Lauren Layne Party, part 3- Just One Night by Lauren Layne (review by Sharon)

Author: Lauren Layne
Date published: 11th March 2014
Publisher: Loveswept
Series: Sex, Love & Stiletto book 3
Pages: 240 pages.
Rating: 5 stars!
Buy on:  Amazon


"In Lauren Layne’s sizzling Sex, Love & Stiletto series, New York’s hottest “sexpert” has been living a lie—and it’s up to one man to keep her honest…all night long.

Riley McKenna knows sex—good sex, bad sex, kinky sex…Her articles in Stiletto magazine are consistently the publication’s most scandalous—and the most read. But Riley has a secret…all that sexy talk? Not an ounce of it comes from personal experience. Her own bedroom escapades are more limited than even her best friends know. When her editor requests that all columnists write something more personal for Stiletto’s anniversary issue, Riley turns to the one man she’s always been able to count on and calls in the favor of a lifetime.Sam Compton would do anything for Riley McKenna. Anything except be her experimental sex toy. He refuses her request. At least until she tells him that it’ll either be him or she’ll go to someone else. And that, Sam can’t accept. Reluctantly he agrees to her terms—one night of completely meaningless sex in the name of research. Riley thinks she’s prepared for what awaits her in Sam’s bed. After ten years of writing about sex, actually doing it shouldn’t be that different, right? So wrong. What starts as “one time only” becomes “just one more time.” And then one more. And before they know it, Riley and Sam learn first-hand that when it comes to love, there’s no such thing as just one night. "


Review:
Sam Compton meet Riley McKenna, she's going to turn your world upside down. 

We've met Riley in the previous two Stiletto books. Riley's expertise is to write about sex….but now she's faced with a mission that might just be to big for her belt. 

She, Riley Mckenna, is a sexy brunette bombshell with great rack, blue eyes, long legs and and the quality of a sex kitten. Now, she's on a mission for the Love Agency [Stiletto branch]. 


considering Riley love for sweet things, this is a perfect picture

Her expertise- none. Riley writes the most shocking articles about sex, but the truth is she is just one awkward encounter from being a total virgin. However, this has never stopped her from being the most sexy girl in the whole agency. 

Her mission- to find the passion within herself. To get personal. 




He, Sam Compton, has been hanging around this bombshell since that time ten years ago, that he was invited to his best friend's home and met his sister in the kitchen. He always found her attractive. Even so, growing up with an alcoholic mother that always blamed him for her problems Sam knows he is not worthy of Riley and he is never going to make a move on her. 

But sometimes temptation is just too damn good

Riley isn't going down without a fight. If she has to get dirty than she might as well do it with the only man she has ever wanted.

Out of all the three books of Stiletto so far, this one was the hardest, I think. 

You see, Lauren Layne creates great women- they are womanly, they are fighters, they're full of passion, fun, snark and they are very different from each other. Each has her own role. Just like if you think of yourself with your friends. 
You are equals but to each her own skills. 

As for the guys, well, they are also very different. Mitchell was the proper kind that had an Alpha male hiding underneath and Jake was the one with the traveling bug and the player ways. Even so, they didn't really have a problem. They were both confident. 
Yes, they were somewhat complex and very human, and totally to die for hot but they didn't have a paradox. Some internal fight they needed to win. 

In that regard, Sam in different. 

I'm side tracking for a moment. Julie had the family issues she had but they didn't hurt much of her everyday life, and Grace had her heart broken but she came back up again. Even Riley with her family and lack of sexual experience does not have any personal demons. As for Emma and Alex, I think that remains to be seen but I suspect that they are also clear of personal demons. At least the kind of Sam's caliber.

In that regard, Sam is different. 

You see, Sam is good looking, he is smart. He is talented. At least if the career he left behind and his new business are any indication to go by. 

But Sam is afraid to move on, and each time he makes a step forward to dealing with his insecurities he encounters his mother that reminds him how unworthy of everything he really is. And my heart went out for Sam [at least when Riley wasn't getting hurt from it]. 

Loving someone damaged is never easy, and I dare say most people are damaged in one way or another. But loving someone whose damage prevents him from going forward and achieve his dreams? It's even harder. This is not a heavy book. It's light and fun, but Sam's insecurities are dealt with seriousness, and I really do believe out of all three love stories we read so far Sam's & Riley's are the hardest. 

What I loved about Riley was that at first she accepted Sam as he was, she gave him the space he asked and did things on his terms. moved on his pace. But when she saw that it's not helping him, when she saw and understood what he was dealing with she stopped cutting him some slack and demanded that he grow up. She threw it all in his face and left him to deal with the harsh truth. Sometimes doing that is even harder than supporting the one you love. 

Out of this series this one is my favorite because of that very reason (but I love them all, I do, I really do). It's fun, it's light but it's also very serious. And you can see Lauren Layne's growth as a writer. I think she is one author I can trust to tell me a wonderful love story in a light way with a serious subject and balance it all in just the right way. 


A review copy was kindly provided by Loveswept in exchange for an honest review 

This review is also on: BookLikes, GoodReads, LeafMarks

Lauren Layne Party, part 2- Love the One You're With by Lauren Layne (review by Sharon)

Author: Lauren Layne
Date published: 9th December 2013
Publisher: Loveswept
Series: Sex, Love & Stiletto book 2
Pages: 228 pages.
Rating: 5 stars!
Buy on: Amazon

"As a leading columnist for Stiletto, Grace Brighton has built a career warning women about rotten, cheating liars. She just never suspected her fiancé would be one of them. After Grace takes a heart-

mending hiatus, her first assignment is to go on a couple of dates with a counterpart from the men's magazine Oxford and report her impressions. Grace 1.0 may have been instantly smitten with the gorgeous correspondent, but Grace 2.0 has sworn off relationships for six months, and she's not falling for his outstanding bod and trophy-winning kisses... or is she?

Jake Malone wants to get back to the fly-by-night, who-knows-what's-next guy he used to be, and he knows exactly how to do it. Oxford is adding a travel section, and Jake—with no wife and no kids and a willingness to live anywhere, eat anything, do everything—is perfect for the job... except that his playboy reputation makes his new editor nervous. To get the gig, he must agree to a fluffy joint article withStiletto.But after just one date with snooty, sumptuous, sensational Grace Brighton, Jake starts taking this assignment a whole lot more seriously.."

Review:

I'm going to continue with the way I've done the previous review. We met Julie and her friends in the previous book. They belong to the "dating, relationship and sex" division of stiletto. 

In each book of the series we get to know one of them better and escort them in their journey to love. Just a little side note before- in the previous book they were 3 girls. Now they are 4. And I hope that means there will be 4 books in the series and not 3 (I can now truly verify there are 4 books!).

Now let the fun begin.


She, Grace Brighton, is on a mission for the Love Agency [Stiletto branch]. 
: 

Her expertise- relationships. After dating the same guy for nearly 10 years, Grace found the lowlife cheating. Her pride is hurt and she needs to build her reputation once again. Grace is also great at being elegant and lady like in ANY situation (really, Any situation).

But this agent is going on a mission with another agent- they need to work together but they are still rivals and only one can come on top in this battle.

He, Jake Malone, is on a mission for the Love Agency [Oxford branch]
: 

His expertise- women. Jake love women (and boy, do they love him back!), he understands them. After all he has grown up watching his sisters' love life (this is one man who knows his game girls!). 

May the best agent win

The two are thrown together by the bosses, in a mission to date and determine the better agency between the two. Who can read the other sex better?

The result? Pure fun! 

Do you remember the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith? There was a fight scene there with one of my favorite quotes "Still alive, baby?"

Well, we get something like that here- only the arena is dating, and the sparing is verbal (mainly). 

Soon what started as 'who would dupe who?' develops into a sincere friendship and a sizzling attraction. And the two agents find themselves duping the audience. What they didn't bet on, was falling in love.

This book is pure fun for many reasons. Jake is a great guy even if somewhat player and Grace is this elegant, graced lady who happens to wear knives under her dress ever since her heart got broken. She's fierce, she stings with a smile and some part of her is a man-hater. Grace has two versions Grace 1.0 and Grace 2.0 and the whole internal fighting is completely fun. 

I suggest it as a light read. Instead of going to watch a stupid comedy with a questionable humor I suggest you read this book with its great banter, charming characters and a love story you just got to read. 

And when I'm talking about charming characters I'm not talking only on the MCs, but also of Grace's friends- Julie and Riley. Of her replacement turned colleague turned new friend- Emma, who has a story of her own that I hope will be written (*Looking at Lauren Layne expectantly*), and of Jake's family with his sister and parents that were just SO lively. 

A review copy was kindly provided by Loveswept in exchange for an honest review 

This review also appears on:  LeafMarks, BookLikes,GoodReads, Amazon, Amazon UK

*Origianl Pre Review*

Five stars it is, and I'm officially a Lauren Layne fangirl. Selling a tiny piece of my soul or bribing whoever I need in order to get my hands on her next book is not beneath me. 

also, I really want the story of Riley and Sam, but dear Mrs. Layne- Emma will get her story too, right? * big puppy eyes* 

So review to come ;)

Lauren Layne Party, part 1- After the Kiss by Lauren Layne (review by Sharon)

Author: Lauren Layne

Date published: 26th August 2013

Publisher: Loveswept

Series: Sex, Love & Stiletto book 1

Pages: 156 pages.

Rating: 4 stars!

Buy on:  Amazon

"Julie Greene loves flings. Loves steamy first dates, sizzling first kisses, and every now and then, that first sexy romp between the sheets. Comfy pants, sleepy Sundays, movie nights on the couch? Shudder. But when Julie gets assigned the hardest story of her career—a first-person account of that magical shift between dating and "I do"—she'll need a man brave enough to give a total commitment-phobe a chance at more.

Normally, Mitchell Forbes would be exactly that man. A devastatingly hot workaholic who tends to stay in relationships for far too long, he should be the perfect subject for Julie's "research." But what Julie doesn't know is that Mitchell is looking to cut loose for once in his life. And the leggy journalist notorious for avoiding love is exactly the type of no-strings fling he's looking for. In other words, Mitchell is the polar opposite of what Julie needs right now. And, at the same time, he's exactly what she wants "

Review:

As some other reviews stated, this book is very much like the movie- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. IMO, it's better. The characters are more fleshed out, the chemistry is more apparent and there is one lovely snarky heroine to love. 

I thought a lot as to how I should do this review and the others in the series (I am ashamed to admit over a year after writing this review that this method has become my method to reveiw Lauren Layne's books- simply put, because she is the best). I've come to my decision. Shall we go for a ride?

She, Julie Greene, is on an undercover mission for the Love Agency [Stiletto branch]. 

Julie Greene had built a career out of falling in love. Staying in love? Not so much. 

Julie’s boss apparently hadn’t gotten the memo

Her expertise- firsts; first date, first kiss, first flirt, sometimes even the first sex with a new guy. 

She also knew how to finesse the subtler moments— those key moments where the breath caught and you thought, Yes, this. 

Julie could explain every single nuance, from the toe-curling euphoria

the toe-curling euphoria when his hand brushed yours to the tingle when eyes held for just a beat too long. And then there was her personal favorite moment: the bone-deep satisfaction when you made him laugh for the first time— a real laugh. 

Most women thought these moments just happened. Julie Greene knew better. These moments were created.

Her mission- Saturday TV nights and a serious relationship. Julie is sent to foreign ground when she is asked to discover what happens once the firsts becomes seconds, thirds and tenths. How do you cross the line from dating into a relationship and what does it feel like?

“Go undercover,” Riley repeated. “If you’re not interested in actually taking a relationship to the next level, fake it.” 

The Traget:

This picture fits perfectly because even though Bradley is good looking, he doesn't look that hot here. Just like what Julie first thought of Micthell 

He- Mitchell Forbes, a normal civilian in the land of Wall Street and serious dating, newly released from a long service with the wrong girl he hopes to get a vacation ticket to the land of fun. He hopes the blond bombshell will be just what he is searching for (he has no idea he's totally right)

"two months ago Mitchell had been secure in the knowledge that his future was figured out. He’d propose to Evelyn, have a respectable-length engagement, get married at the Plaza, and start a family within a year of exchanging vows. 
He’d gotten as far as the jewelry store."

Mitchell is the kind that choose a partnet based on many things that are not chemistry. 

“See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. You analyze every woman as a candidate for the position of Mrs. Forbes. Have you ever touched a woman without first checking her pedigree?”

So one of his friends decides it's time to stir things up a little bit, he says that Mitchell can't- 

“Can’t start seeing a woman without getting halfway to the altar. Can’t use a woman for sex and companionship and then set her free before you start talking about babies and moving across the river to Jersey.”

and-

“No, I’m just saying that you plan to get engaged to every woman you kiss. You need to have a relationship that won’t end with you guys picking out wallpaper.”

But Mitchell isn't going down without a fight. He's heard of Julie, and he hopes she's ready for some casual fun.

“True. But this girl is still perfect for our purposes. Julie lives for carefree dating. She’s got a different guy every other week. I know a couple of her exes, and neither has said a bad word about her other than that she kicked them to the curb after a few dates. No drama, no expectation of jewelry …”

The question is who will win in this battle of wills?

The answer is obvious- We will. Yep, it's a romantic comedy. Which means the ending is predictable, as well as the 'chasing scene' that happens after 'the big fight' in all those romantic comedies. Which means this story needs something to mark it as different or at least worth reading.

Real love— the kind that matters— is giving your heart to someone even after he tries to hand it back.
And it’s knowing that you’d give him your heart over and over again. If only he’d ask.

We have it here, Lauren Layne shows us how the attraction between them grows, and since they are both very different she needs to convince us that they fit together. And she does it very well. She shows us Mitchell's Alpha Male attitude (I really need to fan myself, it's too damn hot in here!!)- when he cares for Julie and takes command in the bedroom. She shows us Julie's vulnerability, the side of Mitchell that wants to fit into Julie's fun fun fun, and her side that wants to fit into his seriousness. In the end from complete opposites they manage to find their balance and create the relationship that fits them both. 

"For the first time I wanted a relationship for the person and not the security.”

By the end of the book you had tons of laughter, a few sad moments some damns hot moments and the knowledge that these two are perfect for each other.

A review copy was kindly provided by Loveswept in exchange for an honest review 

This review also appears on:LeafMarks,  BookLikes, GoodReads, Amazon UK, Amazon

The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes

Author:  Grace Burrowes
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Sourcebook Casablanca
Date published:  7 April 2015
Rating: 3.5 stars
Buy on: Amazon, Amazon UK

Noah Winters, Duke of Anselm, spent months sorting and courting the year's crop of debutantes in search of an ideal bride. When the sweet, biddable young thing he selected accepts another's proposal, Noah decides to court her companion instead.

Thea Collins, though, is anything but biddable. She has learned the hard way that men are not to be trusted, especially the handsome ones. When she reluctantly accepts, Noah rushes Thea to the altar before she can reveal her deepest secret. Can she finally move on from her past, or will it come back to haunt her?

Review: 

This is the story of Noah and Thea. Noah is a duke in need of a wife; Thea is a lady's companion and the daughter of an earl. Her parents died some years ago and hard times and the need to support her family forced Thea out to work. 

At the end of the season Noah finds himself with no fiancée and so he decides to offer for Thea, the two marry soon after and this is where something goes mildly wrong. 

You see, Thea did not make it to the wedding night virginal. Ooops. 

Being married slowly Thea and Noah come to terms, getting other her lack of virginity, her troubled family, his challenging cousins, his family history and one man they both managed to annoy plenty. 

Slowly their match that had nothing to do with love and everything to do with mind becomes a match of two friends and even lovers. Like most regency novels the two fall in love in the end. 

Thea and Noah were good together and I liked how their relationship developed even though I did not like the fact that some things seemed to drag for far too long. Also, the writing was fairly done but sometimes I felt as if I was reading something and I didn’t understand what the conversation was about. This made me a tiny bit annoyed- sorry but I could care less if the farmers managed to grow their whatever or not. 

The passing of time was also not very fluid. But what annoyed me the most was the way Thea's past was handled. You see- quite early you learn of the possibility that Thea lost her virginity unwillingly. However, it is hardly ever addressed. She doesn't seem to have a problem having sex with her husband, her husband is too afraid to know the truth and when the truth comes out in two pages everything is resolved and that's it. Which also means the ending felt too rushed for me. 

This was a good regency book, and I liked the characters. I especially liked the development of the relationship between Thea and Noah and how they both grew into their roles- she the one of a duchess, he the one of a husband. 

So nice story and well worth the read. It just fell a little short compared to my expectations. 

An ARC was kindly provided by Sourcebook Casablanca. Thank You 

The Pact By Karina Halle

Author:  Karina Halle
Number of pages: 287
Publisher: Metal Blonde Books
Date published:  28 December 2014
Rating: 2 stars
Buy on: Amazon, Amazon UK

It all started with a pinky swear…

Linden McGregor is tall, rugged, and gunslinger handsome; a helicopter pilot with a Scottish brogue and charm to spare. He’s also one of Stephanie Robson’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as she’s known him.

But some relationships can’t be boxed, can’t be classified, can’t be tamed.

Back in their mid-twenties and tired of the competitive hit-or-miss dating scene of San Francisco, Steph and Linden made a pact to marry each other if neither one of them are in a serious relationship by the time they hit thirty.

It sounds like fun and games but as the years to thirty tick past and lovers come and go out of their lives, the pact becomes larger than life.
Sex is inevitable. Friendships are tested. Hearts are on the line.

The pact is about to change everything.

REVIEW:

When I saw this book and decided to read it I thought I'll get some interesting romance book about two best friends (male and female) with a platonic relationship that make a promise to marry each other by the age of __, if both are not in a committed relationship. I wanted a story that will show how both make the transition from best platonic friends to lovers.

However, what I got was the story of two people that have been best friends while lusting after each other for like a decade before they finally got it done. And as much as I wanted to root for them I actually couldn’t care less.

Why?

Because the guy (I think his name started with L) was a total wuss. He needed to make a drunk pact to even start to express his want to fuck the the girl.  This was such an angsty story with her and him dating the wrong people all the while wanting each other, with both thinking of backing away from their pact. Then, finally they are doing it. And guess what? It's supposed to be awesome, right?

Well, there was a lot of hot sex and a lot of tears and screw ups and I just didn't fucking care. The only reason I even wanted them together was because I really liked the heroine, and since it was obvious she wanted the unmemorable douche guy and there was no one better coming anytime soon I hoped she would at least get what she wanted.

Two things I don't understand was her ex-boyfriend who was also his best friend really necessary in all the drama? I really didn't understand his attitude. And her nickname "Baby Blue" may I say, YUCK?

So, while I really liked Stephanie with all her flaws I couldn't care less for anything else.

However I will give kudos to the author for one important thing- she described well the feelings and insecurities when you are in a relationship that you know is leading nowhere and you are still there because taking a chance outside is too scary and 'what if you are missing something because you are just not trying hard enough or giving it a real chance?'

So you stay in a bad relationship hoping for some miracle (btw, that miracle often come in the form of divorce 5-10 years later). I've seen this too many times.

Wolf Bride by Elizabeth Moss [FYI, Upcoming]

Title: Wolf Bride

Author: Elizabeth Moss

Release Date: May 5, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Historical Erotic Romance

Series: Lust in the Tutor Court Book #1

Summary

Bound to him against her will…

Lord Wolf, hardened soldier and expert lover, has come to King Henry VIII's court to claim his new bride: a girl who has intrigued him since he first saw her riding across the Yorkshire moors.

Eloise Tyrell, now lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne Boleyn, has other ideas. She has no desire to submit to a man she barely knows and who-though she is loath to admit it-frightens her more than a little.

Their first kiss awakens in both a fierce desire that bares them to the soul. But as the court erupts into scandal around the ill-fated Queen, Eloise sees firsthand what happens when powerful men tire of their wives...

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23418616-wolf-bride

Buy Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1EyqTP7  

Barnes and Noble:  http://bit.ly/196xYeq

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1LxuROx

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1bi4PPj 

Excerpt – WOLF BRIDE by Elizabeth Moss

“Let’s have a kiss to seal your oath,” Wolf said shortly, and bent his head to hers.

Eloise had thought Lord Wolf would give her a token kiss, like that given by a bridegroom after the marriage vows had been exchanged. Some cold and bloodless meeting of lips to remind her that she belonged to him now. But his mouth took hers with a kiss of such ardent fervor she could barely stand beneath it, her hands clinging to his shoulders. She was dazed, her body under assault, not expecting the wave of violent passion that swept through her in the wake of his embrace.

His kiss was bold and darkly possessive. Lord Wolf was sure of her acquiescence, she realized with a shock. Nor was he wrong. Eloise found her lips parting beneath his, her tiny gasp an opportunity for his tongue to slip inside.

Seeming to sense her surrender, he lifted her slightly, pressing her against the cold stone wall, just as Simon had done, and lowered his head again to claim her lips.

He tasted of heat and long summer nights, his scent as well as his hands enticing her closer, reminding her of spice and oranges. She had meant to resist, but it was impossible. His tongue traced slowly along her lower lip, then dipped back inside, stroking and flickering, promising the kind of sensual pleasures she had only dreamt of before in the privacy of her bed.

In a few ecstatic seconds, she had forgotten Simon’s boyish, enthusiastic kisses. This was beyond mere physical desire. His body weighted strongly against hers, he no longer needed to hold her still. His mouth teased and played her, one hand cupping her face, the other stroking her long hair.

Eloise moaned under his kiss, her eyes closing with pleasure. She felt new worlds opening up as he touched her, parts of herself suddenly springing to life under his hands. Her breasts tingled in a way she barely recognized, her nipples taut, pushing against the neckline of her gown. Between her thighs a strangely sweet ache had begun to throb, her flesh there slick with unaccustomed longing.

Eloise drew back, turning her head away so he could not kiss her again. “Please,” she whispered.

His gaze followed her, heavy-lidded with desire. “Please yes, or please no?”

Author Biography

Born into a literary family, Elizabeth Moss lives with her husband and five children in South-West England, and is a keen countryside walker. She writes fun and sexy historical romances. She also writes award-winning fiction as Victoria Lamb. For more information, please visit her website: www.elizabethmossfiction.com.

       

Social Networking Links

Website: www.elizabethmossfiction.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.moss.566

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ElizabethMoss    

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