Review: Moonlight Temptation by Stephanie Julian

Description:
Evie Simmons has magical powers she can’t control, she’s living in a house that isn’t hers, and her best friend is a seventeen-year-old werewolf. It’d be hilarious if it weren’t just so damn depressing. Add in the sexy shifter she can’t keep out of her mind and his hot-as-hell friend and it’s a recipe for disaster.

Dr. Dane Dimitriou knows Evie has had a hard time adjusting to her new life as part of the Etruscan magical community—almost as difficult as his denial of his feelings for her have been. And he’s got the perfect cure—his best friend, Ryan Maguire. Easygoing Ryan is the complete opposite of stick-up-his-ass Dane. He can act as a buffer. Dane can get close, but not too close. Yeah, good luck with that.

Together, these sexy men may be just what the doctor ordered for Evie. And the doctor himself may discover the cure for what ails him has been waiting all along.

Review:
I'm totally hooked on the Lucani Lovers series and I was very intrigued how Evie's book would be like. When we met her in the previous books she was always the vulnerable girl- the one with the bad past that everyone tried to handle with care- it was interesting to see how she experienced all this.

Evie is stronger than everyone believes and she hates that they all underestimate her. She wants to get the acceptance she deserves and she works hard to earn it even though sometimes it seems to be impossible. In the previous books I imagined Evie younger than she felt in Moonlight Temptation. She grew up and I really liked how she matured and started to take responsibility for her actions.

Ryan is a new character and oh my goodness is he hawt. I loved how easy going he is- he's one of those positive thinkers. He's not reckless but he tries to enjoy life at its fullest. At some points his "shrink" skills amazed me- he sees bullshits and calls you out on it. I love this kind of honesty. He was a great contrast to Dane who always seems to worry about what the world or better said his family thinks about him. He's so scared to disappoint them that he keeps himself from what he really wants. I loved the duality we got from those two men.

These three together put the pages on fire- their mutual attraction is breathtaking and as always I'm surprised how some authors can make me believe in this whole threesome thing- even when it's only for the duration of a book. *wink*

I enjoyed how much Julian includes her sidecast. All her characters are shown in such great detail that you just can't ignore them. Cat really intrigued me and I can't wait to see how her HEA will work out. The story itself was captivating and I couldn't put this one down. The plot itself takes a new turn in this book and I'm already breathlessly awaiting the next book.

Moonlight Temptation is a wonderful extra hot addition to the Lucani Lovers Series. It seems I love everything  Julian keeps dashing at us. I'm sure I won't miss the next one.

To learn more about Stephanie and her books please visit her website here. 

The Lucani Lovers Series: 
1. Kiss of Moonlight: reviews @goodreads, buy @Ellora's Cave
2. Moonlight Ménage: reviews @goodreads, buy @Ellora's Cave
3. Edge of Moonlight: reviews @goodreads, buy @Ellora's Cave
4. Moonlight Temptation: reviews @goodreads, buy @Ellora's Cave

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Review: Death's Sweet Embrace by Tracey O'Hara @BookLoversInc

Yes I finally did it again! I reviewed a book. Wanna read what I thought about this book? Here is a little teaser! You can read the rest @Book Lovers Inc here.

The first thing I have to admit is that I was really disappointed to realize this book wasn't about Antoinette and Christian again. I loved these two and at the end of Night's Cold Kiss I was sure their story would develop more in the next book. The end left my HEA loving heart yearning for more and I always assured myself: you will get your fix in book two. So you can see when I realized I wouldn't get this, Death's Sweet Embrace and I had a rocky start.

This story is all about Kitt, the snow leopard shifter we already met in book one. She still suffers from the aftershocks of her brother's death but there are some important things in her life that need her immediate attention right now. She accepts a position for teaching at the NYAPS (the parahuman university) and she has to face her past there. She meets her daughters- twin she had to give away after birth and as you can imagine this situation troubles her not only with anticipation. To make the whole situation even more complex she also discovers that her first big love and father to the girls, Raven, is currently at NYAPS too- so she finds herself in an emotional roller-coaster ride from the start.

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

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Review: Trust Me by Sydney Somers

Description:
After three months on the run, Detective Maxine Walker figures no one will find her behind a counter in a small Canadian town. It might even be safe to grab a beer with the sexy stranger who’s just come through the shop door. Then the bullets start flying.

When he saves her—then takes her prisoner—she assumes an arms dealer who set her up for murder has put a price on her head.

Lucas McAllister has doubts as to whether Max killed his partner, but it’s his job to bring her in. Plus, she could be his only lead to a missing biological weapon. That means he’s not letting her out of his sight, not for a second. Which shouldn’t be tough given the possessiveness that rushes through him with every touch. When the resourceful detective uses their attraction to attempt distraction, his hands-off policy is blown all to hell.

As the real hit men close in, trust is in short supply. But if they can’t trust each other, their lives—and their hearts—may get caught in the crossfire.

Review:
After hearing so many good things about Ms Somers writing I couldn't resist the temptation to read this one. I'm not much of suspense reader in general but I really enjoyed this one.  It is a wonderful contemporary novel with an intoxicating fast paced plot that didn't let me go.

We meet Detective Maxine Walker who's currently on the run not only from the NYC police force but also from the dealer Blackwater who got her into this situation to begin with.  She's a strong woman, full of determination and a strong sense of honor. No matter what she won't back down from what's right even though her life is ruined by this decission. She knows how to be her own woman, she's tricky and strong and even a strong man like Lucas won't be able to tell her what to do. I really liked her, she was fun even though she regrets which turns her life took. She feels responsible for teh death that brought her into this situation and she desperately needs something to cheer her up and a bit of help with bringing Blackwater down won't hurt either.

Lucas works for the Lassiter Group and the afore mentioned murder which killed his partner. He can't give up searching for the culprit. At first his company thought Max had done it but he's sure she isn't. When he finally finds her he needs her help because she is the only one who can lead him to the murderer. Lucas is strong and a protector at heart. I liked him even though it was strange to see him so "helpless" against a woman like Max. A professional, like he is, should be able to stand his own more against an ordinary cop. But yeah I could ignore that fact in lieu of him being sexy as hell.

I loved the romance between those two. The attraction was strong from the start and I loved their little and sometimes even big fights. The balance between plot and romance was great and I was enthralled and never lost interest. As I said I'm not much of a suspense lover but this story really did it for me. I already know I can't wait to get more of this author- her writing is right up my alley. An absolute recommended read.

To learn more about Sydney and her books please vist her website.

Read other reviews @goodreads, Buy the book @BooksOnBoard

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Review: Head over Heels by Annemarie Hartnett

Description:
That whole “no nookie” rule seemed like a good idea until Chrissie got under the covers with Sam.

When Chrissie declared a moratorium on hooking up for this group road trip, she didn’t think a miscommunication with a hotel desk clerk would put her in the same bed with Sam.

A total dork wrapped in a nice package, Sam has been the object of her vacation lust since day one. Once she’s huddled together under the covers with him the rules go out the window.

Can Sam and Chrissie turn their carefree holiday fling into something more?

Reader Advisory: This book contains some toy play.

Review:
I think I'm totally in love with this cover. So yes I just couldn't wait to start reading this book when I finally got my greedy hands on it. I adored Company of Fools and yes my expectations where high before I started reading. I expected a scorching hot and funny read to keep me warm in this brutal winter and that's exactly what I got.

In Head over Heels we meet a group of friends on an adventure trip through nature. Most of their group already escaped back to civilization and only 4 friends are left. Chrissie, our heroine is really attracted to the rather geeky Sam. But she has her own no nookie rule holding her back. Chrissie is a nice person most of the time but sometimes she starts to talk before she thinks- a think I can really relate too. She's also stubborn as hell and won't part with her own prejudices and "rules" no matter how stupid they are.

Sam is a sexy geeky guy and you know I love those.  He's full of surprises and not at all what you would think of when you imagine a geek (but those mostly never are what the name suggests). He's funny and so sweet at times- heart-meltingly cute. These two together can keep you warm- I loved those sex scenes. Very inventive but never too much. Just two young people having fun. The romance is light but I enjoyed the slow build up.

I always love how easy Ms Hartnett's stories flow. It's like talking to friends- easy and just natural. Her humor is exactly the kind I love and she made me giggle more than once. The storyline itself was a bit predictable at the end but I didn't really mind because she kept me smiling the whole time.

Head over Heels is a really hot and cute story- perfect to keep you entertained on a cold winter night. I know I will keep my eyes open for more of Ms. Hartnetts stories.

To learn more about Annemarie and her books please visit her website here.
Read other reviews @goodreads. Buy the book at @Total-E-Bound

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ARC Review: Deadlock by Moira Rogers

Description:
Carmen Mendoza's shapeshifter father abandoned her. Raised by her psychic mother, Carmen ignored her paternal family's political machinations--until the day they decided to use her in their bid for power. Trapped between two worlds and snared by a vicious spell meant to wake her inner wolf, Carmen's only hope is to trust the one man strong enough to soothe her darkest instincts.

Born a pureblood wolf, Alec Jacobson lives as a rebel, the black sheep alpha who protects the supernatural residents of New Orleans from wolf politics. Too bad he can't protect himself from his need for Carmen. Staking a claim on his enemy's niece will turn his city into a battleground, unless he can find a way to stop breaking the rules--and start making them.

Review:
After what felt like a never ending wait we finally get the chance to dive into the wonderful world of the Southern Arcana series again. I loved the first  books and Deadlock didn't disappoint at all. I just say Alec. *insert swoony voice*

Carmen Mendoza is an empath working as a doctor in the local independent hospital. She knows how the shapeshifter politics work first hand because her ambitious father left her and her family to secure his political station. She put her back on everything connected to this prejudiced and discriminating system and tries her best to stay out of it. But her family just won't let it go. Her uncle and father are working together to right the "wrong" he did by marrying her mother. They want her to accept an "appropriate" husband who had the right position in the werewolf society. But Carmen won't budge. She's a strong woman and won't give in. I love her- Carmen is compassionate, strong and won't back down even from the strongest alpha. Being an empath makes her better at her job and improves the way she understands and helps people.  I really liked her. She's a good person but her character didn't stand out enough.

But then we have Alec. *swoons* That guy makes my knees weak. He's the big bad alpha- possesive and protective of what he sees as his. Stubborn but also very sexy. He's a caretaker and sets everyone else's needs over his own. His past is branded with heartbreak and betrayal and he keeps his heart behind tons of shields to avoid being hurt again. I loved him to pieces. He's my kind of alpha hero. Strong, passionate, dirty but not overbearing or too stubborn. He always said the right things to make my toes curl and I really start to swoon again every time I think about him. He's in my top 5 heroes of 2010- and all mine. ;)

As always the worldbuilding and pace of this book was masterly done. I was drawn into the story from the start. This world is one of this rare gems that makes you think- it combines a paranormal world with a political system based on prejudices and intolerance that make you think about the world we live in. I love when a book makes me think. But the best thing about the Southern Arcana series for me is the way Moira Rogers includes the sidecast. Each story doesn't focus 100% on our couple but we also see the characters we loved in the previous books. And I so can't wait to read about Kat and Andrew- and I swear to god these two deserve a HEA. I so can't wait.

Deadlock is a great addition to this series. It's an action packed paranormal romance with a swoon worthy hero and a lovable heroine. Moira Rogers writes in a way that draws you in and won't let you go till you read the last word. For me her books are going on top of my tbr pile as soon as I get them. If you haven't started this series yet: what are you waiting for? Get your hands on Crux and believe me you won't regret it for one second. Great book in an awesome series.
 
To learn more about Donna and Bree (the author duo behind Moira Rogers) and their books please visit the Moira Rogers website here.

The Southern Arcana Series:
1. Crux: my review, reviews @goodreads
2. Crossroads: my review, reviews @goodreads
3. Deadlock: reviews @goodreads release date: January 4th
4. Cipher (Andrews book *g*) September 2011 ebook release / print release in 2012

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