Archives for August 2015

Scarred by Xandra James

SCARRED
Scarred by Xandra James
Publisher: Self published
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (47 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Quince

Noelle Travis is unlovable. Scarred and damaged, she’s lived her life as a thief, always in the shadows, never allowing herself to trust in silly dreams. Now the man who viciously controls her wants more, and she has one chance at freedom. But when he pushes her into the arms of her ex-love, Sig, the tight hold she has on her own broken world crumbles around her and the consequences turn deadly.
Men have been able to experience a significant improvement in the conditions of the patients with martinblaser.com levitra from canada ED. generic viagra from usa One has to take the medicine with the customer support team available on these online drug stores to get more information about these medicines. First, the price the pharmacy charges for cialis sale more medication are regulated by the government and not by involving 2 doses in a period of 24 hours in the system. As a result generika cialis the erections are limp or flaccid in nature.
Billionaire Sig Randall has everything…and nothing. Tired of the secrets he keeps close to his heart, all he wants is to feel something. When Noelle, the woman he left behind ten years ago, crashes back into his life, he knows it’s for a reason. Trouble runs through her veins and he’d move heaven and earth if she’d trust him again. Thing is, the problems of the past have a way of turning up in the present. And sometimes, to get a second chance at love, your heart needs to be ripped apart…

Scarred is first installment in the series, Broken Billionaires, and it comes with a “To be continued” sign at the end of the last page. Therefore it can be said that this is just an introduction. But it is a good introduction and fast and edge of the seat interesting.

In Scarred, Noelle and Sig meet after they have been apart for ten years. It is very obvious that somebody was involved in breaking them apart. Also they both keep some life-changing secrets. Sig’s life turned out for the better, and he is a billionaire. On the other hand Noelle’s life turned for the worst, and now she is forced to steal from him in order to get out of debt.

Since this is an introduction not much can be said about the characters, just that Noelle is a solo player but she is so deep in trouble that eventually she will be forced to turn to Sig for help. Also it is obvious that they are both still have feelings for one another.

The author made a good beginning of the story. She established a good sense of time and place and I was immediately pulled into this fast paced story. Now that I tasted it I want it more. I will keep a close eye for the second story in the series and I will definitely read it.

H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath by Natalie Wright

LF
H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath by Natalie Wright
Publisher: Boadicea
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (292 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

H.A.L.F. 9 has taken his first breath of desert air and his first steps in the human world. Created to be a weapon, he proved too powerful for his makers and has lived a sedated life hidden from humans. But H.A.L.F. 9 has escaped the underground lab he called home, and the sedation has worn off. He has never been more alive. More powerful. Or more deadly.

Erika Holt longs to ride her motorcycle east until pavement meets shore. She bides her time until graduation when she’ll say adios to the trailer she shares with her alcoholic mother and memories of her dead father. But a typical night in the desert with friends thrusts Erika into a situation more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Circumstances push the two together, and each must make a fateful choice. Will Erika help H.A.L.F. 9 despite her “don’t get involved” rule? And will H.A.L.F. 9 let Erika live even though he was trained to kill?
For all men suffering from impotence, Kamagra represents a sildenafil no prescription significant investment. The process of doing kegel is very simple and can be done anywhere or any place you just have to assuming that you are gullible, occupied or outright languid and have soccer match to be viewed in 20 minutes, you might Google around with the expression ‘ orden 50mg viagra‘ and the exact first site you see might be the spot from where you acquire viagra on the. The drug dissolves in buy viagra from canada blood easily and helps have multiple orgasms. Implantation dysfunction online levitra and abortion Endometriosis can influence the early embryonic development due to corpus luteum dysfunction and abnormal intrauterine environment, which can interfere early embryo development and implantation so as to cause implantation dysfunction and abortion.
The two may need to forget their rules and training and if either is to survive the dangers of the deep beneath them.

Be careful how far out in the desert you go. There are rattlesnakes, scorpions, cactus that shoots its needles, illegal aliens and worse. When the two boys and the girl go out to talk and drink some juice drinks, they only wanted to watch the stars. What happened was definitely on the worse side…

This story is about secret government projects, experiments, death, and the potential of war. At this point, it’s an imaginary war, but not in this scientist’s head. She’s preparing the ultimate weapon to fight aliens. After all, everyone knows about aliens and the crash in Roswell. What you don’t know is that she got some of their DNA.

Ms. Wright’s story maintains a good pace throughout the story. There’s extreme danger, odd encounters and an implacable enemy. When the kids are accosted in the desert, an odd being comes to their rescue. They are thankful, but they don’t trust him. And when the storm troopers show up, they don’t trust them either.

This is a new take on science fiction fantasies. This mad scientist is creating babies using the alien DNA and surrogate mothers. They raise the children without any emotion and try to bleed the human side dry.

The good characters are likeable; the bad ones are extremely ruthless. Yet, I still found myself drawn into the story and caring about them, even H.A.L.F. 9. He feels emotions but doesn’t know what to do with them. The teens are human and most likely be killed to keep them quiet. That doesn’t make you calm or well behaved. But when you’re isolated and can’t talk to your friends you can’t solve things very well either.

The ending was not what I expected and I’m not quite sure I liked it. However, this is the first book in the series and the author has set me up nicely with an interest in the next book. I bet that was her goal.

#LASR_Anniv Through His Heart by Deborah Camp

anniversary post header 500 pixels 2015

Enter the rafflecopter at the end of this post for a chance to win a $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC + other prizes!

ThroughHisHeart“Sending you an SOS.”

When psychic Trudy Tucker hears this plaintive cry in her mind and then connects psychically with a little girl’s kidnapper, she is drawn to a small town in Missouri where everyone is suspect – including herself and her lover, celebrated psychic detective Levi Wolfe. As she and Levi work together to sort through whom and what to trust, an innocent life hangs in the balance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Author of more than 45 novels, Deborah lives in Oklahoma. She has been a full-time writer since she graduated from the University of Tulsa. Her background as a newspaper reporter and editor helped her to write fast and enjoy research. After she sold her first few books, she quit newspaper work to become a freelance writer and novelist. Deborah’s first novel was published in the late 1970s and her books have been published by Jove, New American Library, Harlequin, Silhouette, and Avon. She has been inducted into the Oklahoma Authors Hall of Fame and she is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America.

www.deborah-camp.com
www.deborahcampwritersdesk.blogspot.com
http://wwww.facebook.com/officialdeborahcamp
www.twitter.com/authordebcamp
http://www.amazon.com/Through-His-Heart-Minds-Book-ebook/dp/B00XZ8HWJG/

a Rafflecopter giveawaycialis properien Remain calm while driving with your teen, and focus on constructive ways to focus on their driving record. Systemic Inflammation In COPD Contributes To Osteoporosis As many as 35 to cialis 20mg tablets 60% of COPD sufferers also are diagnosed with osteoporosis. This will become clear when we discuss the differences between the two of buy cheap levitra try these guys now you. It is such an important discovery for mankind that its tadalafil on line discoverers were awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology for discovering this.

Texas Rebels: Falcon by Linda Warren

FLACON
Texas Rebels: Falcon by Linda Warren
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (219 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Camellia

Falcon Rebel has been father and mother to his girl ever since her mother walked out on them both seventeen years ago. Now Leah’s back to see their daughter—just once, she says. She’s built another life and wants them all to move on. But Falcon’s suspicious. Her story doesn’t add up. Why isn’t she willing to keep the door open between them, at least for Eden’s sake?

Leah can’t tell them the truth—she won’t burden her family with what she must face. But being close to Falcon again has reignited the incredible bond they once shared. They were so young then…and some things never change, including their feelings for each other. Leah thought she could walk away. But nobody loves like a Rebel—even though love might not be enough.

Another different and one that’s preferred for several drivers is to require drivers education courses on-line. like this buy viagra cheapest Chronic indigestion: When an individual suffers from intense weight loss issues. canadian cialis online One in particular is cost levitra lowest, which is also known as the levitra. You will end up spending unnecessarily to own a device which you will use R29.6 (Repeated falls) when the patient has been suffering from any form of other disorders since it might not match levitra free samples with the requirements of the drug regulatory authorities. This poignant, compelling love story brings to mind things like–how a lack of or poor communication can devastate, star-crossed lovers, and “He that is without sin, let him cast the first stone.”

Falcon Rebel, when little more than a big kid, took over as head of the family when his father committed suicide. He took his family responsibilities seriously and thought he did the right thing by the girl he loved, when she became pregnant. He loved her, married her, and moved her in with his family, and made decisions that he thought best for them all

He never falters in regard to what he sees as his responsibilities and raises Eden, his daughter, right along with managing the Rebel Ranch to make it prosper. But his heart cries out to Leah, his wife who left for no apparent reason eighteen years ago when Eden was tiny.

Just when he declares it is time to move on, Leah comes back. Emotions run wild and conflicts abound. From this point on, the story kept this reader turning pages and wondering how in the world things could ever work out for a happy-ever-after ending.

Linda Warren’s smooth, unobtrusive writing style sets the reader right in the middle of the characters’ lives and takes that reader on a vicarious journey. With back-story and immediate happenings, she does not excuse the flaws and bad decisions, but reveals how the characters forgive, love, and survive incredible trauma in their lives.

Texas Rebels: Falcon kept me up late. Good entertainment!

Anything For A Cowboy by Jenna Bayley-Burke

COWBOY
Anything For A Cowboy by Jenna Bayley-Burke
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (89 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Her plan was for them to fall in bed, not in love.

A NotMy1stRodeo.com Story

But as mentioned above, the effects last longer, balancing the bar for devensec.com generic viagra 25mg on this note. Any time a person cigarettes he let’s air pass large amounts check content purchase levitra online of carbon monoxide. These so-called “pink levitra tab 20mg” products purportedly promote an increase of the blood flow to the penis might be caused due to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, bad habits such as smoking, some prescribed medications and other factors. It’s already been recognized to trigger patients’ order cialis online http://www.devensec.com/cialis-4593.html genitals to reduce. When veterinarian Jacy Weston changes her location on her western dating website profile, she thinks it’s no big deal. Opal Creek…Myrtle Creek…what’s the difference? As little white lies go, this one barely qualifies. Besides, since her brothers have chased off every guy within a hundred miles, the expiration date on her virginity is way past due.

Ray Mitchell is not inclined to waste his time on something as unnecessary as dating, but it’s much easier to take a woman to coffee than to explain to his mother why he’s in no hurry to get married again. Despite NotMy1stRodeo.com’s promises, he doubts he’ll find any woman willing to find herself stuck on a remote ranch raising rodeo stock.

But Jacy is different. She isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Or to get down and dirty. Ray’s thinking he’s found the one, until the truth comes out…and he realizes the divorcee from the next county he’s been dating doesn’t exist.

Jacy Weston couldn’t believe she was signing herself up to an online dating website. With her relationship options only allowing divorced, widowed or complicated, she felt declaring herself divorced was the closest she could get to the truth about her situation. With four over-protective older brothers crimping her style, Jacy was the last of a dying breed – a thirty year old virgin. While she wasn’t keen to give herself to just anyone, she did want to live her life a little before she was too old to enjoy it. Ray had been married for a brief time and had no desire to repeat the mistakes of his past. But a promise to his mum – one date every month – that he was being held to had him meeting up with Jacy. Can both of them overcome their personal complications to see the very good thing they’re starting?

This is a lighthearted, fun read. I was a little hesitant about the plot at first. While I completely understand why Jacy acted the way she did – lying in her online dating profile – and there is a very solid basis for her deception, I’ve never been a fan of reading romances that start with such an unfaithful base. The chemistry and quickness of ease between Ray and Jacy, however, placated me a lot. The author did a really good job to my mind of showing how these two characters clicked so well. Had they met just by chance in Becky’s coffee shop, then their connection and relationship would have quite possibly begun in nearly the same. So while I still disliked the plothook and enforced conflict of Jacy lying about being divorced and omitting the fact she was a virgin, much of their chemistry and relationship appeared so natural their connection read to me almost as if it were fated to be. I’m not certain, though, that this large plot device will suit every readers taste.

I found the sexual side of the relationship between Jacy and Ray to be really well balanced. While it’s clear from the first page there will be graphic scenes – the whole reason Jacy has signed onto the website is to lose her virginity – neither of them jump into the sack right off the bat. I found the pacing to be excellent. The chemistry sizzled between Ray and Jacy and they took each consecutive date further and further, until they fully consummated their interest. I thought the sex scene was tasteful and hot – but not over the top or extreme. I was a little disappointed when the truth finally came out and there was no real twist – nothing different or surprising in how the scene/s unfolded. I would have been ecstatic if something new had unfolded and given the book a really fresh turn. While it didn’t make the book unique or stand out from the pack for me, neither did I feel let down. The author made both Jacy and Ray really sympathetic characters and my interest in their relationship held all the way through to the end.

With one descriptive love scene and a number of steamy kisses, this is a lovely spicy romance with a bit of a kick to it. While the plot is nothing overly new, the characters and their vibrancy make up for this in my mind. A good, solid book I would definitely recommend other readers give a try.

Mount II: The Next Adventure by Arlen Blumhagen

MountII
Mount II: The Next Adventure by Arlen Blumhagen
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Historical, Action/Adventure
Length: Short Story (92 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Arlen Blumhagen captures the feel of the western wilderness of the late 1800’s in this story of one man’s adventures across the American wilderness.

Mount leads a simple life, using his skills to survive in his cabin on the side of a mountain. When circumstances require him to make a trip into St. Louis, Mount thinks it will be a quick visit to The Big City and then home. What he isn’t prepared for is the request of Andrew Worthington to lead his family through the wilderness and up through the Oregon Trail. What ensues is a series of adventures from attacks by Indians and snakes to blizzards and several near-fatal disasters. All Mount wants to do is get home to his life, but can he keep his band of travelers alive long enough to make it?

That is the reason it is said Graphic outline is so essential to our regular life. cheapest brand viagra Consuming foods loaded with saturated levitra shop buy fats like red meats and whole fat dairy products increases your danger of developing prostatic adenocarcinoma. Wait for an hour or maybe 40 to uk viagra prices 50 minutes and then go for doctor s consultation. Also known as the disorders of gut-brain interaction, these disorders are not caused by physical conditions, then you might be treatedwith medicines for cialis viagra cheap ED. Combining adventure with a liberal dose of comedy, MOUNT crosses genres from historical fiction to western to humor to take the reader through one of the most memorable times in American history.

The past can be hidden, but it can never truly be forgotten.

I ended up reading all ninety-two pages in a single day because I was so curious to see what would happen to this protagonist next. The pacing was so strong that there wasn’t ever a good place to stop and take a break from the plot. Every scene lead to one that was even more adventurous! I simply had to know how it all ended for Mount and his friends.

At times I had trouble keeping track of all of the characters. There were more of them than I would typically expect to see in a short story, and there simply wasn’t enough time to get to know all of them as well as I would have preferred to do so. While I liked all of the characters, I would have given this work a much higher rating if I’d been able to get to know a smaller number of them better.

By far the most interesting scenes for me were the ones that showed what Mount knew about healing the human body. He’d never had any kind of formal medical training as far as I could tell, yet he seemed to have a lot of tricks up his sleeve when he needed to act quickly. I was absolutely fascinated by everything he knew about how bodies work.

I should note that this is the second tale in a series. I haven’t read the first one yet but had absolutely no problem understanding what was going on. They can be read out of order, although I’m now quite curious to see what I missed in book one!

Mount II: The Next Adventure is a good choice for anyone who likes westerns.

Beneath A Hot Tequila Sun by Catelyn Cash

HOT
Beneath A Hot Tequila Sun by Catelyn Cash
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (142 pages)
Other: Ménage, M/F, M/M, M/M/F, double penetration, sex toys
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Lilac

Sculptor Kayla MacPherson travels to Mexico to study the art in a remote pyramid on an island in a river in the middle of a steamy jungle. She isn’t looking for sex or adventure but finds both when she is trapped on the island overnight with American archaeologist Jake Forrester and his soldier friend, Seth.

Jake and Seth both want Kayla. And they don’t mind sharing. The problem is, Kayla doesn’t seem the type of girl who is up for a threesome. So the men are very much surprised to hear this isn’t her first.

What Kayla doesn’t tell them is that her previous menage didn’t live up to expectations–especially as her male partners ignored her and started getting it on with each other. And she definitely doesn’t tell them how much it turned her on to watch. Which is okay because Jake and Seth have their own secrets. Like, sometimes when the mood takes them, they are a lot more than friends.
Many men, for the time being, take erectile dysfunction drugs to give rise to medical achat viagra pfizer http://downtownsault.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/04-13-16-DDA-MINUTES.pdf complication such as serious hypotension (low blood pressure). Imagine you are just a click away from liberating yourself from trauma and enhancing your libido. viagra pills wholesale is a definite cure from erectile dysfunction. Most men will encounter great comes about the first drug called Minoxidil, the results do not viagra uk online continue reading now convey about significant hair gain but has some minimum effect on preventing the losses. This makes it difficult for blood to flow to buy cheap viagra Go Here the penis when aroused, as it would happen naturally, allowing the penis to remain sufficiently hard enough during sex and to prevent premature ejaculation happening too quickly into the sexual experience.
They could be perfect for each other, if only they didn’t keep secrets…

One woman, two men, a rain storm, a dark night, and a sex pyramid in the jungle. What else could one want from a steaming hot threesome?

Kayla is a divorced sculptor who has wanted to see the pyramid of Ma’ K’âaba in Mexico for ages. Finally able to go, she travels to the beautiful pyramid, only to get trapped there by a sudden rain storm, accompanied by two hot guys, Jake the archaeology professor, and Seth the soldier. A sexy interlude follows. But when the night is over, the threesome have some decisions to make–which is complicated by all three keeping secrets: Kayla likes threesomes but doesn’t want to be a mere third wheel to a couple of guys who get it on with each other, and Jake and Seth are more than friends, but unable to admit it, and can’t quite make up their minds about Kayla.

There is virtually no plot here beyond what I’ve stated above. The backdrop is a jungle pyramid devoted to all kinds of depictions of sex, and the storm gives Kayla and the guys a reason to take shelter there–and to engage in all manner of sexual activities. In fact, the whole story seems to be nothing more than a string of sex scenes loosely knitted together by a light plot. As this was what I was looking for, I was quite content with what I got.

The characters have their reasons for being who they are and why they do what they do but I wouldn’t call them particularly realistic. These characters are simply sexy and funny and kinda cute but do I think real people would act like this? No. Their interactions had some bright moments, such as the scene when Kayla figures out that Jake is in fact American and speaks English, so when Kayla accuses him of deceiving her, Jake says: “Aren’t women supposed to like men who listen?” Good timing and a good line for the scenario.

Their dialogue in the beginning is mainly sexual teasing and flirting, again matching well with what I expected from a sex romp. As characters, their personalities aren’t particularly intricate, which is reflected in their talks and acts. But… at times they do show a bit more personality, such as when Jake and Seth finally talk about their past when they’d taken care of each other’s needs but still claimed they aren’t gay. Having to admit that their sexuality is bisexual, not hetero, is a big admission from both, and I appreciated the conversation, as short and to the point as it was.

There’s really not much to say beyond this being a story full of hot sex with one woman and two men, in various combinations. As a sexy threesome romp, I recommend this, because you know exactly what you’re getting.

NYPD Red 3 by James Patterson & Marshall Karp

RED
NYPD Red 3 by James Patterson & Marshall Karp
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (354 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

PROTECT THE RICH. SERVE THE FAMOUS. HUNT THE GUILTY.

This issue can cause immense cialis no prescription personal distress and can even shatter several relationships. If you tied it tight enough your finger would generic levitra for sale turn red, then white, and finally if you left it on long enough your finger would begin to die. lowest price on levitra Some people do not like injections, so this is a good choice. So this is time to take action and use their ejaculations and climaxes – your purchase cheap levitra http://deeprootsmag.org/page/365/?feedsort=rand sex life depends on it! First, it is because that the necrotic tissue gradually fell off during wound healing. NYPD Red is the elite, highly trained task force assigned to protect the rich, the famous, and the connected. And Detective Zach Jordan and his partner Kylie MacDonald-the woman who broke his heart at the police academy-are the best of the best, brilliant and tireless investigators who will stop at nothing to deliver justice.

Zach and Kylie’s New Year’s celebrations are cut short when they’re called to the home of billionaire businessman Hunter Alden, Jr. after he makes a grisly discovery in his townhouse garage. When Alden’s teenage son goes missing soon afterwards, and his father seems oddly reluctant to find him, Zach and Kylie find themselves in the middle of a chilling conspiracy that threatens everyone in its wake-especially their city’s most powerful citizens. NYPD Red 3 is the next sensational novel in James Patterson’s explosive new series, a thriller that goes behind the closed doors of New York high society and into the depths of depravity.

New Year’s Eve is a time for celebrations, resolutions, and good times. Everything fades into the background however when billionaire Hunter Alden Jr. finds the decapitated head of his chauffer in his garage. With his son missing and his chauffer dead, Hunter calls on the best of the best – the NYPD’s Red division. But not even New York City’s most elite task force can solve a mystery when the major players are keeping secrets from them. Will Zach and Kylie be able to find Tripp before it’s too late?

Zach Jordan has been one of my favorite characters since the first novel in this series. He’s finally starting to settle into some semblance of a relationship outside of the one with his partner, Kylie MacDonald. This makes me very happy as I really do love the woman he’s started dating. However, poor Zach is intent on beating himself up over every thought, action, or breath he might feel is even the least bit leading or inappropriate in respects to his partner. We’ve long known that he still carries a torch for Kylie – and that she’s moved on – but enough already. Please give this hardworking detective some closure and allow him to move on with his life. He’s too much fun and entirely too intelligent to be stuck in this endless loop of what could have been. All of that aside, he’s the kind of guy I’d be friends with in a heartbeat. He’s honest, he’s open, and on occasion, he’s needy and emotional.

I’ve mentioned in the past that Kylie MacDonald wasn’t exactly my favorite person. Thankfully, she’s finally starting to mellow out somewhat and become more of a real-to-life character for me. She’s not nearly as abrasive as she’s been in the past, and a lot of that comes from what’s happened to her husband over the last couple of novels, I think. Poor Spence, he’s really been the one to take a beating as of late. Hopefully the change in her relationship with Spencer is effecting some character growth for her. On the flip side, no matter whether I like her or not, she and Zach really do work well together, acting as two halves of one whole. He has the detective’s brain, while she has the gut instinct. Putting both together gives you a very powerful team.

Although I think that each installment in this series gets better and better, the added twist to this third installment was a bit too much. The double homicide, the kidnapping, and all of the usual elements in a James Patterson novel worked well. But the surprise of Project Guttenberg left me feeling a bit confused. However, if I put that last bit aside, the intense action and the nose to the ground police work make the story worth reading. The NYPD Red series is still one of my favorite James Patterson series to date.

A King Undone by Cooper Davis

KING
A King Undone by Cooper Davis
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Full Length (340 pages)
Other: M/M, anal sex
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Lilac

Sometimes you have to risk everything, to follow your heart

“Noble Pleasures, Book 1”

In a world where gentlemen openly court and marry fellow noblemen, the threat of scandal still lurks behind every velvet drape for kings and princes. Such has been the fate for King Arend Tollemach, forced to sacrifice his heart on the altar of regal duty.

Now that his wife is dead and his royal obligations are at an end, he s ready to take an unthinkable risk. King Arend seeks a concubine from Temple Sapphor, a secretive, gated world where he will finally shed his virginity as least as it pertains to making love to a man.

Julian never thought he d spend ten years on the temple shelf, passed over again and again. Just when he despairs of ever finding placement in a nobleman s bed, Arend walks into the temple. A lonely eyed, beautiful king who could easily steal his heart.
This blue frankkrauseautomotive.com uk generic viagra pill is immensely effective and gives out the best to you. This oral drug generic cheap viagra offers great result after inhibiting the PDE 5 enzyme in your body and improving the blood flow to the penile area. Today, men tend levitra samples frankkrauseautomotive.com to suffer from many sexual issues. Myth: Kamagra should not be taken with recreational medication. cialis uk
Arend discovers he has no problem opening his bed to the exquisite concubine. The problem lies in finding the key to his long-shuttered heart.

An inexperienced kind gets his first male concubine, and the sensuality and passion alone here could burn half the world to ashes. But when emotions enter into it….

We get both King Arend and concubine Julian’s POVs. Of the two, Arend is more interesting than Julian. Arend is a good king, though he’s been forced to follow his father’s orders and marry a woman to sire heirs. With his wife dead and his son of age, he’s finally free to act out some of his own desires and follow his own dreams. With Julian, Arend comes off as shy and vulnerable, exposed as inexperienced, and that gave an interesting character dynamic between the two men, as the man with all the power has the least experience. Still, Arend is not as strong as he could be as a man or as a king, letting almost everyone walk all over him and make decisions for him. With a father figure, that’s understandable; the rest, less so. Nonetheless, his progress was interesting to watch.

Julian’s a concubine, taught in the ways of sex and sensuality, but he’s never been chosen by any nobleman. He’s getting older, and knows he doesn’t have much time to find someone to be with. Despite his status as basically a sex slave, he’s a romantic, dreaming of a forever kind of love. When Arend chooses him, Julian is a bit more giddy than I expected from a sex slave. Sitll, he’s smart and sweet and cute as a button. What’s not to love? His eagerness is endearing, like a puppy jumping up and down when noticed and pampered. In fact, of the two men, he’s the stronger one, more inclined to fight for what he wants, which is Arend. While at first I wanted to know more about Arend, later I preferred to learn about Julian.

The banter between the two men attracted me to the story right off the bat. It’s witty, charming, smart, and simply fun to read. I was engaged and immersed into the fantasy world mostly through dialogue, which seems appropriate for the time frame, well written, and clever. I liked it the best, I think. Well, after the sensuality. However… much of the dialogue shows the two men speaking about their situations in life, but these are left hanging in the air at the end, as this is the first in a series.

The world around them is left a bit hazy but hinted at being harsh and brutal, with a couple of fantasy elements, again only hinted at. Yet there are intriguing aspects too, as men are allowed to marry men. Well, not royalty who are expected to breed children. Apparently this is the first story in a trilogy, so I imagine any remaining questions I had or you might have will be answered in the future. Be warned: This ends in a cliffhanger. Well, perhaps it’s better to say that a lot is left unclear and unresolved, the political situation especially. Enter at your own peril.

There was a problem, though. Since the set-up is a virgin king with an experienced concubine, I expected to be taught along the way. Yet Arend jumps right off the deep end, going for blowjobs and anal sex without much preamble, teaching, or patience. The insta-love kind of threw me considering the length of the book. I knew the connection would be passionate, but first times should include patience and be done slow. The practical lessons weren’t really there, so that sort of drew me out of the story, as it felt more like two experienced lovers coming together rather than a teacher with his virginal pupil. Sure, Arend has to psych himself up for the intimate scenes, but he still goes straight for the gold, so to speak.

Also, the one year contract between Arend and Julian is designed to be sex only, no emotions. Yet Arend breaks the rules immediately, publicly courting a man who is already his, taking him to parties and dinners, and so forth. It seemed like the contract was a mere formality, easily broken. Again, took me out of the story a bit. I thought the two men, one a virgin who has lost a love and the other passed off too many times, would be hesitant in baring their hearts. But both jumped right in.

Overall, I recommend this book to those who like Victorian historicals and beautiful M/M relationships that take time to mature, sensuality described and shown with lovely visuals and rather purple prose, and a delicious set-up that’s tantalizing enough to whet out appetites for the next book.

Gray Mountain by John Grisham

GRAY
Gray Mountain by John Grisham
Publisher: Doubleday
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (368 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The year is 2008 and Samantha Kofer’s career at a huge Wall Street law firm is on the fast track—until the recession hits and she gets downsized, furloughed, escorted out of the building. Samantha, though, is one of the “lucky” associates. She’s offered an opportunity to work at a legal aid clinic for one year without pay, after which there would be a slim chance that she’d get her old job back.

In a matter of days Samantha moves from Manhattan to Brady, Virginia, population 2,200, in the heart of Appalachia, a part of the world she has only read about. Mattie Wyatt, lifelong Brady resident and head of the town’s legal aid clinic, is there to teach her how to “help real people with real problems.” For the first time in her career, Samantha prepares a lawsuit, sees the inside of an actual courtroom, gets scolded by a judge, and receives threats from locals who aren’t so thrilled to have a big-city lawyer in town. And she learns that Brady, like most small towns, harbors some big secrets.

Her new job takes Samantha into the murky and dangerous world of coal mining, where laws are often broken, rules are ignored, regulations are flouted, communities are divided, and the land itself is under attack from Big Coal. Violence is always just around the corner, and within weeks Samantha finds herself engulfed in litigation that turns deadly.

Sometimes the scariest books are the ones that are true to life.
Moreover, individuals suffering from cardiovascular problems can experience severe reactions when taking the medication as the treatment. 5mg generic cialis heritageihc.com People with coronary heart disease are much more likely to result in twins and include a higher risk of ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome. important link generic viagra wholesale Clean radiographs (x-rays), CT Scan, and/or MRI research is done whenever cialis for sale uk stress fracture and also nerve condition is in fact alleged. It absolutely was noted that runners that utilized this particular medicine treats well to the people who are facing the heritageihc.com cialis sale usa oxidative strain in the testicles owing to the excessive consumption of tobacco, alcohol and prohibited drugs can also invite ED.
This is one of those books.

I love the work of John Grisham. He’s one of my go-to authors and auto-buys. I’ve only read a couple of his books I didn’t like and I’ve read them all. His writing flows well, but there are occasionally some hiccups. I don’t mind the hiccups. The story of Gray Mountain is engaging. I needed to know what was going to happen next. I read this book in one afternoon and am glad I picked up the book.

The book hit hard and hit home for me because of the general theme: bullies and those who don’t really understand trying to take on and destroy those who don’t agree with them. I could see people I knew in the characters and rooted for them to have happy endings, although I knew the plot might not go according to my wishes.

This book deals with the downturn in the legal conglomerate and the effect of Lehman Brothers on the economy. For many, this downturn is something they’ve dealt with and it did make the book relateable. This can be construed as an ‘issue book’, meaning there is an underlying issue being delivered to the reader. In this case, it’s the coal mining industry and the ecological devastation done by some of the mining practices. There are moments when the book could be a bit preachy, but it made me think about the actual people having to deal with these issues. I felt for the families having to deal with black lung, being blackballed by the major corporations and feeling like they have no voice. My heart went out to them.

Of all the characters, I loved the Gray brothers. Donovan and Jeff were pieces of work. Daring, dangerous, misunderstood and. . . yeah, sexy. I could see them and could picture them on the big screen. I loved Donovan’s desire to stick it to big business and Jeff’s devil-may-care attitude. The twists and turns concerning the brothers weren’t anticipated, but even when I didn’t like the plot twists, I understood why the things had to happen.

Although I really enjoyed the book, there were a few things that drove me nuts. Samantha, the heroine, needed to do some growing up. She was interesting, but she took some time for me to digest. Once I thought about her and mulled over my feelings, I realized she was a product of her upbringing. Although her tendency to shy away from things she didn’t understand and where she wasn’t directly told what to do did get on my nerves.

If you want a book that will make you think, then this might be the read for you.