Review: Win by Submission by Melynda Price Book 1 in the Against the Cage series

Here is a book with an outstanding blurb and wonderful prologue which reaches out and grabs you and makes you want to read the book. Melynda Price is a new to me author and Netgalley kindly gave me this novel in exchange for an honest review. 

The books started out with a bang! Unfortunately it kinda slowed down from there. Don't get me wrong this book has a ton of potential and I think having a beta group read the book would have done wonders. There were a few things that put me off. Repetition, how many times do we need to hear how attractive the heroine is to the hero? or How hot the hero is and how attracted the heroine is to him. I think we got it and didn't need it repeated ad-nosum. The premise of the book was great. An MMA fighter hurt in the ring after winning the belt, a physio-therapist with a history of abuse to help me recover so he can fight again. Good right? An parts of it were really interesting. I think though that you really have to stick with it. The first 1/3 of the book after the prologue was well...not great but if you stuck with it, the pace picks up and the story gets more involved. 

I really liked the characters and I think MP has a great talent for creating multi dimensional characters. I think she just needs to focus on the balance and rhythm of her story and have excellent editors to help her cut out the stuff that is just not needed. Much of the "blather" gave nothing to the story...nothing to the characters or world creation it just made the book longer. 

There was enough in the book that I did enjoy to give it a 3 star rating and I will be watching out for Aiden's story because as I mentioned the characters are very compelling. As far as a recommendation, I'd wait to see if the next book is cleaned up and that book 1 was just a warm up and vehicle to start a good series.

Always by Shyla Colt Book1 Wesson Rebels MC Series

Recommended to t'irla ~The Bookslayer~ by: netgalley
Recommended for: no recommendation
Read from March 19 to 23, 2015 — I own a copy, read count: 1

This is a new to me author from the blurb the booked looked really interesting so I did request it from Netgalley and was given it for an honest review. 

I have to start by saying I usually don't baulk to much at editing issues because when I am deeply engrossed in a story my mind usually corrects them and I keep going. However, there were sooooo many issues with this novel, incorrect words, spelling mistakes, words used incorrectly and we won't even get into the grammar issues. I need to suggest to the publish/author that an editor, beta readers or both give the novel a read and correct the issues before publishing. If I had paid for this novel I would have returned it because there was just too many to be acceptable. 

Second thing is, how many POV are too many...this book is an example of trying to tell the story from too many angles and they tend to confuse the reader. There was as many as 4 POV in 1 chapter it was kinda crazy. 

Now for more personal issues, I didn't realize the book was a MFFM menage...I didn't mind but was just surprised when the brothers shared their partners. This is my bad cause I would not have picked it had I known...I don't mind MMF or even MMM but just don't really read FF of any sort. Second personal thing was that he book was a cliffhanger which I despise. 

Now the good stuff. The story is interesting ...the first one where a generation of biker kids all hang out and connect...like the premise. I like the crazy bad boy hero in biker romances and I liked the juxtaposition of the softer more caring brother and the twist that happens in the last 1/4 of the book. There is so much potential for this to be a rock'n biker story but unfortunately the writing and above mentioned issues just didn't get it there. 

I have to give the book a 2 star rating based on the premise but I just can't recommend it when there are so many excellent biker novels to spend your hard earned money on.

Review: Jake Me by Sabrina Stark book 2 in Jaked

Wow again, much like in book 1 it is Sabrina Stark's unique and slightly screwy viewpoint that makes this book work. Her writing is so easy to read and how she grabs you and makes you hang on is what makes a great contemporary romance writer.

Now after book 1 we were left with a ton of unanswered questions and yes all of them get answered in book 2 but so much happens in the book we as readers aren't sure what we care about most...getting the questions answered or smacking Luna around for being a naive fool...with TSTL tendencies. Luckily it was Jake who made this book. The reader watched him grow and mature in this book. Yes, he is still all protective and alpha but more of his background and thinking are revealed and we see why he has become the man he is. I grew to love him more and more but the more I loved him the more I wanted to shoot Luna myself. She really came across as immature and soooo stupid ...the hotel scene is a great example of her being TSTL. I mean really! I'm afraid her character did make this book lose a star....
On the positive side her brothers had me rolling on the floor laughing they were a total hoot! I would love to read their story some day.

I enjoyed the feel of the mafia about the book and the intrigue that kept the reader hanging in there to see how it would all end. I'm really curious now as to the other books Sabrina Stark has published and I know I will go back and read them. Her voice is quirky and enjoyable. I give this book a 4 star review and a recommendation. If you are looking for a different read and just get lost in a story this would be a great book for you to spend a day or two reading. You will end up smiling I guarantee it!

Review: Burned by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy Book 1 in Dragons of Eternity

Alexandra Ivy was one of the authors I binged on when I found myself back to reading PNR novels and I adored her Guardians of Eternity novels so when I saw she had a new series out on Netgalley I just had to request it and luckily they gave me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you love Guardians of Eternity you will adore Dragons of Eternity. They style of writing and plot set up is pretty similar in both novels plus you see crossover characters since DoE is a spin off series. That all being said you don't *have* to read GoE to enjoy DoE. The book starts off a bit confusing, I was feeling like I had missed something but kept reading and after a couple of chapters it made sense or the most part, by the ending everything made sense.

One of AI's strengths is her character creations. She has a way with quirky weird characters and through humour and adventure she makes them loveable and completely engages the readers, we care what happens to them and want them to have their HEA. In book one of this new series it is no different. Baine our hero is a dragon lord who is one of the most condescending, alpha, arrogant males in PNR in a LONG time but ohhhh so incredibly sexy! I mean totally *HOT* and *Hawt* ...read the book you will find out what I mean:) Tayla is a fae, an imp to be precise and she is on the run.... won't go into the plot too much but I will let you know Levitt is in the story and up to his old tricks again....loving on the women and irritating the hell outta the men:) ...I adore him.

I enjoyed the story line immensely it started out moving fast and kept at it. We meet villains and then more villains. We see a bit of the dragon hierarchy and learn some of there abilities. As always in a first novel there is much world building and character introduction to get through but I thought AI did a great job of it. Usually the first book in a series is the weakest, if this is true we are in for a heck of a ride as we meet more of the Dragons of Eternity. I love Guardians of Eternity and I can't wait for cameo appearances of some of my favourites in the those novels.

I rate this a dazzling 4 stars and a recommendation for those looking for a light PNR with romance and sizzling hawt sex (hotter then GoE), an adventure with bad guys and good guys and dragons we don't know where they fit in yet then this is a novel for you. A great beach read for summer of 2015 or a wonderful way to spend a rainy, stormy day curled with a blanket and a glass of wine:)

Review: Insider by Olivia Cunning Book One Exodus End

I admit I'm a Olivia Cunning fan, I consider her the Queen of Erotic Rockstar Romance and I have been waiting *forever* for this book ok ok just 2 years but still the teasers about this band that were in "Sinners on Tour" made me anxious to read the story of Exodus End. I admit that it is Dare Mills that grabbed my heart however, I was definitely ready to open my heart to the other band members.

In book one of this much awaited series we have Logan the band's bassist's story. I adored Logan, the resident boy-man, man-whore, comic of the group. His dirty mouth matched his talent on the bass. Logan was living the rockstar life doing what he wanted to who he wanted and was pretty happy with that life and with himself. The rest of the band seemed to be maturing around him but Logan just stuck to his teenage boy ways. His potty humour just killed me I found myself laughing out loud at his antics and dirty mouth. He was everything I adore in the sidekicks of most books. Fortunately, Olivia Cunning doesn't do sidekicks she tells everyone's story as long as they are a member of the band.

Toni, our heroine was a sheltered virgin who grew up with a controlling mother and became the caretaker of her disabled sister. (Downs Syndrome) She is 25 and lives isolated on an island with little interaction with others of her age. I think most of the reason I didn't give this book a 5 star rating is because of how incredibly naive Olivia Cunning wrote this character. In today's day and age of TV, computer games, magazines and the internet it is impossible for anyone to stay so over the top naive. She is unworldly yes, has no experience yes but not aware of the happening of a rock band on tour ...she would have had to be living under a rock. I understand that her V-card became an albatross around her neck but hopping into bed with the first rockstar she met was a bit too unbelievable. The second night maybe after spending a bit of time...but not within an hour of meeting him, just doesn't add up for me. What I did love about Toni was her quirky, out of nowhere sense of humour she had me in stitches and I loved how she took the others off guard.

I did find the over all story a bit too predictable but with the quality of writing and the wit used it was still very engaging. The novel was also very long at 500 pages but I never at any point found it dragging or looked to see how much was left. I was totally immersed in the characters and story. Over all it was fast paced, a quick easy read, funny, sexy, quirky. The oddball match up that OC is so great at coupled with the outstanding dialogue that is her trademark made the book entertaining. I particularly loved Logan's dirty mouth...he could take anything and give it a sexual twist...I have heard some of those lines since my brothers were sixteen.

For me Logan's transformation was the best, watching him fight his feeling, deny his feelings and finally give in to his feelings was great to watch. We did see some changes in Toni but I though they might have been a bit more...daring....but I kinda of felt that Toni's story is not quite over..I sense that we may see more of her in future books and be able to observe more changes as she and Logan travel to Europe together. I also hope OC touches Logan's "I'm only a bassist" remarks that thread was not tied up in this book and I would like to see him feel more included and necessary.

Insider offers you everything you would expect in an Olivia Cunning book, hawt sex, great characters and a fun time. Reading her previous series "Sinners on Tour" is not mandatory but I personally think you would get more out of the book/series if you do read it first. I would like to thanks the publisher through Netgalley for advancing me this novel in exchange for an honest review. I give this novel a 4 golden treble clef rating and a recommendation to Erotic Romance readers who love Rockstar love stories as much as I do. Another great summer of 2015 vacation read!