dominant. Grant, owner of The Ranch, the exclusive BDSM retreat where Brynn and Reid go to try to find her sister...all made me want to know their stories, which is what I look for in secondary characters. And Melt Into You (next in the series) does just that. It is Jace's story.

If you are looking for an atypical but awesome BDSM romance with just the right amount of intrigue and suspense...I highly recommend Crash Into You. I am keeping it on my bookshelf...and of course saving room for the other books in the series.

Loving on the Edge Series
Crash Into You
Still Into You (this is an e-novella about Jace's sister)
Melt Into You (Jace's story)
Fall Into You (Grant's story..owner of The Ranch)

As always, I welcome your comments and you can follow me on Twitter @jessieobrien25

Review: Deep Desires- Charlotte Stein

Before I being this review, I would like to point out that I wish it was Friday. The Friday before a very long weekend. I know I just got back from vacation but I could sure use one.

And now my review.

Abbie Gough, the heroine, is a physical and emotional abuse survivor who has locked herself into a routine in her own little world. Ivan lives across "The Courtyard" in Abbie's apartment "complex" and as you get further into the book, you find out just how complicated Ivan is.

This is my first book/novella by Charlotte Stein. The first thing that struck me is that I couldn't tell exactly where this story was taking place, which overall is not a bad thing. It allowed me to imagine it could be taking place in any city, in any country. Also adding to that is Miss Stein's use of British English...which I will admit took me a bit to get used to. My mind screamed "TYPO" while the less pedestrian part of my brain told be to shut up.

The story is deliciously drawn out with voyeurism and mutual masturbation as heavy themes in the beginning of the story. It almost got to the point where it was too drawn out, but it is almost like the author sensed it and fed you the details you needed to keep the story going at a good pace. I can appreciate that talent.

Abbie and Ivan, for all intents and purposes, are fucked up characters. But I loved their story because  as cheesy as this sounds, she completed him. And he did the same for her. They gave each other what was missing, what their pasts had destroyed.

And the sex! If you ever had a voyeuristic fantasy, ever wanted to catch your neighbor doing naked housecleaning, the window scenes will appeal to you. But the sex scene that did it for me was the one when all their barriers were broken down and it was just Abbie and Ivan... with none of their past sharing their bed with them. Very poignant and hot. Fair warning, there is also some brief m/m action, so if that isn't your bag...I would skip that part.

I look forward to reading more of Miss Stein's writing...and I will be keeping this one on my bookshelf. I suggest giving Deep Desires a read if something beyond the typical love story appeals to you.

I was lucky enough to get a review copy for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Hot in Handcuffs- Shayla Black, Sylvia Day & Shiloh Walker

Ahh Saturday. How I love you. And how busy I am when the week finally comes around to you. So, I shall pause in my party preparing to review one of my vacation reads.


To begin, these are three of my favorite authors. Just recently read the Ash Trilogy by Shiloh Walker. I have a serious love of Bared to You by Sylvia Day and Shayla Black's Wicked Lovers series is just swoon-worthy. I didn't think Hot in Handcuffs would disappoint....and it didn't.

This is an anthology, so obviously the stories are shorter. But trust me, they didn't pack any less of a punch.

First at bat is Arresting Desire by Shayla Black. I loved the female lead in this book. Lucia was a believable combination of smart and innocent. And the alpha male/FBI agent/panty dropping Jon Bocelli is hot. Smoking hot. His tender domination of Lucia, plus the appreciation of her intelligence really struck a chord with me. Jon's dominating seduction of Lucia, getting her to submit to both him and her fantasies should have been formulaic with all of the dominant vs. closet submissive tropes that I have read, but it wasn't. I enjoyed their interaction immensely. The sub-plot of family mystery/suspense added to the story and helped develop both Lucia and Jon's characters for me.

Second in the line-up was On Fire by Sylvia Day and oh my was it. Jared and Darcy set the pages on fire. The intensity of their desire for each other made me sweat. Darcy wasn't a female character you read about very often. She was very aware of her sexuality and indulged as discreetly as she could living in a small town. Then the suspicious fires begin, bringing Deputy Marshal Jared Cameron into her life...and bed. From the jump Jared wanted Darcy and when they finally came together, the combination of hot sex and fierce emotion that neither expected made for some of the best sex scenes I have read. Seriously. And again, the mystery just added to the story, making both characters vulnerable to the real world outside the bedroom.

And last, but certainly not least, is The Unwilling by Shiloh Walker. Now, I must interject here. I haven't read any of Shiloh's FBI psychic books...but I will be after reading this. I absolutely loved the relationship Colby and Mica have. They need each other, but don't want to need each other. When Mica asks for Colby's help he is reluctant because even after she left him, he still loves her. Their psychic connection made their relationship seem even more intimate than your every day relationship. It also made this a very enjoyable read. As always, Ms. Walker's descriptive writing seems to drop you right into one of Colby or Mica's visions. Her writing never disappoints.

To sum it up: This book is staying on my bookshelf. If you ask nicely, I may let you borrow it. If you don't return it...I will come after you to get it back :)

Have a good weekend everyone!

I'm Back!

If you weren't paying attention..I went on vacation. If you were paying attention..I went on vacation.

And now I am back to the real world...and better coffee. No offense to you Southern folks but I went a week without good fucking coffee and I damn near died from caffeine withdrawal. But, you made up with for it with awesome accents, polite people and some banging food. You are forgiven.

We didn't have any major vacation plans except visit the zoo, eat a Cuban sandwich, swim in the pool and get tattoos. Yes. Get tattoos. We have developed a habit of getting tattoos as souvenirs when we travel because frankly shot glasses are boring. My tattoo came out FUCKING AWESOME and I give mad props to the guy at FatKats Artistry in Ocala for the banging job he did. I am healing now and I swear this things itches like crazy. I can't wait to get my next one.

I shot a gun! Totally forgot to mention that. I have shot guns before..we used shoot targets off our back porch when I was a kid, but it had been awhile since I pulled a trigger. We shot targets in the woods across the street and I made a Pepsi bottle my bitch. It exploded and I shouted with glee. Then we went in and ate barbeque. My neck is still red.

In addition, I got in some reading. The Hot in Handcuffs anthology by Shayla Black, Sylvia Day and Shiloh Walker was so good. It shouldn't be read on a plane unless you plan on joining The Mile High Club. I swear I was panting as I exited the plane and cabin pressure had nothing to do with it. Plus, they are three of my favorite authors..so putting them all in one book is like multiple orgasms. It can not be missed. This book went right back on my bookshelf when I unpacked and I am sure I will re-read it several times over.

I jump back further into real life my returning to my job tomorrow where I will be back to reading on lunch...so hey I just might review some more books.

Now, I must go mentally prepare myself for my return to the workforce by having a grown-up Shirley Temple and trying to figure out what laundry is actually clean.

Please don't envy my exciting life.

Electronics & Me...

We have a hate/hate relationship. They hate to work for me and I hate trying to figure out how they work.

And because technology makes the world go round..consider me fucked. Not in a hot, nasty, sexy way either. (Unless you consider the overheating laptop part of the equation. Love me some laptop thigh burn.)

I have recently become reinvested in writing (see previous Lazy Blogger post). Well, it is difficult to cater to my extremely sexy, dominating bitch of a muse (I fucking love her) if my computer won't stay on for MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES! Not to mention my constant fear of losing work. I learned that lesson when 4,000 or so gorgeous words disappeared before I could back up.

This weekend..the laptop officially died. It bought the farm, took a dirt nap..whatever euphemism for dead rocks your boat. So with the remainder of this story screaming inside me to be let out...I went to buy a new fucking laptop.

I reiterate. I hate technology, electronics, shit with buttons and wires blah blah blah. I like my cell phone and my Nook. That's it.

So an obscene amount of money, patience and screaming because it took me forever to figure out later...I can restrain my bitchy muse and get back to work.

And if one more person tells me to get an external hard drive again..I can't be responsible for what I do to you. But I suggest a high pain tolerance and a safe word. You will need it.