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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lauren Dane takes you into a brand new world in ALL THAT REMAINS.
Summer Killian falls fast and hard when Charlie arrives in Paradise Village. But the heat turns all the way up when she learns Charlie is also with Hatch - the man she loved three years before. While she's not sure she's cut out for a triad, neither man is going to give her up.
Take a ROCKY RIDE with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Vivian Arend as she leads you back to the Six Pack Ranch. Anna Coleman might be the law around Rocky Mountain House, but bad boy Mitch Thompson knows that under the stiff RCMP uniform is a woman with a passion for speed and pleasure that matches his own, and he’s not giving up until she’s his.
Kit Rocha returns to Sector Four in BEYOND TEMPTATION. A promise to a dying friend backfires when Noah Lennox finds that the girl he was supposed to rescue is all grown up--and wearing O'Kane ink. He wants to protect her from the secrets of their past, but she wants him. And an O'Kane woman always gets what she wants.
Summer Killian falls fast and hard when Charlie arrives in Paradise Village. But the heat turns all the way up when she learns Charlie is also with Hatch - the man she loved three years before. While she's not sure she's cut out for a triad, neither man is going to give her up.
Take a ROCKY RIDE with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Vivian Arend as she leads you back to the Six Pack Ranch. Anna Coleman might be the law around Rocky Mountain House, but bad boy Mitch Thompson knows that under the stiff RCMP uniform is a woman with a passion for speed and pleasure that matches his own, and he’s not giving up until she’s his.
Kit Rocha returns to Sector Four in BEYOND TEMPTATION. A promise to a dying friend backfires when Noah Lennox finds that the girl he was supposed to rescue is all grown up--and wearing O'Kane ink. He wants to protect her from the secrets of their past, but she wants him. And an O'Kane woman always gets what she wants.
412 pages, ebook
First published January 30, 2014
18 people are currently reading
1473 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Dane
112 books4,996 followersLauren Dane has been writing stories since she was able to use a pencil, and before that she used to tell them to people. Of course, she still talks nonstop, and through wonderful fate and good fortune, she’s now able to share what she writes with others. It’s a wonderful life!
The basics: Lauren is a mom, a partner, a best friend and a daughter. Living in the rainy but beautiful Pacific Northwest, she spends her late evenings writing like a fiend when she finally wrestles all of her kids to bed.
The basics: Lauren is a mom, a partner, a best friend and a daughter. Living in the rainy but beautiful Pacific Northwest, she spends her late evenings writing like a fiend when she finally wrestles all of her kids to bed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
February 20, 2014
4 stars
Three strong-willed women that I love, because they aren’t afraid to speak their mind, take what they want and choose to live their life full of passion. Plus where there is a strong woman there is an even stronger man behind her letting her simply be her, loving her for all that she is and willing to give her everything that she needs.
Beyond Temptation
Noah has skills that are in demand; the leaders of the Sectors wants him and will do anything to get him. He is a wanted man in and out of the bedroom, but no one wants him more than Emma. Emma is the baby sis of Noah’s best friend, who he made a promise to that he would give Emma the life they always dreamed of, but he can’t help the way his body responds to her. After years away from her, thinking she was finally living the life, he finds out that not only is Emma still in the Sectors but now she is proudly wearing O’Kane ink. He can’t believe how grown up she is and that she is happy in a place so different than their dream. Noah is used to being alone and can’t understand what it’s like to have a family and protection like the O’Kanes. Now that he’s back Emma isn’t letting him off the hook so easily, prepared to show him just how good life could be in Sector Four and in her bed.
I loved being back in Sector Four, seriously missed this place and the entire O’Kane gang… counting down the days till Beyond Jealousy.
Rocky Ride
"Secret affair--the cop and the biker", totally playful, sexy and easy, but what happens when their affair is no longer a secret, is Anna and Mitch ready to make it official? and is the town ready for their passion? Mitch has a feeling that their chemistry inside the bedroom is just as HOT on the outside, he just has to get Anna on board with his ideas. Anna and Mitch have to deal with the newness of them and all the crap that other people think, putting their relationship through the test. Is it more than lust??? It’s something they have to find out together...
This was a perfect reminder at how much I loved Vivian Arend style, and how I seriously need to catch up on all the Rocky Mountain books ;)
All That Remains
As New Earthers, where the ratio of men to women are higher than before, relationships of more than two people are a common thing, but that isn't something Summer has dreamed up for herself, until she met Charlie. It was Zing at first sight, felt it right down to her toes, problem is Charlie already has a partner, Hatch, the very same man who left her with a broken heart and never came back. How could she forgive him for leaving her??? but fighting her attraction to him and Charlie is like asking her not to breathe. One things for sure these two men know how to work together and even though Hatch has a ton of groveling ahead of him, Charlie is there to ease the way.
Three awesome stories from three amazing writers, ones that you will truly enjoy :))
Three stories of passion, possession, and ink.
Three strong-willed women that I love, because they aren’t afraid to speak their mind, take what they want and choose to live their life full of passion. Plus where there is a strong woman there is an even stronger man behind her letting her simply be her, loving her for all that she is and willing to give her everything that she needs.
Beyond Temptation
"Tell me I can keep you, and I'll stay."
Noah has skills that are in demand; the leaders of the Sectors wants him and will do anything to get him. He is a wanted man in and out of the bedroom, but no one wants him more than Emma. Emma is the baby sis of Noah’s best friend, who he made a promise to that he would give Emma the life they always dreamed of, but he can’t help the way his body responds to her. After years away from her, thinking she was finally living the life, he finds out that not only is Emma still in the Sectors but now she is proudly wearing O’Kane ink. He can’t believe how grown up she is and that she is happy in a place so different than their dream. Noah is used to being alone and can’t understand what it’s like to have a family and protection like the O’Kanes. Now that he’s back Emma isn’t letting him off the hook so easily, prepared to show him just how good life could be in Sector Four and in her bed.
I loved being back in Sector Four, seriously missed this place and the entire O’Kane gang… counting down the days till Beyond Jealousy.
Rocky Ride
"Give it a try, Constable. Walk on the wild side with me. We'll go as slow as you feel comfortable, but you know I'm not the big bad wolf everyone makes me out to be."
"Secret affair--the cop and the biker", totally playful, sexy and easy, but what happens when their affair is no longer a secret, is Anna and Mitch ready to make it official? and is the town ready for their passion? Mitch has a feeling that their chemistry inside the bedroom is just as HOT on the outside, he just has to get Anna on board with his ideas. Anna and Mitch have to deal with the newness of them and all the crap that other people think, putting their relationship through the test. Is it more than lust??? It’s something they have to find out together...
This was a perfect reminder at how much I loved Vivian Arend style, and how I seriously need to catch up on all the Rocky Mountain books ;)
All That Remains
This was perfection. The way each movement flowed into the next. The give and take they'd created together. No shame. No guilt.
As New Earthers, where the ratio of men to women are higher than before, relationships of more than two people are a common thing, but that isn't something Summer has dreamed up for herself, until she met Charlie. It was Zing at first sight, felt it right down to her toes, problem is Charlie already has a partner, Hatch, the very same man who left her with a broken heart and never came back. How could she forgive him for leaving her??? but fighting her attraction to him and Charlie is like asking her not to breathe. One things for sure these two men know how to work together and even though Hatch has a ton of groveling ahead of him, Charlie is there to ease the way.
Three awesome stories from three amazing writers, ones that you will truly enjoy :))
March 16, 2014
I will rate each story separately when it comes out, but for now, the average rating is ***3 stars***
Kit Rocha gets 5 stars from moi!
I'm already a fan. I've read all of her books to date and loved it. I feel that, at this point, it's hard to be objective. I'm familiar with the story set up, emotionally invested in all the characters and I'm always exited to read the next book in the series.
To be completely honest, the only reason I requested the ARC in the first place, was because of these gals. I was curious about the other two authors though.
I absolutely loved Noah. He was kind of an outcast. He had a place to live, but I got the feeling that he didn't have a place where he felt like he belonged.
I loved the fact that he was skeptical when it came to sector 4, and what they were all about.
He is a computer nerd, a badass hacker and lives underground. She is an artist, a tattoo apprentice in a tattoo parlor and a dance performer (?). I mean, come on!
I love women that know who they are and what they want. I'll read about a self-confident, sameness, tattooed, badass chick all day everyday. I thought Emma was exactly that.
Although the story was a little short, Rocha managed to pack in just the right amount of information and drama. There were no unnecessary descriptions or topics, with enough excitement, steam and a solid plot. Don't get me started on O'Kane men and their talents in certain areas ;-). Their sexual chemistry was off the charts.
Loved it. I'm ecstatic to get my hands on Ace's story. Only few more day to wait!
Vivian Arena's story Rocky Ride gets 3 stars.
The beginning of the story was solid. Anna is a cool chick. She is strong, independent and overall just fun to read about. She is a cop with a kinky side.
Nick is a guy that is misunderstood, in my opinion. On the outside he's the definition of a badboy, but on the inside, he has a really gentle soul. He is caring, considerate, sexy and sweet with a little bit of en edge to him :).
Anna and Nick have been friends with benefits for a while. Time passed, Nick got to know her and decided that he wanted more than just sex. And she didn't want to complicate things. Nick suggested they both make a list of things they want to do to/with each other. She wrote down all kind of kinky f*ckery, but Nick was more strategic :).
I was really looking forward to Nick crossing things off his list, but that didn't happen. That was my issue with the story. Suddenly, there was a whole another drama with her parter and him being a dick. I found that part of the story boring. I wish author would have chosen one thing and stuck to it. The last bit of the story became about who said what, who lied to who and what their motives were. Which wasn't the direction I thought the story will go, at all. It was a little bit all over the place.
Loved the beginning, the ending, not so much.
Loren Dane and her story All That Remains gets 1 star.
This story was just strange. I din't like the characters, they were flat and uninteresting, and the writing was weird and amateurish.
The story is set up in a distant future (I think), in the village called Paradise. In Paradise everything goes.
Right from the get go, I didn't like Summer. She came across as too full of herself, rather than confident.
Hatch and Charlie were hot together, not so much after they got involved with her though.
Everything happened so fast. They exchanged hallo's and she invited one of them to some sex party, where they spend evening watching others having sex. I love yous and plans for the future came soon after.
I don't know why the author felt the need to explain the same thing over and over again. A character observes their surroundings and tells to a reader what s/he sees, then the other character ask what s/he saw and the other one goes explaining the same thing again. 3 pages later, the story hadn't moved a freaking bit, but we know how a cock looks like from 3 different point of views.
A lot of times it felt like the characters were talking in riddles, and there was too much unnecessary information, just randomly placed at.
Then there were sentences that made me go "Huh?".
The lack of commas was very annoying. There were a lot of "let's eat grandpa" type of sentences.
I usually don't mention grammar hiccups in prerelease books, but the first two stories were solid and this one was all over the place, both grammar and plot-wise.
Overall, it was a huge meeeeeh. It reminded me a lot of the Virgin Captive series, which had very similar story set up and writing.
* * *
I'll be most definitely reading next book by KR. VA sparked my curiosity, I'll give it a shot to her other books. I will pass on LD, not my thing at all. I'll stick to KR threesomes instead :-D.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
More O'Kanes? Yes! Come to mama :-D.
***ARC courtesy of fabulous Kit Rocha & Co ***
I can't wait to dig in :-D.
Kit Rocha gets 5 stars from moi!
I'm already a fan. I've read all of her books to date and loved it. I feel that, at this point, it's hard to be objective. I'm familiar with the story set up, emotionally invested in all the characters and I'm always exited to read the next book in the series.
To be completely honest, the only reason I requested the ARC in the first place, was because of these gals. I was curious about the other two authors though.
I absolutely loved Noah. He was kind of an outcast. He had a place to live, but I got the feeling that he didn't have a place where he felt like he belonged.
I loved the fact that he was skeptical when it came to sector 4, and what they were all about.
He is a computer nerd, a badass hacker and lives underground. She is an artist, a tattoo apprentice in a tattoo parlor and a dance performer (?). I mean, come on!
I love women that know who they are and what they want. I'll read about a self-confident, sameness, tattooed, badass chick all day everyday. I thought Emma was exactly that.
Although the story was a little short, Rocha managed to pack in just the right amount of information and drama. There were no unnecessary descriptions or topics, with enough excitement, steam and a solid plot. Don't get me started on O'Kane men and their talents in certain areas ;-). Their sexual chemistry was off the charts.
Loved it. I'm ecstatic to get my hands on Ace's story. Only few more day to wait!
Vivian Arena's story Rocky Ride gets 3 stars.
The beginning of the story was solid. Anna is a cool chick. She is strong, independent and overall just fun to read about. She is a cop with a kinky side.
Nick is a guy that is misunderstood, in my opinion. On the outside he's the definition of a badboy, but on the inside, he has a really gentle soul. He is caring, considerate, sexy and sweet with a little bit of en edge to him :).
Anna and Nick have been friends with benefits for a while. Time passed, Nick got to know her and decided that he wanted more than just sex. And she didn't want to complicate things. Nick suggested they both make a list of things they want to do to/with each other. She wrote down all kind of kinky f*ckery, but Nick was more strategic :).
I was really looking forward to Nick crossing things off his list, but that didn't happen. That was my issue with the story. Suddenly, there was a whole another drama with her parter and him being a dick. I found that part of the story boring. I wish author would have chosen one thing and stuck to it. The last bit of the story became about who said what, who lied to who and what their motives were. Which wasn't the direction I thought the story will go, at all. It was a little bit all over the place.
Loved the beginning, the ending, not so much.
Loren Dane and her story All That Remains gets 1 star.
This story was just strange. I din't like the characters, they were flat and uninteresting, and the writing was weird and amateurish.
The story is set up in a distant future (I think), in the village called Paradise. In Paradise everything goes.
Right from the get go, I didn't like Summer. She came across as too full of herself, rather than confident.
I won't beg Hatch for an orgasm. I can walk out that door and ten me will be happy to give me one before I get three steps. For that matter, I have a hand.Fine, don't beg. But ten men, really? What fucking kingdom are you queen of?
Hatch and Charlie were hot together, not so much after they got involved with her though.
Everything happened so fast. They exchanged hallo's and she invited one of them to some sex party, where they spend evening watching others having sex. I love yous and plans for the future came soon after.
I don't know why the author felt the need to explain the same thing over and over again. A character observes their surroundings and tells to a reader what s/he sees, then the other character ask what s/he saw and the other one goes explaining the same thing again. 3 pages later, the story hadn't moved a freaking bit, but we know how a cock looks like from 3 different point of views.
A lot of times it felt like the characters were talking in riddles, and there was too much unnecessary information, just randomly placed at.
Lets go to him. Let me turn off the stove.There was no mentioning of her cooking, eating, or even her being in the kitchen.
He should be here by now, actually. We did laundry earlier and he wanted to stop and grab the clothes before he came out.Why would I need to know that they did laundry? He didn't pop out naked and this info didn't lead to anything interesting. Why mention at all?
Then there were sentences that made me go "Huh?".
He had her back. So near and yet a million miles apart with his actions between them like a great wall.Uhm, do they pay in threesome for tattoos there?
***
You smell like sex. Like sun and need. And woman. I want to lick you until you scream. You on board?
***
"I've never done threesome before.'' Both men's gazes landed on her. "Really (…)? Not even with the guy who gave you the ink?"
You have ink? I want to see it but I want to rub all over you too.I would actually like to see a threesome kiss O__O.
***
They both met her in a kiss then. Of three.
The lack of commas was very annoying. There were a lot of "let's eat grandpa" type of sentences.
I usually don't mention grammar hiccups in prerelease books, but the first two stories were solid and this one was all over the place, both grammar and plot-wise.
Overall, it was a huge meeeeeh. It reminded me a lot of the Virgin Captive series, which had very similar story set up and writing.
* * *
I'll be most definitely reading next book by KR. VA sparked my curiosity, I'll give it a shot to her other books. I will pass on LD, not my thing at all. I'll stick to KR threesomes instead :-D.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
More O'Kanes? Yes! Come to mama :-D.
***ARC courtesy of fabulous Kit Rocha & Co ***
I can't wait to dig in :-D.
November 5, 2014
Three erotic stories with tattoos as part of the culture
"Beyond Temptation" by Kit Rocha - 4 stars
Hot! Hot! Hot! Noah finds his best friend's little sister. She's all grown-up and covered in O'Kane ink. The secret he keeps about her brother's is the obstacle in their romance. It really wasn't too imaginative, but it was still engaging.
There is actual world-building in this novella, which wasn't present in the last full novel. The sexy times are hot and erotic AND evenly spaced. If you skip this story, you'll miss out on the interesting tidbits about future heroes and heroines.
"Rocky Ride" by Vivien Arend - 3.5 stars
Anna is a cop. Mitch has tatts, rides a bike, and lives in a small town. Anna's family doesn't approve.
There wasn't much depth to this story, although there is a prejudice toward people who don't conform to the clean-cut look that does exist, so there is a basis for "Rocky Ride."
The action mostly takes place in the bedroom. There is a noted lack of danger and suspense, so if you're looking for a tatted-biker dude meets and a kinky-cop then this story is for you.
"All That Remains" by Lauren Dane - DNF
Two men, one woman. It's time for sex in a dystopian setting where women outnumber men. Girl Power! Polyandry is the norm is this setting.
Unfortunately, the characters are as flat as a paper doll. I was not invested in these characters and this world quickly lost my interest. I have enjoyed Ms. Dane's work in the past. This is not one of her better works, in my opinion.
ARC generously provided by Kit Rocha, in exchange for an honest review. I sincerely apologize for this extremely late review! (So, I pre-ordered a Beyond novella.)
"Beyond Temptation" by Kit Rocha - 4 stars
Hot! Hot! Hot! Noah finds his best friend's little sister. She's all grown-up and covered in O'Kane ink. The secret he keeps about her brother's is the obstacle in their romance. It really wasn't too imaginative, but it was still engaging.
There is actual world-building in this novella, which wasn't present in the last full novel. The sexy times are hot and erotic AND evenly spaced. If you skip this story, you'll miss out on the interesting tidbits about future heroes and heroines.
"Rocky Ride" by Vivien Arend - 3.5 stars
Anna is a cop. Mitch has tatts, rides a bike, and lives in a small town. Anna's family doesn't approve.
There wasn't much depth to this story, although there is a prejudice toward people who don't conform to the clean-cut look that does exist, so there is a basis for "Rocky Ride."
The action mostly takes place in the bedroom. There is a noted lack of danger and suspense, so if you're looking for a tatted-biker dude meets and a kinky-cop then this story is for you.
"All That Remains" by Lauren Dane - DNF
Two men, one woman. It's time for sex in a dystopian setting where women outnumber men. Girl Power! Polyandry is the norm is this setting.
Unfortunately, the characters are as flat as a paper doll. I was not invested in these characters and this world quickly lost my interest. I have enjoyed Ms. Dane's work in the past. This is not one of her better works, in my opinion.
ARC generously provided by Kit Rocha, in exchange for an honest review. I sincerely apologize for this extremely late review! (So, I pre-ordered a Beyond novella.)
February 11, 2014
Buddy read with Amanda, Annie & Aly.
Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha - 4.5 stars
I'm going to confess that Beyond Temptation was the whole reason I wanted to read the Marked anthology, I absolutely adore the Beyond series and am completely addicted to these sexy O'Kanes and the world that Kit Rocha has created! So it'll be no surprise when I tell you that this was my favourite story in the anthology, probably because I'm already so invested in this world and it's characters. We have briefly met Noah before but since he's not an official O'Kane we've not spent much time with him and I was looking forward to getting to know him better. Emma is a character I already liked, one of the bartenders at the Broken Circle she's been a familiar face throughout the series so it was good to learn more about her background and I absolutely loved the scenes with her working alongside Ace as an apprentice tattoo artist.
Noah was best friends with Emma's brother and as such he has always considered her off limits, that doesn't mean he hasn't done his best to protect her though. In fact he paid a fortune to have her sent safely to the communes outside of the sectors and has spent the last few years believing that she has been living a dream life on a farm somewhere. When he finds out that she has been right under his nose the whole time and living with the O'Kanes he just has to check up on her and make sure that she's OK. The Emma he finds is very different to the sweet young girl he knew though, she's all grown up and has turned into a confident, sexy woman who knows what she wants and exactly how to get it. Emma always had feelings for Noah so when she sees him for the first time in years she sets out to seduce him and show him just how good they could be together.
I loved both of these characters, they have off the charts chemistry and a connection that runs much deeper than lust. There are some difficult secrets between them though, things that could end their relationship for good if they don't find a way to work through them. This was probably the tamest story in the Beyond series so far but don't take that to mean that it isn't sexy because Noah and Emma are hot as hell. Just as you'd expect from these stories there is plenty of dirty talk and hot action! We get a glimpse of some of the previous characters but most importantly we get to spend time with Ace and this has just got me even more excited about his book Beyond Jealousy which is up next. This is a series that always jumps straight to the top of my to read pile and I can't recommend it highly enough although I would personally recommend reading the books in order starting with Beyond Shame though.
Rocky Ride by Vivian Arend - 4 stars
Rocky Ride is the first story in Vivian Arend's new Thompson & Sons series which is a spin off from her Six Pack Ranch books. I haven't actually read any of the Six Pack Ranch books (I'm going to have to pick them up since I enjoyed this one so much though!) so although I believe both Mitch and Anna have made previous appearances I didn't have a problem reading their story as a stand alone. This was certainly a hot read and I'm definitely planning on reading the sequel, Baby Be Mine, soon.
In a lot of ways Mitch and Anna are complete opposites, Mitch is a mechanic at his family's garage who has a bit of a bad boy reputation while Anna is a police officer who loves her job more than anything. As it turns out Mitch doesn't really deserve his reputation, he may have tattoos and ride a motorbike but apart from a couple of pranks as a teenager he hasn't got into any trouble for years and is a hard working and genuine guy. The couple have been meeting up for a few months for incredibly hot sex but while Mitch wants more Anna is running scared. She worries about how Mitch's reputation could affect her career and she is scared of getting hurt by risking her heart.
I absolutely loved this couple, they are so perfect for each other and I really enjoyed seeing how Mitch convinces Anna to give him a chance. They have fabulous chemistry and are both quite creative when it comes to playing out their fantasies which makes things very interesting. This is definitely a new series to watch out for and one I'm looking forward to continuing.
All That Remains by Lauren Dane - 3.5 stars
All That Remains is set in a futuristic dystopian world where a lot of the population has been wiped out and there are now way more men than women. People tend to live in small communities where they have a barter system in place to trade for the things they need and it is very common to find relationships with three (or sometimes more) members. I'm interested in the world that Lauren Dane has created but I have to admit that I wanted more information than we were given. It's very hard to introduce a whole new world in a fairly short novella so I was left with a lot of questions about why society fell apart in the first place but I was given just enough to hook me and make me want to carry on reading.
Summer knows what she is looking for from a relationship and she is prepared to wait until the right man (or men) comes along rather than settle for second best. She has a high sex drive and isn't embarrassed to take what she wants and needs. Hutch and Charlie have been together for a couple of years and have spent that time travelling around the country, they have enjoyed getting to see the world but are ready to settle down and find a place to call home. They would also love to add a woman to their lives and their bed. Charlie is the one who spots Summer first, there is something about her that draws him in and it seems the attraction is returned but there is a slight stumbling block when it comes to Hutch. Summer and Hutch grew up together and he was her first love so she was devastated when he left her to go and see the world. She has never forgiven him for breaking her heart so although Hutch would love to rekindle their relationship Summer is wary of getting hurt again.
It can be hard to sell me on a permanent triad relationship but in this case I thought Summer, Hutch and Charlie worked really well together. I loved the fact that they all spend time together separately as well as in a threesome and I actually believed that all three of them had feelings for each other. Things to happen fairly quickly but I still found it believable and enjoyed seeing them work things through. Summer is understandable wary of Hutch and scared of getting hurt again so I liked the fact that she made him work at proving himself, he knows he made a mistake by not searching her out sooner and he owns that and apologises for it. The two of them have quite a fiery relationship and Charlie is often the voice of reason and the one who steps in to calm things down between them. All three of them have developed a strong friendship and was left thinking that they could make a success of things. I really liked Summer's sister and I'm hoping that we might get her story later on in the series, she definitely deserves some happiness after everything she has been through and it would also give us a chance to see how Summer, Hutch and Charlie are getting on in the future. I'm a little disappointed to learn that the next story is going to be released as a serial novel (I'm really not enjoying this trend!) so I'll probably wait until all of the instalments are available before I start reading it but I'd definitely like to carry on with this series.
Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha - 4.5 stars
I'm going to confess that Beyond Temptation was the whole reason I wanted to read the Marked anthology, I absolutely adore the Beyond series and am completely addicted to these sexy O'Kanes and the world that Kit Rocha has created! So it'll be no surprise when I tell you that this was my favourite story in the anthology, probably because I'm already so invested in this world and it's characters. We have briefly met Noah before but since he's not an official O'Kane we've not spent much time with him and I was looking forward to getting to know him better. Emma is a character I already liked, one of the bartenders at the Broken Circle she's been a familiar face throughout the series so it was good to learn more about her background and I absolutely loved the scenes with her working alongside Ace as an apprentice tattoo artist.
Noah was best friends with Emma's brother and as such he has always considered her off limits, that doesn't mean he hasn't done his best to protect her though. In fact he paid a fortune to have her sent safely to the communes outside of the sectors and has spent the last few years believing that she has been living a dream life on a farm somewhere. When he finds out that she has been right under his nose the whole time and living with the O'Kanes he just has to check up on her and make sure that she's OK. The Emma he finds is very different to the sweet young girl he knew though, she's all grown up and has turned into a confident, sexy woman who knows what she wants and exactly how to get it. Emma always had feelings for Noah so when she sees him for the first time in years she sets out to seduce him and show him just how good they could be together.
I loved both of these characters, they have off the charts chemistry and a connection that runs much deeper than lust. There are some difficult secrets between them though, things that could end their relationship for good if they don't find a way to work through them. This was probably the tamest story in the Beyond series so far but don't take that to mean that it isn't sexy because Noah and Emma are hot as hell. Just as you'd expect from these stories there is plenty of dirty talk and hot action! We get a glimpse of some of the previous characters but most importantly we get to spend time with Ace and this has just got me even more excited about his book Beyond Jealousy which is up next. This is a series that always jumps straight to the top of my to read pile and I can't recommend it highly enough although I would personally recommend reading the books in order starting with Beyond Shame though.
Rocky Ride by Vivian Arend - 4 stars
Rocky Ride is the first story in Vivian Arend's new Thompson & Sons series which is a spin off from her Six Pack Ranch books. I haven't actually read any of the Six Pack Ranch books (I'm going to have to pick them up since I enjoyed this one so much though!) so although I believe both Mitch and Anna have made previous appearances I didn't have a problem reading their story as a stand alone. This was certainly a hot read and I'm definitely planning on reading the sequel, Baby Be Mine, soon.
In a lot of ways Mitch and Anna are complete opposites, Mitch is a mechanic at his family's garage who has a bit of a bad boy reputation while Anna is a police officer who loves her job more than anything. As it turns out Mitch doesn't really deserve his reputation, he may have tattoos and ride a motorbike but apart from a couple of pranks as a teenager he hasn't got into any trouble for years and is a hard working and genuine guy. The couple have been meeting up for a few months for incredibly hot sex but while Mitch wants more Anna is running scared. She worries about how Mitch's reputation could affect her career and she is scared of getting hurt by risking her heart.
I absolutely loved this couple, they are so perfect for each other and I really enjoyed seeing how Mitch convinces Anna to give him a chance. They have fabulous chemistry and are both quite creative when it comes to playing out their fantasies which makes things very interesting. This is definitely a new series to watch out for and one I'm looking forward to continuing.
All That Remains by Lauren Dane - 3.5 stars
All That Remains is set in a futuristic dystopian world where a lot of the population has been wiped out and there are now way more men than women. People tend to live in small communities where they have a barter system in place to trade for the things they need and it is very common to find relationships with three (or sometimes more) members. I'm interested in the world that Lauren Dane has created but I have to admit that I wanted more information than we were given. It's very hard to introduce a whole new world in a fairly short novella so I was left with a lot of questions about why society fell apart in the first place but I was given just enough to hook me and make me want to carry on reading.
Summer knows what she is looking for from a relationship and she is prepared to wait until the right man (or men) comes along rather than settle for second best. She has a high sex drive and isn't embarrassed to take what she wants and needs. Hutch and Charlie have been together for a couple of years and have spent that time travelling around the country, they have enjoyed getting to see the world but are ready to settle down and find a place to call home. They would also love to add a woman to their lives and their bed. Charlie is the one who spots Summer first, there is something about her that draws him in and it seems the attraction is returned but there is a slight stumbling block when it comes to Hutch. Summer and Hutch grew up together and he was her first love so she was devastated when he left her to go and see the world. She has never forgiven him for breaking her heart so although Hutch would love to rekindle their relationship Summer is wary of getting hurt again.
It can be hard to sell me on a permanent triad relationship but in this case I thought Summer, Hutch and Charlie worked really well together. I loved the fact that they all spend time together separately as well as in a threesome and I actually believed that all three of them had feelings for each other. Things to happen fairly quickly but I still found it believable and enjoyed seeing them work things through. Summer is understandable wary of Hutch and scared of getting hurt again so I liked the fact that she made him work at proving himself, he knows he made a mistake by not searching her out sooner and he owns that and apologises for it. The two of them have quite a fiery relationship and Charlie is often the voice of reason and the one who steps in to calm things down between them. All three of them have developed a strong friendship and was left thinking that they could make a success of things. I really liked Summer's sister and I'm hoping that we might get her story later on in the series, she definitely deserves some happiness after everything she has been through and it would also give us a chance to see how Summer, Hutch and Charlie are getting on in the future. I'm a little disappointed to learn that the next story is going to be released as a serial novel (I'm really not enjoying this trend!) so I'll probably wait until all of the instalments are available before I start reading it but I'd definitely like to carry on with this series.
February 10, 2014
I'm rounding up the average score to 3.5 stars for overall steam factors.
Anthologies are hard to rate. Sometimes the range is wide, and the stories hit me at all different levels. That's very much the case with this one, and so I've averaged the score and given individual breakdowns...
BEYOND TEMPTATION - 4 stars
Noah and Emma have a deep and somewhat tragic history. I'm not sure if you can fully appreciate it or the O'Kane world if TEMPTATION is your first venture into Sector 4. It feels like much of the setup for this duo came before. Regardless, this is full of HAWT sexy times.
As for the overall story arc, this is a nice bridge to pull Noah into the O'Kane team. I really enjoyed this short.
ROCKY RIDE - 3 stars
This story is my first by Vivian Arend, and I think my ignorance hampered some of it. I was confused by acronyms and timelines until I realized the story is set in Canada. I *didn't* realize that until the mention of Calgary. If I'm being honest, I still don't know what RCMP stands for.
That said, Anna and Mitch are an interesting couple. I had a few issues with them individually. They each tell the reader how skittish Anna has been about moving beyond a just sex arrangement. Then Mitch brings it up, and, BAM, she's all in. Well...ok then. And Mitch. He's supposed to be some sort of bad@$$...because he has tattoos and a bike? He's also part of a loving and concerned family and works at the family business. I'm confused again. Where is the badassery?
There's also one other (probably just me) irksome detail. There's a new tattoo, and it's placement is a matter of some discussion as it's meant to be "private". Based on the detailed description, I don't see ANY way that it could be hidden.
Don't get me wrong; this book is hot. And Mitch and Anna are super sweet together.
ALL THAT REMAINS - 2 stars
Lauren Dane wrote my all-time favorite trio relationship in LAID BARE. That said, this world of triads is a bit of a mess for me. The premise here is that most of the world's population was killed off, leaving a disproportionate number of males to females. As a result, all of the men are partnering up and looking for a female to round out their triad. So the decimation of the population has led to all men becoming gay/bisexual? Um. Ok. Then we have Summer. She's a liberated female who enjoys lots of f*cking. We know this, because she tells us. Repeatedly. At times, these statements sound defensive. In a society where public sex is the norm, how is defensive declarations about enjoying sex even a thing? This world isn't quite meshing in my brain.
And then there's the writing...Holy head-jump, Batman! When Summer, Hatch, and Charlie were together, my mind was spinning trying to figure out who was thinking/feeling what. There were also some page breaks built in to switch POV, but they honestly almost added to the confusion. In addition, there was some misuse of pronouns and general grammar errors with sentences. It could have used some extra editing.
The heat between Summer, Hatch, and Charlie is undeniable. The sexy times were as hot here as other parts of this anthology.
This ARC was provided by the authors in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Anthologies are hard to rate. Sometimes the range is wide, and the stories hit me at all different levels. That's very much the case with this one, and so I've averaged the score and given individual breakdowns...
BEYOND TEMPTATION - 4 stars
Noah and Emma have a deep and somewhat tragic history. I'm not sure if you can fully appreciate it or the O'Kane world if TEMPTATION is your first venture into Sector 4. It feels like much of the setup for this duo came before. Regardless, this is full of HAWT sexy times.
As for the overall story arc, this is a nice bridge to pull Noah into the O'Kane team. I really enjoyed this short.
ROCKY RIDE - 3 stars
This story is my first by Vivian Arend, and I think my ignorance hampered some of it. I was confused by acronyms and timelines until I realized the story is set in Canada. I *didn't* realize that until the mention of Calgary. If I'm being honest, I still don't know what RCMP stands for.
That said, Anna and Mitch are an interesting couple. I had a few issues with them individually. They each tell the reader how skittish Anna has been about moving beyond a just sex arrangement. Then Mitch brings it up, and, BAM, she's all in. Well...ok then. And Mitch. He's supposed to be some sort of bad@$$...because he has tattoos and a bike? He's also part of a loving and concerned family and works at the family business. I'm confused again. Where is the badassery?
There's also one other (probably just me) irksome detail. There's a new tattoo, and it's placement is a matter of some discussion as it's meant to be "private". Based on the detailed description, I don't see ANY way that it could be hidden.
Don't get me wrong; this book is hot. And Mitch and Anna are super sweet together.
ALL THAT REMAINS - 2 stars
Lauren Dane wrote my all-time favorite trio relationship in LAID BARE. That said, this world of triads is a bit of a mess for me. The premise here is that most of the world's population was killed off, leaving a disproportionate number of males to females. As a result, all of the men are partnering up and looking for a female to round out their triad. So the decimation of the population has led to all men becoming gay/bisexual? Um. Ok. Then we have Summer. She's a liberated female who enjoys lots of f*cking. We know this, because she tells us. Repeatedly. At times, these statements sound defensive. In a society where public sex is the norm, how is defensive declarations about enjoying sex even a thing? This world isn't quite meshing in my brain.
And then there's the writing...Holy head-jump, Batman! When Summer, Hatch, and Charlie were together, my mind was spinning trying to figure out who was thinking/feeling what. There were also some page breaks built in to switch POV, but they honestly almost added to the confusion. In addition, there was some misuse of pronouns and general grammar errors with sentences. It could have used some extra editing.
The heat between Summer, Hatch, and Charlie is undeniable. The sexy times were as hot here as other parts of this anthology.
This ARC was provided by the authors in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 13, 2016
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Anthology Rating: ★★★★☆½ Three stories, three different landscapes and the running theme through all three is that these chicas go after what they want. They don't 'need a man', they need a partner/s and won't settle for less. One of the best anthologies I've read.
★★★★☆ - Beyond Temptation
Noah always tried to protect little Emmaline and thought he had placed her in a safe place. Except Emma had left that 'safe place' and found her way to the O'Kane's and she didn't need any protecting now and she was truly safe and with a family. Emma had grown up and could take care of herself just fine, thank you! in the four years since she had last seen Noah. Would he get that she was all grown up? Great addition to the Beyond series.
★★★☆☆½
Seemingly straight-laced RCMP Anna Coleman had been letting her hair down carrying on a secret, torrid no-strings-attached affair with tattooed, pierced bad boy Mitch Thompson who's not such a bad boy underneath.
Mitch decides he wants a full-fledged public relationship and works his wiles to get Anna to loosen up. Fun story.
★★★★☆
Four years ago, Hatch left Summer to find his place in the world. Summer experienced devastating losses and Hatch was gone and this had forced to her to find her own place and she found it in Paradise Valley with her sister. While Hatch has been away, he's met Charlie and built a relationship with him but it's not complete until they find their way to Paradise Valley. Charlie connects with Summer without knowing her past history with Hatch. When Hatch realizes that the woman Charlie is attracted to is his long-lost Summer, he does whatever he can to make amends and regain her trust. Hot mmf that I really liked. She was an equal partner and they realized she was worth making the effort and settling down with her.
This one especially could use more editing so I hope that between this being an ARC and the published version, that it gets edited.
Anthology Rating: ★★★★☆½ Three stories, three different landscapes and the running theme through all three is that these chicas go after what they want. They don't 'need a man', they need a partner/s and won't settle for less. One of the best anthologies I've read.
★★★★☆ - Beyond Temptation
Noah always tried to protect little Emmaline and thought he had placed her in a safe place. Except Emma had left that 'safe place' and found her way to the O'Kane's and she didn't need any protecting now and she was truly safe and with a family. Emma had grown up and could take care of herself just fine, thank you! in the four years since she had last seen Noah. Would he get that she was all grown up? Great addition to the Beyond series.
★★★☆☆½
Seemingly straight-laced RCMP Anna Coleman had been letting her hair down carrying on a secret, torrid no-strings-attached affair with tattooed, pierced bad boy Mitch Thompson who's not such a bad boy underneath.
Mitch decides he wants a full-fledged public relationship and works his wiles to get Anna to loosen up. Fun story.
★★★★☆
Four years ago, Hatch left Summer to find his place in the world. Summer experienced devastating losses and Hatch was gone and this had forced to her to find her own place and she found it in Paradise Valley with her sister. While Hatch has been away, he's met Charlie and built a relationship with him but it's not complete until they find their way to Paradise Valley. Charlie connects with Summer without knowing her past history with Hatch. When Hatch realizes that the woman Charlie is attracted to is his long-lost Summer, he does whatever he can to make amends and regain her trust. Hot mmf that I really liked. She was an equal partner and they realized she was worth making the effort and settling down with her.
This one especially could use more editing so I hope that between this being an ARC and the published version, that it gets edited.
January 21, 2014
"A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review."
Liked Beyond Temptation, even though it was too short and not enough for a good pacing the Kit Rocha duo is great at in this series. But still very good. 4.5 stars.
Rocky Ride was also very good, surprisingly so. Very, oh so very hot, but also with a great message based on general prejudice of tattooed bikers and rough looking men. I'm definitely continuing this series. 4 stars
But what's with All That Remains? Set in a world where women are greatly outnumbered by men, thus culture was changed and now a relationship between two or there men with one woman is more normal? It's just too weird, I guess... Threesomes are hot, and in theory I'm not against that kind of permanent relationship but it's just too weird to read about it like this. And Charlie and Hatch are a little too sentimental for my liking, so that was a 'pretty much skimmed it' read.
Some more review to come...
Liked Beyond Temptation, even though it was too short and not enough for a good pacing the Kit Rocha duo is great at in this series. But still very good. 4.5 stars.
Rocky Ride was also very good, surprisingly so. Very, oh so very hot, but also with a great message based on general prejudice of tattooed bikers and rough looking men. I'm definitely continuing this series. 4 stars
But what's with All That Remains? Set in a world where women are greatly outnumbered by men, thus culture was changed and now a relationship between two or there men with one woman is more normal? It's just too weird, I guess... Threesomes are hot, and in theory I'm not against that kind of permanent relationship but it's just too weird to read about it like this. And Charlie and Hatch are a little too sentimental for my liking, so that was a 'pretty much skimmed it' read.
Some more review to come...
February 10, 2014
Holy moley. I practically had to toss my kindle in water to put out the flames.
January 20, 2014
Reviewed for: Where the Night Kind Roam
All that remains:
Ok, so I admit I wasn’t even going to read this book, I’ve tried reading a couple books by Lauren Dane and I’ve never been able to get through them for whatever reason. I ended p being pleasantly surprised by this book. So from what I understand this is the first in a new dystopian like series by Dane. I have to admit I found it intriguing, basically something happened (I ca’t remember what the end of the world as we know it event is oops) and now a lot of people live in caravans and live in kind of commune like villiages. People come and go, some stay, they trade services to a large degree, life is simple but good. The women to male ratio is seriously skewed so there are way more men than women it is common to find same sex couples or triads (two men and a female). I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a short novella to introduce your new world to readers as it is a bit more difficult to get a good grasp with the world building which I did find to some degree here. I have the basics, enough to understand but the world is not fully developed to me, I don’t feel like I have a firm grasp on it, but I am curious enough to read the next book in this series. Which I just read is going to be split up into parts… Have I mentioned how much I hate one book split into parts? ERG!! So anyway back to this book.
I really liked Summer, she is sassy and knows what she wants. She can hold her own against two fairly dominate men and has no issues letting them know if they have done something to displease her. She owns her sexuality and tried to live life to its fullest. Whats not to like about her?! Hatch is a larger life then personality. He is charismatic, a roamer and used to getting his own way. Hatch and Charlie have a good relationship going but Summer was his first love and has never quite gotten over her. When Summer first sees Hatch for the first time in four years, she is not happy with him. Hatch is ecstatic to see Summer again and even more happy that Charlie seems as attracted to Summer as he is. Hatch hurt Summer when he left and now he has some groveling to do. I like that Summer and Hatch butt heads to some degree, it keeps things interesting and I guess gives Charlie a job, as their third. I liked that Hatch to his responsibility to fix things with Summer seriously and didn’t just rely on his charm. This novella is short so the gravelling is speed up some but we get the point. I did have an issue with the Charlie part to this relationship. Charlie just seems like an afterthought in this story he’s there, his role is to be the mediator between Hatch and Summer but he has very little character development. We don’t really know anything about him. This book is clearly the Summer and Hatch show with Charlie thrown in for good measure; which is a shame because what I knew of Charlie I liked. This story could have easily been told without Charlie in it at all and we wouldn’t have missed his presence. Overall, it was a pretty good book, it was probably the least strong of the three novellas in this book but it held its own.
Rocky Ride:
So this book is the first in a spin-off of the Six Pack Ranch series; which I have not read. I guess we have met Anna in previous books as well as Mitch. If you haven’t read those books, no worries, you won’t be lost. At least I wasn’t. So this book starts full steam ahead, and it is steamy! Mitch and Anna have off the charts sexual chemistry; however, Mitch wants more and Anna is a bit of a runner. I love how Mitch kind of tricked Anna into actually dating him, he’s a sneaky one. Mitch is all tatted and pierced up, a mechanic at the family garage with a bad yet undeserved reputation. Anna is a ball busting cop in a small town. Dating Mitch is a risk to her career but a risk she decides is worth it. Vivan Arend takes us on a sensual ride as Mitch and Anna explore her sexuality, there isn’t much Mitch isn’t willing to make happen for Anna which is hot in its own right. Anna and Mitch hit a bump in the road when they are caught in a compromising position by one of her co-workers and their relationship may never recover. From beginning to end this story is very hot and highly entertaining. It was my second favorite of this
Beyond Temptation:
This book is why I picked up Marked! I have been waiting for Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha since I finished Beyond Pain. I have been devouring this series as soon as the books are available. I love the O’Kanes and Sector Four. This book was probably the most developed of the three and my favorite. Although, to be honest it may have been the most developed because I have been reading the series since the beginning, but to me this world is rich and the characters memorable. Emma is cute, sassy and as an O’Kane a tough one. She can handle herself and she is all grown up. Noah is a loner, broody and likes his women dirty. He’s always noticed Emma, but as his best friends little sister he always considered her off limits. He’s done everything he could to make sure she has been taken care of, at least financially. With a price on his head, Noah wasn’t able to physically be in her life, he was not willing to risk her life. When he finds out she hasn’t been up in the mountains with her lover like he was told but safe and as protected as she could be as an O’Kane he can’t resist seeking her out. Emma is all grown up now, and has turned out to be a beautiful, sexual woman, one he can no longer resist; but he carries a deep secret one that can destroy everything, something he will do just about anything to keep Emma from finding out. Secrets have a way of being found out and this one could rock everything Emma thought she knew.
I loved this book from beginning to end. Emma is hard not to like, like all of the other O’Kane women. As Ace’s apprentice she is a gifted artist and can lay ink and Ace promises will someday be as good as he is. I love women tattoo artists in books, maybe because it’s such a male dominated profession and Emma is confident in her chosen profession. I ended up liking Noah more than I thought I would. He’s all broody and for a computer nerd he’s pretty sexy. Who knew he’d be such a dominate?! I didn’t see that one coming. Noah is basically a super hacker and is especially good at spying on the other sectors and Eden. There isn’t much he can’t find out and everyone knows it. But he’s been in hiding for years, but now because of Emma he’s out in the open and ready to take his revenge! Only Emma could have brought him out of hiding and his first time seeing her in years is electric. Emma and Noah have some serious pent up sexual tension that they have to work out and out and out, in a bed, on the floor, against a wall or on a tattoo chair, it doesn’t much matter in true O’Kane fashion. Like the rest of the books in this series the sexual heat in this book is very much present; but, I’m thinking this book is the most tame of the Beyond Series so far. Although, “tame” for this series is still hotter than most. LOL I thoroughly enjoyed this book and now I’m impatiently awaiting Beyond Jealously!
All that remains:
Ok, so I admit I wasn’t even going to read this book, I’ve tried reading a couple books by Lauren Dane and I’ve never been able to get through them for whatever reason. I ended p being pleasantly surprised by this book. So from what I understand this is the first in a new dystopian like series by Dane. I have to admit I found it intriguing, basically something happened (I ca’t remember what the end of the world as we know it event is oops) and now a lot of people live in caravans and live in kind of commune like villiages. People come and go, some stay, they trade services to a large degree, life is simple but good. The women to male ratio is seriously skewed so there are way more men than women it is common to find same sex couples or triads (two men and a female). I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a short novella to introduce your new world to readers as it is a bit more difficult to get a good grasp with the world building which I did find to some degree here. I have the basics, enough to understand but the world is not fully developed to me, I don’t feel like I have a firm grasp on it, but I am curious enough to read the next book in this series. Which I just read is going to be split up into parts… Have I mentioned how much I hate one book split into parts? ERG!! So anyway back to this book.
I really liked Summer, she is sassy and knows what she wants. She can hold her own against two fairly dominate men and has no issues letting them know if they have done something to displease her. She owns her sexuality and tried to live life to its fullest. Whats not to like about her?! Hatch is a larger life then personality. He is charismatic, a roamer and used to getting his own way. Hatch and Charlie have a good relationship going but Summer was his first love and has never quite gotten over her. When Summer first sees Hatch for the first time in four years, she is not happy with him. Hatch is ecstatic to see Summer again and even more happy that Charlie seems as attracted to Summer as he is. Hatch hurt Summer when he left and now he has some groveling to do. I like that Summer and Hatch butt heads to some degree, it keeps things interesting and I guess gives Charlie a job, as their third. I liked that Hatch to his responsibility to fix things with Summer seriously and didn’t just rely on his charm. This novella is short so the gravelling is speed up some but we get the point. I did have an issue with the Charlie part to this relationship. Charlie just seems like an afterthought in this story he’s there, his role is to be the mediator between Hatch and Summer but he has very little character development. We don’t really know anything about him. This book is clearly the Summer and Hatch show with Charlie thrown in for good measure; which is a shame because what I knew of Charlie I liked. This story could have easily been told without Charlie in it at all and we wouldn’t have missed his presence. Overall, it was a pretty good book, it was probably the least strong of the three novellas in this book but it held its own.
Rocky Ride:
So this book is the first in a spin-off of the Six Pack Ranch series; which I have not read. I guess we have met Anna in previous books as well as Mitch. If you haven’t read those books, no worries, you won’t be lost. At least I wasn’t. So this book starts full steam ahead, and it is steamy! Mitch and Anna have off the charts sexual chemistry; however, Mitch wants more and Anna is a bit of a runner. I love how Mitch kind of tricked Anna into actually dating him, he’s a sneaky one. Mitch is all tatted and pierced up, a mechanic at the family garage with a bad yet undeserved reputation. Anna is a ball busting cop in a small town. Dating Mitch is a risk to her career but a risk she decides is worth it. Vivan Arend takes us on a sensual ride as Mitch and Anna explore her sexuality, there isn’t much Mitch isn’t willing to make happen for Anna which is hot in its own right. Anna and Mitch hit a bump in the road when they are caught in a compromising position by one of her co-workers and their relationship may never recover. From beginning to end this story is very hot and highly entertaining. It was my second favorite of this
Beyond Temptation:
This book is why I picked up Marked! I have been waiting for Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha since I finished Beyond Pain. I have been devouring this series as soon as the books are available. I love the O’Kanes and Sector Four. This book was probably the most developed of the three and my favorite. Although, to be honest it may have been the most developed because I have been reading the series since the beginning, but to me this world is rich and the characters memorable. Emma is cute, sassy and as an O’Kane a tough one. She can handle herself and she is all grown up. Noah is a loner, broody and likes his women dirty. He’s always noticed Emma, but as his best friends little sister he always considered her off limits. He’s done everything he could to make sure she has been taken care of, at least financially. With a price on his head, Noah wasn’t able to physically be in her life, he was not willing to risk her life. When he finds out she hasn’t been up in the mountains with her lover like he was told but safe and as protected as she could be as an O’Kane he can’t resist seeking her out. Emma is all grown up now, and has turned out to be a beautiful, sexual woman, one he can no longer resist; but he carries a deep secret one that can destroy everything, something he will do just about anything to keep Emma from finding out. Secrets have a way of being found out and this one could rock everything Emma thought she knew.
I loved this book from beginning to end. Emma is hard not to like, like all of the other O’Kane women. As Ace’s apprentice she is a gifted artist and can lay ink and Ace promises will someday be as good as he is. I love women tattoo artists in books, maybe because it’s such a male dominated profession and Emma is confident in her chosen profession. I ended up liking Noah more than I thought I would. He’s all broody and for a computer nerd he’s pretty sexy. Who knew he’d be such a dominate?! I didn’t see that one coming. Noah is basically a super hacker and is especially good at spying on the other sectors and Eden. There isn’t much he can’t find out and everyone knows it. But he’s been in hiding for years, but now because of Emma he’s out in the open and ready to take his revenge! Only Emma could have brought him out of hiding and his first time seeing her in years is electric. Emma and Noah have some serious pent up sexual tension that they have to work out and out and out, in a bed, on the floor, against a wall or on a tattoo chair, it doesn’t much matter in true O’Kane fashion. Like the rest of the books in this series the sexual heat in this book is very much present; but, I’m thinking this book is the most tame of the Beyond Series so far. Although, “tame” for this series is still hotter than most. LOL I thoroughly enjoyed this book and now I’m impatiently awaiting Beyond Jealously!
February 10, 2014
BEYOND TEMPTATION by Kit Rocha – 4 stars
Part of the Beyond series world, BEYOND TEMPTATION can be read as a standalone, introducing the post-Flare world to new readers or be a blissful return for loyal fans. This is Noah and Emma’s story. Emma has been one of the lucky ones to get the O’Kane ink. With that comes a sense of support and protection, the one thing that she hasn’t had for most of her life. When Noah comes back into her life, Emma is reminded of her past and especially her brother as Noah was his best friend.
A hacker and a valuable asset to Dallas O’Kane, Noah becomes a weapon that many want to wield. So when things become intense with Mac Fleming the erotic tone of this book gives way to adrenaline-filled action.
This will not come as a shock to anyone. The sex is super nova hot. With dirty talk showcased in its full glory, I can ascertain that there will be no complaints about the romance. Kit Rocha provides a touch of angst and runs with it, creating a deeper bond between the hero and heroine to make up for the tighter word count. I thoroughly enjoyed this short story.
ROCKY RIDE by Vivian Arend – 4 stars
Arend’s contribution to this anthology kicks off her new Thompson and Sons series featuring a garage and the alpha men who own it. Readers of the Six Pack Ranch series will be familiar with Anna Coleman’s character. But the character that I was most excited about was Mitch Thompson.
Mitch rides a Harley, is part of crazy family and loves to talk dirty. Really, what more could you want? ROCKY RIDE opens up with an explosive bang – really, it was like an electric shock to my system, enlivening me with its playfulness and sexiness.
This story includes an abundance of creative sex scenes that have made me want to jump forward in my review pile to read the first book of the new series, BABY, BE MINE. If this is just a taste of what to expect in the Thompson and Sons series, then I am very excited for more!
ALL THAT REMAINS by Lauren Dane – 4 stars
In a new, futuristic world, Lauren Dane intrigues readers with the unique atmosphere of this story. In ParadiseVillage, Summer Killian takes a swim and is thrilled to meet a man like Charlie. Immediately, lust shines in her eyes but what she later learns is that Charlie has a deep connection to Hatch, a face from her past that she hasn’t been able to forget.
Exploring both M/M and M/F/M, this short story has a taste of everything. I found that the bond between Charlie and Hatch had to be believable before Summer could become involved. Dane really made sure that the emotions came across, making for a story that transcends past the physical and into the emotional.
All in all, MARKED is one of the better anthologies I have read. Packed with explosive sexual heat and true romances, I’m sure readers will find something to enjoy in these three stories.
*ARC provided by author
January 20, 2014
Beyond Temptation
By
Kit Rocha
It’s taken the girls a couple of books in the Beyond Series for us to finely get a taste of Noah Lennox. And do we ever, not your typical geek squad here. Our boy Noah likes his women dirty, really dirty. Of course that is the only thing Dallas O’Kane deals in, really fucking dirty.
, her
“I’ll hurt you. I won’t want or mean to, but I’ll do it. Mark my words, Emma”
Four years ago, Noah paid for Emma’s freedom into the mountains, but things don’t always end up like they should in the Sectors. Emma Cibulski, to her Noah was her brother’s best friend, her first love, but he left her, so she could have a better life. Enter Dallas O’Kane, leader of Sector 4 and newly appointed leader of Sector 3. Dallas offers Emma a better life as an O’kane, a life that has had her happy, but with only one thing missing: Noah!
In true O’Kane fashion, this book is ballsy, sexy and yes, dirty; as only Kit Rocha can write. Loved the start of Noah and Emma’s story, looking forward to the next Beyond in the series. Summing up with this: Marked by Noah.
O’Kane for Life!
By
Kit Rocha
It’s taken the girls a couple of books in the Beyond Series for us to finely get a taste of Noah Lennox. And do we ever, not your typical geek squad here. Our boy Noah likes his women dirty, really dirty. Of course that is the only thing Dallas O’Kane deals in, really fucking dirty.
, her
“I’ll hurt you. I won’t want or mean to, but I’ll do it. Mark my words, Emma”
Four years ago, Noah paid for Emma’s freedom into the mountains, but things don’t always end up like they should in the Sectors. Emma Cibulski, to her Noah was her brother’s best friend, her first love, but he left her, so she could have a better life. Enter Dallas O’Kane, leader of Sector 4 and newly appointed leader of Sector 3. Dallas offers Emma a better life as an O’kane, a life that has had her happy, but with only one thing missing: Noah!
In true O’Kane fashion, this book is ballsy, sexy and yes, dirty; as only Kit Rocha can write. Loved the start of Noah and Emma’s story, looking forward to the next Beyond in the series. Summing up with this: Marked by Noah.
O’Kane for Life!
January 7, 2022
I've been looking forward to the 'MARKED' anthology since it was announced that it was coming out!
The main draw in the beginning for me was Kit Rocha's 'Beyond Temptation' - I adore the 'BEYOND' books and was excited to read the new novella in the series (which is one of my Top 5 series EVER)!! - but as I read through the book I realised that I'd found another author who's books I'm just gonna love!!!
Beyond Temptation (Beyond series #3.5): Kit Rocha
LOVEDLOVEDLOVED IT!! Gods, Emma & Noah's story was way hotter than I expected it to be and added a great plot arc to the whole series... Looking forward to watching this play out!
Have to say that I've got a little thing going for the 'new boy' in Sector 4!
'Beyond Temptation' has loads of action and a few twists that keep you gripped and the sex, as always, just about causes spontaneous combustion!!!
Noah and his secrets about events in both their pasts & Emma's reaction to revelations made had me wanting to shake both of them at times....
The attraction and heat between N & E was intense - exactly what we've come to expect from the KR girls and this series!!! Can't wait for Beyond Jealousy - just know Ace, Rach & Cruz's story is gonna blow our minds!!!
Rocky Ride (Thompson & Sons series #1): Vivian Arend
I have to be honest and say that while I've had a couple of Viv's books on my kindle for some time now I've never got round to reading them.... that will be resolved VERY soon!!!
'Rocky Road' was a fantastic read and a fab start to the new 'Thompson & Sons' series. With characters from Vivian's 'Six Pack Ranch' series, this book was full of heat, passion and sexy scenes!!
Great, likeable characters. The relationship that was growing between Anna & Mitch was scorching and my heart was aching reading about how much they are prepared to put on the line to be together.....
Itching to read 'Baby, Be Mine' book #2 in the series!!
All That Remains: Lauren Dane
I've read a couple of Lauren's 'Visits to Petal' books and thoroughly enjoyed them!!
'All That Remains' was an incredibly hot, erotic & sexy read but it also had a very sweet feel to it. I loved Charlie, he was my fave character of the triad. I totally understood Summers uncertainty and why she held back from Hatch after their past history.. Hatch, even when being a complete idiot is still irresistible!!
I really loved the whole dystopian style world that this story suggested. Being back to basics and living a simple life gave focus to what was really important between the 3 characters.
I'll definitely be 1-clicking more of Lauren's books.
The anthology was a 5* read for me.. and a definite must have if you are a fan of a great hot story!!!
**I received an ARC from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review**
The main draw in the beginning for me was Kit Rocha's 'Beyond Temptation' - I adore the 'BEYOND' books and was excited to read the new novella in the series (which is one of my Top 5 series EVER)!! - but as I read through the book I realised that I'd found another author who's books I'm just gonna love!!!
Beyond Temptation (Beyond series #3.5): Kit Rocha
LOVEDLOVEDLOVED IT!! Gods, Emma & Noah's story was way hotter than I expected it to be and added a great plot arc to the whole series... Looking forward to watching this play out!
Have to say that I've got a little thing going for the 'new boy' in Sector 4!
'Beyond Temptation' has loads of action and a few twists that keep you gripped and the sex, as always, just about causes spontaneous combustion!!!
Noah and his secrets about events in both their pasts & Emma's reaction to revelations made had me wanting to shake both of them at times....
The attraction and heat between N & E was intense - exactly what we've come to expect from the KR girls and this series!!! Can't wait for Beyond Jealousy - just know Ace, Rach & Cruz's story is gonna blow our minds!!!
Rocky Ride (Thompson & Sons series #1): Vivian Arend
I have to be honest and say that while I've had a couple of Viv's books on my kindle for some time now I've never got round to reading them.... that will be resolved VERY soon!!!
'Rocky Road' was a fantastic read and a fab start to the new 'Thompson & Sons' series. With characters from Vivian's 'Six Pack Ranch' series, this book was full of heat, passion and sexy scenes!!
Great, likeable characters. The relationship that was growing between Anna & Mitch was scorching and my heart was aching reading about how much they are prepared to put on the line to be together.....
Itching to read 'Baby, Be Mine' book #2 in the series!!
All That Remains: Lauren Dane
I've read a couple of Lauren's 'Visits to Petal' books and thoroughly enjoyed them!!
'All That Remains' was an incredibly hot, erotic & sexy read but it also had a very sweet feel to it. I loved Charlie, he was my fave character of the triad. I totally understood Summers uncertainty and why she held back from Hatch after their past history.. Hatch, even when being a complete idiot is still irresistible!!
I really loved the whole dystopian style world that this story suggested. Being back to basics and living a simple life gave focus to what was really important between the 3 characters.
I'll definitely be 1-clicking more of Lauren's books.
The anthology was a 5* read for me.. and a definite must have if you are a fan of a great hot story!!!
**I received an ARC from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review**
May 11, 2015
Beyond Temptation - Kit Rocha -
4 Stars
- Emmaline "Emma" Cibulski, Noah Lennox - I like Noah and Emma. I am very curious to see how this thing with Flemming will play out.
All That Remains - Lauren Dane - 3 Stars - Summer, Charlie, Hatch - Let me tell you if I had this book in paperback the pages would be wilted from steam. It's a wonder my Kindle is not damaged from it. Summer and Hatch gave me a slight case of whiplash with how fast they went from sexy times to arguing but I suppose that is an example of the passionate personalities that Charlie loves.
Rocky Ride - Vivian Arend - 4 Stars - Anna Coleman, Mitch Thompson - I love Mitch Thompson. He's very sweet and a dirty talker. (woooowee!) It's a good thing Anna is dedicated to him cause I'm sure there are a line of ladies ready to snatch him up. (myself included) Anna is great. Strong, determined and not ready to put up with any crap. She and Mitch made an awesome pair and they burn up the pages from the start.
All That Remains - Lauren Dane - 3 Stars - Summer, Charlie, Hatch - Let me tell you if I had this book in paperback the pages would be wilted from steam. It's a wonder my Kindle is not damaged from it. Summer and Hatch gave me a slight case of whiplash with how fast they went from sexy times to arguing but I suppose that is an example of the passionate personalities that Charlie loves.
Rocky Ride - Vivian Arend - 4 Stars - Anna Coleman, Mitch Thompson - I love Mitch Thompson. He's very sweet and a dirty talker. (woooowee!) It's a good thing Anna is dedicated to him cause I'm sure there are a line of ladies ready to snatch him up. (myself included) Anna is great. Strong, determined and not ready to put up with any crap. She and Mitch made an awesome pair and they burn up the pages from the start.
January 13, 2015
***WELCOME TO THE BROKEN CIRCLE***
Those who know me, know i LOVE techy/geeky men...and ooooh my, Noah is the sexiest gingeriest, geekiest techy around!!!
***Delicate O'Kanes don't exist***
Emmaline "Emma" Cibulski- tattoo apprentice to Ace, has definitely come into her own. Not only is she an artist with a needle, she is an artist on the stage, and can absolutely hold her own!
These 2 light up the pages! The chemistry is wicked and the whole time you're like "COME ON ALREADY!!!"
But they DO NOT disappoint, and neither does this book!!!
I totally have a girl crush on the women that are Kit Rocha! they rock my world!! xx
Those who know me, know i LOVE techy/geeky men...and ooooh my, Noah is the sexiest gingeriest, geekiest techy around!!!
***Delicate O'Kanes don't exist***
Emmaline "Emma" Cibulski- tattoo apprentice to Ace, has definitely come into her own. Not only is she an artist with a needle, she is an artist on the stage, and can absolutely hold her own!
These 2 light up the pages! The chemistry is wicked and the whole time you're like "COME ON ALREADY!!!"
But they DO NOT disappoint, and neither does this book!!!
I totally have a girl crush on the women that are Kit Rocha! they rock my world!! xx
September 23, 2014
Only for the Kit Rocha story
1st read January 2014
2nd read September 2014
Buddy read with Jo
1st read January 2014
2nd read September 2014
Buddy read with Jo
February 7, 2014
One of the few anthologies where I enjoyed every single story.
Review originally posted at http://fictionvixen.com/review-marked...
I have to admit that when I saw this in my inbox I made a little squeally sound and kind of danced around the room for a bit. I’m not usually a big fan of anthologies because I always seem to be picking them up for just one of the stories and there are very few I’ve read where I enjoy myself from beginning to end. But Marked had another addition to the Beyond series, and I’m sure everyone knows by now that it’s one of my favorites, not to mention a first book in a new series by Lauren Dane AND a trip to Six Pack Ranch courtesy of Vivian Arend. Seriously, how could I not be excited?
Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha (Beyond #3.5)
Beyond Temptation takes place between Beyond Pain and the upcoming Beyond Jealousy. This is the story of Noah, a hacker introduced in the last book, and Emma, the girl from his past who is now part of the Sector Four family. Dallas wants Noah to become an ally for his hacking skills and Noah is willing to enter Dallas’s territory in order to see his late best friend’s little sister again. The one he saved and thought was living out her life somewhere safe and away from his enemies. Turns out she found her way to Sector Four and is dancing at the Broken Circle.
One of the things I like best about this series is that the women are just as kick ass as their men. I LOVE when women are portrayed as being confident both in and out of the bedroom and these ladies are most certainly that. Doesn’t matter if it’s on stage at the Broken Circle, cheering their men on during the cage fights, or working to protect those they love, every one of these heroines are awesome. Emma is no different. Noah comes back into her life and soon realizes she’s not the same girl he left four years ago. She’s bold, sexy and not in any way afraid to fight for what she wants. Even if she has to crawl onto his lap and tempt him beyond reason to get it. There is a little thing called trust that they need to work on, especially when the truth of what happened with her brother finally comes out. But I loved their romance and was very pleased with my journey back to Sector Four.
I am now jonesing hard-core for the next book in this series, Beyond Jealously, which has a tentative release date of March 2014. Final Grade- B+
Favorite Quote:
Rocky Ride by Vivian Arend (Thompson & Sons #1)
From the very first word of this romance I was drawn in and didn’t want to stop reading. Seriously, the opening scene was smoking hot. Mitch is the tatted up, biker, bad boy in town who runs a garage with his family and Anna is the buttoned up cop who is carrying on a quiet, private affair with him. But a quiet affair isn’t what Mitch wants, he wants it all. Anna’s job and position in the community are important to her and she doesn’t want anything to jeopardize them, that includes Mitch’s reputation as a troublemaker . Mitch finally gets her to agree to slowly taking their relationship public and that’s when Anna finally opens her eyes and realizes she’s been just as bad as everyone else in the way she looks at Mitch.
This realization kicks in shortly after they decide to start seeing each other out in the open and I think Anna is a bit surprised that she was so caught up in hiding who she really is to satisfy everyone else’s expectations. Their relationship is crazy hot, and they are so not afraid to experiment sexually. Between the spanking, voyeurism and naughty dress up scenes I couldn’t stop reading. To me this was the most angsty relationship out of all three stories, but it was so worth seeing them meet in the middle by the end. I believe this series is to be about Mitch’s family, with the next release featuring his sister Katy. Baby, Be Mine is scheduled for release February 25th. Final Grade- B
Favorite Quote:
All That Remains by Lauren Dane (Metamorphosis #1)
This is the first book in a new post-plague, futuristic series. I tend to enjoy romances of this type so I was looking forward to this story. Then I found out it was also a ménage and that pretty much sealed the deal for me. For some reason in settings like this, where some major event has changed the landscape of the world and society as a whole, ménage romances work better for me. It might be because I’m more able to believe that circumstances and ideas have changed enough where triad relationships might work and be more accepted. This is a post plague world where almost 90% of the population was wiped out several generations ago and what remains is fertility problems and a skewed ratio of women to men. This has created the necessity for relationships with more than just two partners.
The main characters in this romance are Hatch, Charlie and Summer. Hatch and Charlie are lovers who are traveling through for seasonal work and find themselves in Paradise. It just so happens that Hatch’s first love makes her home there. Even though this is the start of a new series with three main characters it was a surprisingly non-angsty romance. There is a past between Hatch and Summer and an established relationship between Hatch and Charlie, but I thought the ménage felt balanced. There was some push and pull and indecision, but I liked how Ms. Dane very effectively let each character define their places in the relationship and how they fit in with each other. The world they inhabit may be post plague, but it isn’t a gloomy, sad place to live. People are happy. They’ve adjusted. I like this world and am glad it’s not the usual depressing dystopian. This was a diiiirty, super sexy introduction to this series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will most definitely be picking up the next book in the series, All The Little Pieces. Final Grade- B
Favorite Quote:
Review originally posted at http://fictionvixen.com/review-marked...
I have to admit that when I saw this in my inbox I made a little squeally sound and kind of danced around the room for a bit. I’m not usually a big fan of anthologies because I always seem to be picking them up for just one of the stories and there are very few I’ve read where I enjoy myself from beginning to end. But Marked had another addition to the Beyond series, and I’m sure everyone knows by now that it’s one of my favorites, not to mention a first book in a new series by Lauren Dane AND a trip to Six Pack Ranch courtesy of Vivian Arend. Seriously, how could I not be excited?
Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha (Beyond #3.5)
Beyond Temptation takes place between Beyond Pain and the upcoming Beyond Jealousy. This is the story of Noah, a hacker introduced in the last book, and Emma, the girl from his past who is now part of the Sector Four family. Dallas wants Noah to become an ally for his hacking skills and Noah is willing to enter Dallas’s territory in order to see his late best friend’s little sister again. The one he saved and thought was living out her life somewhere safe and away from his enemies. Turns out she found her way to Sector Four and is dancing at the Broken Circle.
One of the things I like best about this series is that the women are just as kick ass as their men. I LOVE when women are portrayed as being confident both in and out of the bedroom and these ladies are most certainly that. Doesn’t matter if it’s on stage at the Broken Circle, cheering their men on during the cage fights, or working to protect those they love, every one of these heroines are awesome. Emma is no different. Noah comes back into her life and soon realizes she’s not the same girl he left four years ago. She’s bold, sexy and not in any way afraid to fight for what she wants. Even if she has to crawl onto his lap and tempt him beyond reason to get it. There is a little thing called trust that they need to work on, especially when the truth of what happened with her brother finally comes out. But I loved their romance and was very pleased with my journey back to Sector Four.
I am now jonesing hard-core for the next book in this series, Beyond Jealously, which has a tentative release date of March 2014. Final Grade- B+
Favorite Quote:
She was his. Good or bad, twisted or wrong, she was his, and he closed that last few steps with a hungry groan, buried his bruised hands in her hair, and kissed her.
Rocky Ride by Vivian Arend (Thompson & Sons #1)
From the very first word of this romance I was drawn in and didn’t want to stop reading. Seriously, the opening scene was smoking hot. Mitch is the tatted up, biker, bad boy in town who runs a garage with his family and Anna is the buttoned up cop who is carrying on a quiet, private affair with him. But a quiet affair isn’t what Mitch wants, he wants it all. Anna’s job and position in the community are important to her and she doesn’t want anything to jeopardize them, that includes Mitch’s reputation as a troublemaker . Mitch finally gets her to agree to slowly taking their relationship public and that’s when Anna finally opens her eyes and realizes she’s been just as bad as everyone else in the way she looks at Mitch.
She’d never been so aware of social bias in her life. Never so ashamed for not fighting it harder. She ignored the questioning looks being cast her direction and deliberately caught his fingers in her own in clear sight of anyone walking past their table.
This realization kicks in shortly after they decide to start seeing each other out in the open and I think Anna is a bit surprised that she was so caught up in hiding who she really is to satisfy everyone else’s expectations. Their relationship is crazy hot, and they are so not afraid to experiment sexually. Between the spanking, voyeurism and naughty dress up scenes I couldn’t stop reading. To me this was the most angsty relationship out of all three stories, but it was so worth seeing them meet in the middle by the end. I believe this series is to be about Mitch’s family, with the next release featuring his sister Katy. Baby, Be Mine is scheduled for release February 25th. Final Grade- B
Favorite Quote:
Mitch kissed his way to her throat, sucking lightly as he pushed a hand under her breast. “I ached for you,” he whispered. “Every night I was tempted to drive to your house and beg for you to let me come in. Beg on my hands and knees for you to forget everything I’d said about it being better for us to be apart.”
All That Remains by Lauren Dane (Metamorphosis #1)
This is the first book in a new post-plague, futuristic series. I tend to enjoy romances of this type so I was looking forward to this story. Then I found out it was also a ménage and that pretty much sealed the deal for me. For some reason in settings like this, where some major event has changed the landscape of the world and society as a whole, ménage romances work better for me. It might be because I’m more able to believe that circumstances and ideas have changed enough where triad relationships might work and be more accepted. This is a post plague world where almost 90% of the population was wiped out several generations ago and what remains is fertility problems and a skewed ratio of women to men. This has created the necessity for relationships with more than just two partners.
The main characters in this romance are Hatch, Charlie and Summer. Hatch and Charlie are lovers who are traveling through for seasonal work and find themselves in Paradise. It just so happens that Hatch’s first love makes her home there. Even though this is the start of a new series with three main characters it was a surprisingly non-angsty romance. There is a past between Hatch and Summer and an established relationship between Hatch and Charlie, but I thought the ménage felt balanced. There was some push and pull and indecision, but I liked how Ms. Dane very effectively let each character define their places in the relationship and how they fit in with each other. The world they inhabit may be post plague, but it isn’t a gloomy, sad place to live. People are happy. They’ve adjusted. I like this world and am glad it’s not the usual depressing dystopian. This was a diiiirty, super sexy introduction to this series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will most definitely be picking up the next book in the series, All The Little Pieces. Final Grade- B
Favorite Quote:
This was perfection. The way each movement flowed into the next. The give and take they’d created together. No shame. No guilt. Just a reach for pleasure and the joy of giving it to someone you loved as well.
January 31, 2014
Three stories with strong women who don't really need a man, but love them anyway. I loved it and want to go back and reread!
I'm going to break this down into the 3 stories and review them separately. As a whole I give the anthology an A. It's rare to have all the stories in a collection work for me like these did! I highly recommend it, and the authors' note in my ARC says that the ebook will be on sale for $2.99 until the end of February, when the price will go up to $4.99. This book is a steal at $2.99! I came away with 2 new series I want to follow and a great installment to Beyond, which I already loved.
Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha
Grade: B+
Genre: Dystopian
Series: Beyond 3.5
Note: I really think you need to read this series in order to get the most out of it. If you haven't read it yet, go back to the start and read Beyond Shame - you won't regret it!
So, Noah is not from Sector Four, but he's doing some work that brings him under Dallas' radar and he's being brought into the gang. He's also looking forward to and dreading seeing Emma, little sister to his best friend. They haven't seen or talked to each other in years, and there's some history between them. Emma always had a crush on him, and he had feelings for her, but he's got some secrets hidden that he doesn't want her to know about. He's also having some issues seeing her as the strong and independent woman she is now, since his memories are full of her as a naive and innocent girl.
It's a short story, so the main source of conflict is Noah's big secret. I don't enjoy secrets. The best thing about this one was the way Emma handled it when she found out. She's a strong woman and one who is offended at people trying to protect her by keeping secrets. That was awesome! Sector Four women in general are awesome, though!
In other good news, Noah is a red head and likes dirty sex. It turns out Emma does, too, and we get a lot of it. This wasn't my favorite in the Beyond series, but it still rates a B+. They are all just so good!
Rocky Ride by Vivan Arend
Grade: B+
Genre: Dystopian
Series: Thompson & Sons #1
Anna is a straitlaced cop with a good reputation. Mitch is a mechanic with a biker look to him. They've been meeting on the down low for sex, but he wants to push her for an actual relationship. Their small town has some small minds that see biker and think criminal. Mitch has to convince Anna to give their relationship a chance.
This story starts out with one of the hottest opening scenes I've read in a long time. It's a great start to a solid story. Watching Anna relax and let her guard down made for a good read. I got very frustrated at the choices Mitch was making toward the end of the story, but then Arend redeemed herself by having Anna really call Mitch out for his choices!
The weak point in the story was the prejudice against bikers, or rough looking tattooed guys. I haven't ever really considered that as a big deal - but maybe I just don't understand? In any case, I just went with it and it worked.
The sex was hot, the heroine was independent and strong. I loved it!
All That Remains by Lauren Dane
Grade: A
Genre: Dystopian, Triad*, futuristic
Series: Metamorphosis #1
Set in a post-plague future, which Dane describes on her website as not dystopian (and I agree) Summer meets a new man in her village, Charlie. Summer isn't too surprised when Charlie mentions he has a partner (in the physical sense) but she's shocked when she meets him and it's Hatch, her first love. Summer and Hatch may still have feelings for each other, but there's a lot of history between them and it's not all good. The three of them have a lot to work through if they want to make a commitment to each other.
This story was all the best of the Lauren Dane Brown Siblings/Delicious books I love, set in an interesting future where women are only a small portion of the population and very valued. Summer is another strong woman who is sure of herself and doesn't need a man (or men) to complete her. She's not ashamed of her sexuality - that was refreshing to read!
Really my only complaint about this story was the overuse of the phrase "raining honey" which pulled me out of the story every time it came up. Other than that, everything worked for me and I can't wait to read more!
*Note - I used to mark any book with a 3 person (or more scene) as a "menage" book. I'm now using menage for an uncommitted encounter(s) and triad for a story about the committed relationship between 3 people.
I'm going to break this down into the 3 stories and review them separately. As a whole I give the anthology an A. It's rare to have all the stories in a collection work for me like these did! I highly recommend it, and the authors' note in my ARC says that the ebook will be on sale for $2.99 until the end of February, when the price will go up to $4.99. This book is a steal at $2.99! I came away with 2 new series I want to follow and a great installment to Beyond, which I already loved.
Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha
Grade: B+
Genre: Dystopian
Series: Beyond 3.5
Note: I really think you need to read this series in order to get the most out of it. If you haven't read it yet, go back to the start and read Beyond Shame - you won't regret it!
So, Noah is not from Sector Four, but he's doing some work that brings him under Dallas' radar and he's being brought into the gang. He's also looking forward to and dreading seeing Emma, little sister to his best friend. They haven't seen or talked to each other in years, and there's some history between them. Emma always had a crush on him, and he had feelings for her, but he's got some secrets hidden that he doesn't want her to know about. He's also having some issues seeing her as the strong and independent woman she is now, since his memories are full of her as a naive and innocent girl.
It's a short story, so the main source of conflict is Noah's big secret. I don't enjoy secrets. The best thing about this one was the way Emma handled it when she found out. She's a strong woman and one who is offended at people trying to protect her by keeping secrets. That was awesome! Sector Four women in general are awesome, though!
In other good news, Noah is a red head and likes dirty sex. It turns out Emma does, too, and we get a lot of it. This wasn't my favorite in the Beyond series, but it still rates a B+. They are all just so good!
Rocky Ride by Vivan Arend
Grade: B+
Genre: Dystopian
Series: Thompson & Sons #1
Anna is a straitlaced cop with a good reputation. Mitch is a mechanic with a biker look to him. They've been meeting on the down low for sex, but he wants to push her for an actual relationship. Their small town has some small minds that see biker and think criminal. Mitch has to convince Anna to give their relationship a chance.
This story starts out with one of the hottest opening scenes I've read in a long time. It's a great start to a solid story. Watching Anna relax and let her guard down made for a good read. I got very frustrated at the choices Mitch was making toward the end of the story, but then Arend redeemed herself by having Anna really call Mitch out for his choices!
The weak point in the story was the prejudice against bikers, or rough looking tattooed guys. I haven't ever really considered that as a big deal - but maybe I just don't understand? In any case, I just went with it and it worked.
The sex was hot, the heroine was independent and strong. I loved it!
All That Remains by Lauren Dane
Grade: A
Genre: Dystopian, Triad*, futuristic
Series: Metamorphosis #1
Set in a post-plague future, which Dane describes on her website as not dystopian (and I agree) Summer meets a new man in her village, Charlie. Summer isn't too surprised when Charlie mentions he has a partner (in the physical sense) but she's shocked when she meets him and it's Hatch, her first love. Summer and Hatch may still have feelings for each other, but there's a lot of history between them and it's not all good. The three of them have a lot to work through if they want to make a commitment to each other.
This story was all the best of the Lauren Dane Brown Siblings/Delicious books I love, set in an interesting future where women are only a small portion of the population and very valued. Summer is another strong woman who is sure of herself and doesn't need a man (or men) to complete her. She's not ashamed of her sexuality - that was refreshing to read!
Really my only complaint about this story was the overuse of the phrase "raining honey" which pulled me out of the story every time it came up. Other than that, everything worked for me and I can't wait to read more!
*Note - I used to mark any book with a 3 person (or more scene) as a "menage" book. I'm now using menage for an uncommitted encounter(s) and triad for a story about the committed relationship between 3 people.
July 9, 2016
**arc provided by author for an honest review**
Overall rating = 4.67 stars
I’m not going to lie, but the only reason I wanted to read this anthology was for the Kit Rocha story. I love the Beyond series and can’t get enough of the O’Kanes. And while some might be tempted to only read that novella (as I was); I urge everyone to read the others. Both authors were new to me so I didn’t know what to expect. And I’m happy to say that other two stories drew me in immediately and left me wanting more of each series. I loved this anthology. You get a little bit of everything in it; dystopian, contemporary, post-apocalyptic, m-f, m-m, ménage, light bdsm, voyeurism and exhibitionism. And we can’t forget about all the tattoos and piercings, yummy!!
Beyond Temptation (Beyond #3.5) by Kit Rocha ★★★★★
Dystopia, m-f
The O’Kanes are back, jumping up and down! I love the dark, gritty world that Kit Rocha has created. I think that with each book, the series gets better and better. This novella is somewhat tame compared to the other Beyond books but it’s just as good. It’s about Emma (Ace’s tattoo apprentice) and Noah (the hacker with no ties), who are reunited after four long years. Noah goes to Sector Four to discover his best friends’ sister is all grown up. She’s not the sweet innocent girl he left behind; she’s a tough sexual O’Kane now. Emma and Noah have an intense chemistry right from the start, which leads to some extremely steamy scenes. For being a novella, there is a lot going on between the O’Kanes, other sectors and Eden. I’m super excited to see where Kit Rocha takes me next. Beyond Jealousy can’t come fast enough.
Rocky Ride (Thompson & Sons #1) by Vivian Arend ★★★★★
Contemporary, m-f
This story starts out with a bang. Any book that has butt cheek impressions on a car window and naughty piercings in the first scene has my full attention. This novella is a sweet love story about Anna the local constable and Mitch a biker whom works at his family owned garage. I loved both characters, but especially Mitch. I’m not usually a biker fan but I’ll admit that Mitch had me swooning. He proves that outer appearances aren’t always what they seem. Although this is a novella, I felt that Vivian Arend does a wonderful job showing the growth of the characters, well mainly Anna. Surprise, surprise the biker isn’t the one who needs to learn a thing or two. This story is hot and heartwarming. I’m definitely going to continue with this series.
All That Remains (Metamorphosis #1) by Lauren Dane ★★★★
Post-Apocalypse, m-m, m-f, ménage
This novella takes place in a unique new world where people tend to live in caravans or commune like villages. Not only is there a nomadic lifestyle but this is a world where triads, a.k.a ménages, are the norm due to the ratio of men to women. All That Remains is about Summer who falls fast for Charlie, who just happens to be in a serious/loving relationship with her ex Hatch. Sound complicated? It is. But Lauren Dane does a great job exploring the slowly developing triad. There are a couple aspects to this story that I found a little odd. For example there are no STDs, but a virus is what killed 90% of the world’s population. Other than that, this is a very hot erotic read and I’m curious where the next book in the series will go.
Overall rating = 4.67 stars
I’m not going to lie, but the only reason I wanted to read this anthology was for the Kit Rocha story. I love the Beyond series and can’t get enough of the O’Kanes. And while some might be tempted to only read that novella (as I was); I urge everyone to read the others. Both authors were new to me so I didn’t know what to expect. And I’m happy to say that other two stories drew me in immediately and left me wanting more of each series. I loved this anthology. You get a little bit of everything in it; dystopian, contemporary, post-apocalyptic, m-f, m-m, ménage, light bdsm, voyeurism and exhibitionism. And we can’t forget about all the tattoos and piercings, yummy!!
Beyond Temptation (Beyond #3.5) by Kit Rocha ★★★★★
Dystopia, m-f
The O’Kanes are back, jumping up and down! I love the dark, gritty world that Kit Rocha has created. I think that with each book, the series gets better and better. This novella is somewhat tame compared to the other Beyond books but it’s just as good. It’s about Emma (Ace’s tattoo apprentice) and Noah (the hacker with no ties), who are reunited after four long years. Noah goes to Sector Four to discover his best friends’ sister is all grown up. She’s not the sweet innocent girl he left behind; she’s a tough sexual O’Kane now. Emma and Noah have an intense chemistry right from the start, which leads to some extremely steamy scenes. For being a novella, there is a lot going on between the O’Kanes, other sectors and Eden. I’m super excited to see where Kit Rocha takes me next. Beyond Jealousy can’t come fast enough.
Rocky Ride (Thompson & Sons #1) by Vivian Arend ★★★★★
Contemporary, m-f
This story starts out with a bang. Any book that has butt cheek impressions on a car window and naughty piercings in the first scene has my full attention. This novella is a sweet love story about Anna the local constable and Mitch a biker whom works at his family owned garage. I loved both characters, but especially Mitch. I’m not usually a biker fan but I’ll admit that Mitch had me swooning. He proves that outer appearances aren’t always what they seem. Although this is a novella, I felt that Vivian Arend does a wonderful job showing the growth of the characters, well mainly Anna. Surprise, surprise the biker isn’t the one who needs to learn a thing or two. This story is hot and heartwarming. I’m definitely going to continue with this series.
All That Remains (Metamorphosis #1) by Lauren Dane ★★★★
Post-Apocalypse, m-m, m-f, ménage
This novella takes place in a unique new world where people tend to live in caravans or commune like villages. Not only is there a nomadic lifestyle but this is a world where triads, a.k.a ménages, are the norm due to the ratio of men to women. All That Remains is about Summer who falls fast for Charlie, who just happens to be in a serious/loving relationship with her ex Hatch. Sound complicated? It is. But Lauren Dane does a great job exploring the slowly developing triad. There are a couple aspects to this story that I found a little odd. For example there are no STDs, but a virus is what killed 90% of the world’s population. Other than that, this is a very hot erotic read and I’m curious where the next book in the series will go.
February 19, 2014
Fair warning: I'm not a fan of second-chance romances. They're just not my thing. But if they're YOUR thing, and you like a little kink with your thing, then Marked is for you.
Another fair warning: I got this as an ARC from the authors. And you should all probably know that I worship at the altar of Kit Rocha.
*we're not worthy!!*
First up: Beyond Temptation, a tantalizing snippet from my favorite dystopian erotica universe. Actually, from my favorite erotica of all time, period. Noah and Emma have a metric ton of baggage to get over in a particularly harrowing tweak to the best-friend's-little-sister-is-off-limits trope. Tempers flare, sparks fly, hearts break and are mended again. No peak into the next book's plot, but lots of great cameos from Ace, Lex, Dallas, and more. Surprisingly, my favorite part of this story was a deft little sprinkling of wordbuilding. Kit Rocha does a nice job in this universe of showing us just enough to understand the setting without overwhelming us with an info dump. Moments like the one in Beyond Temptation where we get a look at the bigger picture--where is Eden, how did the world go boom, and why is society so fractured--seem like valuable Easter eggs. Yummy!
Next up: Rocky Ride was my introduction to the Coleman Ranch bunch. It won't be my last trip to Rocky, that's for sure. Extremely well-written smutty goodness. I can't wait to try this author in a full-length novel and see what she can do with more time to explore these characters. As it was, we start this story with a bang--literally, teehee--and race on from there. A lot of drama in this one relied on our MCs refusing to communicate effectively, which is a trope I find a little hackneyed, but I still was delighted to read to the end.
Last, and kinda least, Paradise. Another entry into the post-apocalyptic erotica category. This universe relies on global warming and plagues to generate a surprisingly pleasant dystopia rife with MMF triads, thanks to a skewed gender ratio. The worldbuilding was a little weak in this one--the world seems pretty swanky to be "dystopian", they've got mass transit, daily farmer's markets, and nightly orgies, FFS. One of the MCs in this one, Hatch, complains of his inability to say the right things with words, he prefers to use his body. I couldn't agree more. The smutty bits were THERMONUCLEAR. Made waging through a yawn-inducing back story well worth the effort.
Overall, this was a pretty fun read, and I'm glad I didn't just wait until Beyond Temptation was published on its own to give it a try.
Another fair warning: I got this as an ARC from the authors. And you should all probably know that I worship at the altar of Kit Rocha.
*we're not worthy!!*
First up: Beyond Temptation, a tantalizing snippet from my favorite dystopian erotica universe. Actually, from my favorite erotica of all time, period. Noah and Emma have a metric ton of baggage to get over in a particularly harrowing tweak to the best-friend's-little-sister-is-off-limits trope. Tempers flare, sparks fly, hearts break and are mended again. No peak into the next book's plot, but lots of great cameos from Ace, Lex, Dallas, and more. Surprisingly, my favorite part of this story was a deft little sprinkling of wordbuilding. Kit Rocha does a nice job in this universe of showing us just enough to understand the setting without overwhelming us with an info dump. Moments like the one in Beyond Temptation where we get a look at the bigger picture--where is Eden, how did the world go boom, and why is society so fractured--seem like valuable Easter eggs. Yummy!
Next up: Rocky Ride was my introduction to the Coleman Ranch bunch. It won't be my last trip to Rocky, that's for sure. Extremely well-written smutty goodness. I can't wait to try this author in a full-length novel and see what she can do with more time to explore these characters. As it was, we start this story with a bang--literally, teehee--and race on from there. A lot of drama in this one relied on our MCs refusing to communicate effectively, which is a trope I find a little hackneyed, but I still was delighted to read to the end.
Last, and kinda least, Paradise. Another entry into the post-apocalyptic erotica category. This universe relies on global warming and plagues to generate a surprisingly pleasant dystopia rife with MMF triads, thanks to a skewed gender ratio. The worldbuilding was a little weak in this one--the world seems pretty swanky to be "dystopian", they've got mass transit, daily farmer's markets, and nightly orgies, FFS. One of the MCs in this one, Hatch, complains of his inability to say the right things with words, he prefers to use his body. I couldn't agree more. The smutty bits were THERMONUCLEAR. Made waging through a yawn-inducing back story well worth the effort.
Overall, this was a pretty fun read, and I'm glad I didn't just wait until Beyond Temptation was published on its own to give it a try.
May 13, 2015
Beyond Temptation -- Kit Rocha
5 Stars
This is the first I've read of this author. I bought Beyond Shame some time ago when it was featured on BookBub, because it sounded interesting, but I haven't read it yet. Now I see what a crime that was. I think I will be moving that book up in my reading schedule. Beyond Temptation was fantastic! Even not being familiar with the universe I very much enjoyed it and got rather lost in it. And hot! OMFSM was this story hot! And riveting. I simply could not put it down. The story telling was rich and full. Loved it!
Rocky Ride -- Vivian Arend
4.5 Stars
I liked this one, a lot, but I kind of felt like I came in after the movie started. I suspect that if I were to read her Six Pack Ranch series I'd feel less lost. I don't think it detracted too much, but it seemed as though there was some background I was missing. That said, I really did like the story. You've got a perceived good girl and a perceived bad boy and they get dirty dirty dirty! Delicious. I did enjoy this enough to put the Six Pack Ranch series on my ever growing list of 'need to read', after which I look forward to revisiting this story.
All That Remains -- Lauren Dane
5 Stars
Lauren Dane is among my favorite authors. Her writing is the reason I picked up this anthology. I've simply never been disappointed in anything of hers that's I've read. No exception here -- this is an amazing start to the series and I greatly gook forward to reading more. I got sucked right in! This story takes place a few hundred years in the future after a deadly virus wiped out most of the population. Fertility rates are down and of the babies that are born, most are male, and society has adapted to where triads are common place.
Summer and Hatch have a history. A long history. Hatch and Charlie have been together for a few years. Charlie meets Summer and the two of them instantly click. Things get interesting when mixing the three of them together and the chemistry is electric. So beautiful.
The only thing I really hate here is that I have to wait until sometime in 2015 for the next book in this series!
5 Stars
This is the first I've read of this author. I bought Beyond Shame some time ago when it was featured on BookBub, because it sounded interesting, but I haven't read it yet. Now I see what a crime that was. I think I will be moving that book up in my reading schedule. Beyond Temptation was fantastic! Even not being familiar with the universe I very much enjoyed it and got rather lost in it. And hot! OMFSM was this story hot! And riveting. I simply could not put it down. The story telling was rich and full. Loved it!
Rocky Ride -- Vivian Arend
4.5 Stars
I liked this one, a lot, but I kind of felt like I came in after the movie started. I suspect that if I were to read her Six Pack Ranch series I'd feel less lost. I don't think it detracted too much, but it seemed as though there was some background I was missing. That said, I really did like the story. You've got a perceived good girl and a perceived bad boy and they get dirty dirty dirty! Delicious. I did enjoy this enough to put the Six Pack Ranch series on my ever growing list of 'need to read', after which I look forward to revisiting this story.
All That Remains -- Lauren Dane
5 Stars
Lauren Dane is among my favorite authors. Her writing is the reason I picked up this anthology. I've simply never been disappointed in anything of hers that's I've read. No exception here -- this is an amazing start to the series and I greatly gook forward to reading more. I got sucked right in! This story takes place a few hundred years in the future after a deadly virus wiped out most of the population. Fertility rates are down and of the babies that are born, most are male, and society has adapted to where triads are common place.
Summer and Hatch have a history. A long history. Hatch and Charlie have been together for a few years. Charlie meets Summer and the two of them instantly click. Things get interesting when mixing the three of them together and the chemistry is electric. So beautiful.
The only thing I really hate here is that I have to wait until sometime in 2015 for the next book in this series!
February 11, 2014
Reviewed at Lost In A Book
Marked is an anthology with shorts from Lauren Dane, Vivian Arend, and Kit Rocha. And since I'm a dunce, I was halfway through the second short when I realized the common theme was tattoos. You would think that I would've caught on sooner given that the title is "Marked" and that beautiful cover.
Even though they are all shorts they pack a huge, steamy, sexy times punch.
With Beyond Temptation, I got to venture back into Sector 4 with the O'Kanes and I was not disappointed. Hot, tech-geek Noah and used-to-be innocent Emma find their way back to each other. Along the way things are hot and dirty and intense and dirty and well... dirty. Everything you expect from the Beyond Series and Kit Rocha. A-maz-ing!
Rocky Ride was not my first read by Vivian Arend, but it was a whole different experience this time around. I loved Mitch and Anna. Their chemistry was off the charts and it wasn't so much what they did that made it so hot (though it helped), it was the way they did it. If the Six Pack Ranch Series is as hot as this was I'll definitely being going back to read it.
Lauren Dane is new to me, but I was pleasantly surprised. All That Remains had quite a few editing issues, but it was an ARC so I let that go (although, it did make it harder to get through). At any rate, Summer, Charlie and Hatch, yeah. They were great together. Their individual relationships were what really intrigued me. I like that there is no jealousy within the triad, only outside of it. Summer is so independent and I'm glad she made Hatch work for his place back in her life. And the sexy times. Wooh! Yeah... by the time I finished this, well... lets just say my husband was a very happy man.
*copy received from authors in exchange for an honest review
Marked is an anthology with shorts from Lauren Dane, Vivian Arend, and Kit Rocha. And since I'm a dunce, I was halfway through the second short when I realized the common theme was tattoos. You would think that I would've caught on sooner given that the title is "Marked" and that beautiful cover.
Even though they are all shorts they pack a huge, steamy, sexy times punch.
With Beyond Temptation, I got to venture back into Sector 4 with the O'Kanes and I was not disappointed. Hot, tech-geek Noah and used-to-be innocent Emma find their way back to each other. Along the way things are hot and dirty and intense and dirty and well... dirty. Everything you expect from the Beyond Series and Kit Rocha. A-maz-ing!
Rocky Ride was not my first read by Vivian Arend, but it was a whole different experience this time around. I loved Mitch and Anna. Their chemistry was off the charts and it wasn't so much what they did that made it so hot (though it helped), it was the way they did it. If the Six Pack Ranch Series is as hot as this was I'll definitely being going back to read it.
Lauren Dane is new to me, but I was pleasantly surprised. All That Remains had quite a few editing issues, but it was an ARC so I let that go (although, it did make it harder to get through). At any rate, Summer, Charlie and Hatch, yeah. They were great together. Their individual relationships were what really intrigued me. I like that there is no jealousy within the triad, only outside of it. Summer is so independent and I'm glad she made Hatch work for his place back in her life. And the sexy times. Wooh! Yeah... by the time I finished this, well... lets just say my husband was a very happy man.
*copy received from authors in exchange for an honest review
January 18, 2014
Tattoos and sexy times. 'Nuff said.
Beyond Temptation (Beyond #3.5): Whoa. Kit Rocha packs a lot of story (and sex) into this little beauty. Emma is a strong, uninhibited O'Kane woman and Noah is the man she's loved for ages. The sex is plentiful (and SMOKIN'), as we've come to expect whenever those O'Kanes get together, and both Emma and Noah have to come to terms with the past before they can find their future.
I am so smitten with this gritty, sexy world. Once again, the O'Kanes sucked me in from the beginning and held on tight. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. *slow thumbs up*
Rocky Ride (Thompson & Sons #1): Gotta love those literary, tattooed hunks who ride bikes and know how to show their lady a good time. *fans self* Mitch fits that description like whoa. He gets under Anna's skin and gives her a reason to unleash her inner bad girl.
I really liked the portrayal of Anna as someone who toes the line in public but likes to get a little wild in private. It takes her a while to get comfortable with that side of herself but when she does, she REALLY does. Hot, sweet, and a little heartbreaking at times as these two strong people find a way to make their relationship work.
All That Remains (Metamorphosis #1): I do believe I need more M/M/F menages in my future because, DAY-UM, man-lovin' is sexy. Two men willing to buckle down and focus all their attention on the lady they adore while tangling the sheets together? Oh, I like.
Beyond the sexiness, I liked the world created here. Things are tough, but the people born in this world are tougher and they've found a way to carve out lives for themselves. I love that multiple partners is more the norm than not and that sex and sex-play are celebrated. I have a feeling Summer's sister's story is going to be a doozy.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Beyond Temptation (Beyond #3.5): Whoa. Kit Rocha packs a lot of story (and sex) into this little beauty. Emma is a strong, uninhibited O'Kane woman and Noah is the man she's loved for ages. The sex is plentiful (and SMOKIN'), as we've come to expect whenever those O'Kanes get together, and both Emma and Noah have to come to terms with the past before they can find their future.
I am so smitten with this gritty, sexy world. Once again, the O'Kanes sucked me in from the beginning and held on tight. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. *slow thumbs up*
Rocky Ride (Thompson & Sons #1): Gotta love those literary, tattooed hunks who ride bikes and know how to show their lady a good time. *fans self* Mitch fits that description like whoa. He gets under Anna's skin and gives her a reason to unleash her inner bad girl.
I really liked the portrayal of Anna as someone who toes the line in public but likes to get a little wild in private. It takes her a while to get comfortable with that side of herself but when she does, she REALLY does. Hot, sweet, and a little heartbreaking at times as these two strong people find a way to make their relationship work.
All That Remains (Metamorphosis #1): I do believe I need more M/M/F menages in my future because, DAY-UM, man-lovin' is sexy. Two men willing to buckle down and focus all their attention on the lady they adore while tangling the sheets together? Oh, I like.
Beyond the sexiness, I liked the world created here. Things are tough, but the people born in this world are tougher and they've found a way to carve out lives for themselves. I love that multiple partners is more the norm than not and that sex and sex-play are celebrated. I have a feeling Summer's sister's story is going to be a doozy.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
February 1, 2014
*ARC*
In general, I prefer full-length stories, but these 3 shorts worked very well. Technically, the common theme was tattoos, but other than the first one, it wasn't really important to the stories. For me, the common theme was women in control of their relationships. And the sex was very hot in all three stories.
Beyond Temptation - a perfect interlude in the Beyond series. Instead of a rescued female being welcomed into Sector 4, this was about a loner guy who falls for an O'Kane woman. All of the aspects of Sector 4 life boiled down into one simplified story (no side stories). Hints of wild sex abound, but this couple was monogamous throughout the story.
Rocky Ride - I like Vivian Arend, and this is a nice introduction into her new series. It's a little like the short-lived TV show "Killer Women", where Anna is the cop, and Mitch is the wild man. No big murder mystery, but a some simple threads to hold it all together. The scene where the two couples watch each other have sex was excellent. As a short story that spanned a few months, the transitions were not always smooth (wait, when did it become Spring?).
All That Remains - Sadly, Lauren Dane's contribution was the weakest by far. Actually, that's not quite fair - it was the least well edited. There were several typos (wrong word used when spell checking), and the multiple perspectives were very poorly managed. That said, the world she created is quite intriguing, both physically and socially. Due to global warming, cooler places have become warmer, and warm places are no longer habitable - coffee is almost impossible to get! Other issues have changed the social norms so that MMF triads are common. This future Earth has a lot of potential for some good stories, but this first entry needs at least one more pass with the blue pencil.
In general, I prefer full-length stories, but these 3 shorts worked very well. Technically, the common theme was tattoos, but other than the first one, it wasn't really important to the stories. For me, the common theme was women in control of their relationships. And the sex was very hot in all three stories.
Beyond Temptation - a perfect interlude in the Beyond series. Instead of a rescued female being welcomed into Sector 4, this was about a loner guy who falls for an O'Kane woman. All of the aspects of Sector 4 life boiled down into one simplified story (no side stories). Hints of wild sex abound, but this couple was monogamous throughout the story.
Rocky Ride - I like Vivian Arend, and this is a nice introduction into her new series. It's a little like the short-lived TV show "Killer Women", where Anna is the cop, and Mitch is the wild man. No big murder mystery, but a some simple threads to hold it all together. The scene where the two couples watch each other have sex was excellent. As a short story that spanned a few months, the transitions were not always smooth (wait, when did it become Spring?).
All That Remains - Sadly, Lauren Dane's contribution was the weakest by far. Actually, that's not quite fair - it was the least well edited. There were several typos (wrong word used when spell checking), and the multiple perspectives were very poorly managed. That said, the world she created is quite intriguing, both physically and socially. Due to global warming, cooler places have become warmer, and warm places are no longer habitable - coffee is almost impossible to get! Other issues have changed the social norms so that MMF triads are common. This future Earth has a lot of potential for some good stories, but this first entry needs at least one more pass with the blue pencil.
February 27, 2014
Why I read it: I received a review copy from Kit Rocha.
Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha: Taking place between the events of Beyond Pain and the soon-to-be-released Beyond Jealousy, Temptation features O’Kane member Emma Cibulski and the mysterious tech expert living underground somewhere in Sector Three, Noah Lennox. Emma and Noah both have history in Sector Five and Noah has a hard-on for revenge against Five’s leader Mac Fleming. He blames Mac for his best friend (Emma’s brother)’s death. For reasons which are a little less clear to me, Mac is after Noah too and Noah has distanced himself from Emma for the past 4 years so as to protect her. She’s all grown up now and seeing the tough kickass woman she has become, Noah can no longer keep away. There is a secret to do with Emma’s brother that everyone except Emma seems to know and when it is revealed, it does throw a spanner into the works of their burgeoning relationship. The story ends with definite HFN/HEA but Noah’s journey to take down Mac Fleming is only just beginning and I expect we will see more of it revealed in the next book. The sex, as usual, is smokin’ hot and super dirrrty. There is also definite connection between Emma and Noah. When Noah sees what Dallas and Lex have, he wants it with Emma – that partnership and equality of exchange. The Beyond series is way more female positive than many post-apocalyptic books and I am enjoying the developing world building of the series as well as the great characters and dirty, inventive sex. Spending time in the Broken Circle is always fun and this novella was no exception. Grade: B
Read the rest of the review here: http://www.kaetrinsmusings.com/2014/0...
Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha: Taking place between the events of Beyond Pain and the soon-to-be-released Beyond Jealousy, Temptation features O’Kane member Emma Cibulski and the mysterious tech expert living underground somewhere in Sector Three, Noah Lennox. Emma and Noah both have history in Sector Five and Noah has a hard-on for revenge against Five’s leader Mac Fleming. He blames Mac for his best friend (Emma’s brother)’s death. For reasons which are a little less clear to me, Mac is after Noah too and Noah has distanced himself from Emma for the past 4 years so as to protect her. She’s all grown up now and seeing the tough kickass woman she has become, Noah can no longer keep away. There is a secret to do with Emma’s brother that everyone except Emma seems to know and when it is revealed, it does throw a spanner into the works of their burgeoning relationship. The story ends with definite HFN/HEA but Noah’s journey to take down Mac Fleming is only just beginning and I expect we will see more of it revealed in the next book. The sex, as usual, is smokin’ hot and super dirrrty. There is also definite connection between Emma and Noah. When Noah sees what Dallas and Lex have, he wants it with Emma – that partnership and equality of exchange. The Beyond series is way more female positive than many post-apocalyptic books and I am enjoying the developing world building of the series as well as the great characters and dirty, inventive sex. Spending time in the Broken Circle is always fun and this novella was no exception. Grade: B
Read the rest of the review here: http://www.kaetrinsmusings.com/2014/0...
June 16, 2015
Re-read, and I sincerely hope I've become better at reviewing, looking at what I wrote here last year.
Emma escaped from Sector 5 under pretty negative circumstances. Noah is the computer tech that sector 4 has been searching for. He's also Emma's teenage fantasy. Emma is take charge, she knows why she is with the O'Kane's, who she is, and what she wants. Noah on the other hand has difficulty seeing her as anything but his best friend's little sister. Sparks really fly between these two.
Emma escaped from Sector 5 under pretty negative circumstances. Noah is the computer tech that sector 4 has been searching for. He's also Emma's teenage fantasy. Emma is take charge, she knows why she is with the O'Kane's, who she is, and what she wants. Noah on the other hand has difficulty seeing her as anything but his best friend's little sister. Sparks really fly between these two.
March 7, 2016
**4 STARS**
All That Remains (Metamorphosis #1) by Lauren Dane
Hatch, Charlie and Summer
Read 14th February 2014
I'm not a big fan of anthologies but I really liked this one. It helps when it is by 3 of my favourite authors.
I enjoyed all 3 stories.
Review to come
All That Remains (Metamorphosis #1) by Lauren Dane
Hatch, Charlie and Summer
Read 14th February 2014
I'm not a big fan of anthologies but I really liked this one. It helps when it is by 3 of my favourite authors.
I enjoyed all 3 stories.
Review to come
January 16, 2014
The Kit Rocha story was great, I absolutely love the Beyond series!! The Vivian Arend story was awesome as well, I love her sexy characters. The new series from Dane was interesting as well, I can't wait to read more about that world.
An all around fabulous anthology.
An all around fabulous anthology.
September 12, 2016
Suffice to say I loved this anthology! I already knew I loved Kit Rocha and the Beyond series but I found two new authors and series that I like too. My full review is here.
April 13, 2014
First story was ok but couldn't finish last ones--
August 17, 2014
Review here: http://thebookpushers.com/2014/02/14/...
BP Note: The Book Pushers are huge fans of Dane, Arend, and Rocha so when we found out they were plotting together for a self-published anthology we couldn’t wait. As they continued to work on their individual projects and started tweeting things about how they were blushing as they typed, how this was potentially the hottest thing they had written to date, and how good the stories from their co-conspirators were the wait seemed endless. It was a great relief to finally get our hands on this anthology and see for ourselves if our anticipation was worth it.
ALL THAT REMAINS
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lauren Dane takes you into a brand new world in ALL THAT REMAINS. Summer Killian falls fast and hard when Charlie arrives in Paradise Village. But the heat turns all the way up when she learns Charlie is also with Hatch – the man she loved three years before. While she’s not sure she’s cut out for a triad, neither man is going to give her up.
Has: Out of the three authors, I’ve only read a handful of books by Lauren Dane. “All That Remains” is the start of a brand new series set in a post apocalyptic world where society has changed drastically. I am a huge fan of post apocalyptic settings, but Dane has approached this premise with a different twist which I liked. It is set a few centuries after a catastrophe and humanity has evolved into different norms and mores, where men far outnumber women due to the calamity. Instead of having a darker edged and tone like The Handmaid’s Tales sort of stories of women being oppressed, it is the other way round where they’re respected and have more agency and power. I really liked how she depicted this new world and the characters who resides in them especially the heroine Summer, who is open and upfront and enjoys and owns her own sexuality.
However one day her tranquil existence is turned upside down with the arrival of two men to her village, and they both challenge her in every way. She is reluctant to embark on a long-term relationship. Hatch and Charlie who are both deeply attracted to her as well being in their own relationship see that she is perfect to form a triad relationship and are willing to put down roots down. But Summer finds the dynamic of being involved with a triad relationship difficult, because of her own issues with a past relationship and her sister’s experience in one which left scars. I loved that Dane has created a true menage relationship instead of just focusing on the heroine, the focus of the romance is very much between Charlie and Hatch. Their dynamics in their relationship was interesting because while Charlie was easy-going and relaxed, Hatch was more alpha and demanding, which Summer found at times hard and there were real problems and kinks to work out within their relationship. It definitely heightened the tension in the romance and I liked how it played out. Although I wished we got to see more of the world-building, which didn’t go into much depth or the backdrop of the big catastrophe. Nonetheless, this was a solid introduction to this new world, with hot love scenes.
E: While I haven’t read everything that Dane has published, I have read a lot. She has several series I continue to love so when I saw she was starting a new series, Metamorphosis, set in an entirely new world I was even more curious. As I gathered, well as Dane released, information about her contribution it started looking like her story was going to hit several of my love to read buttons; post apocalyptic, shortage of women, second chance at love, and an overall slower lifestyle. “All That Remains” managed to eek out a standing as my favorite in this anthology.
I loved how Summer had rebuilt herself and created a life full of happiness when the life she planned altered abruptly. She had no shame about enjoying men nor did she depend on them for her quality of life. She felt an instant attraction to Charlie but when she discovered he was with her former love she was ready to end what might have been. Somehow Charlie and Hatch convinced Summer to give them a chance. So many times I thought Hatch was going to ruin it by his apparent unawareness of the multitude of levels his actions as a young man had hurt Summer. Each time Charlie was able to smooth things over but it was up to Hatch to prove he had learned, changed, and was someone Summer could trust to stick around.
As much as this story focused on Hatch and Summer’s second chance Dane provided equal attention on the growing relationship between Charlie and Summer. Yes, Charlie was the peacemaker but Summer valued him for more than that role, she liked him for who he was. Charlie also adored Summer for who she was and what she brought out in Hatch as he consciously matured. I also found that the sexytimes between Charlie, Hatch, and Summer regardless of the combination were extremely intense and hot. There was a balance between one on one and the trio as a whole which made me think the individual connections were just as important as the overall relationship.
Since this was a novella, the supporting characters were not as fleshed out as Dane’s novels but some significant time was spent with Summer’s sister, Dulce who was the catalyst for Summer’s fresh start. She has a tragic backstory and I can’t wait to see her find happiness again. With the depth of emotion and complicated world-building Dane provided I really didn’t miss learning more about the supporting characters. I am sure that information will come as Dane continues to write in this world.
Meka: “All That Remains” is a sizzling story of second chances, owning up to what you’ve done, and taking a chance with the idea that your heart may be torn in two. Dystopian novels are not my theme because they tend to be a little too dark for me, but this setting showed a different take. Paradise Village isn’t the gritty, everybody-for-themselves type of place that it could be, namely because we are also about 300 years beyond the fallout resulting from the apocalypse. The beauty of this story is that it focuses on the here and now and relationships that people have with one another.
Summer and Hatch used to be an item before Hatch left. This resulted in Summer having to hold herself together and continue living life without him even though her heart was broken. Four years later, and we see a very different Summer from the type of person that she used to be. I could likely gush on and on about what happens in this particular novella, but I want to focus on some key points.
Lauren Dane can write relationships, whether it’s a romantic one or friendships. She has always impressed me by pulling in the side characters and not allowing anyone to be a lonely island where their world only revolves around their significant other. This makes her writing layered and nuanced, bringing the characters to life in a way that makes me wish I knew these people for real. I’m so glad that Lauren said there’d be a book about Summer’s sister, because I need this in my life like right now.
By the time we meet these characters, summer has moved on as best she can, and Hatch is now in a relationship with Charlie. For me, the beauty of this story was watching them navigate the treacherous waters of someone being betrayed. Hatch was arrogant and knew what he wanted, Summer was passionate and yet cautious, and Charlie was the one who could soothe the both of them. I really loved that Summer could stand up for herself and refused to be run over roughshod just because Hatch wanted everything. She made certain he understood how much his leaving hurt, and that she wasn’t the same person that she used to be.
None of these characters are perfect, but they are all three worthy of love if they can give it a chance. Summer’s resistance to Hatch was understandable. Hatch’s need to get things back to the way that they used to be could be understood too. Both of them could rub each other the wrong way in any moment, but together as a triad, it really worked. Dane writes these characters in a realistic manner and makes me want to delve more in to this new world that she has created.
ROCKY RIDE
Take a ROCKY RIDE with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Vivian Arend as she leads you back to the Six Pack Ranch. Anna Coleman might be the law around Rocky Mountain House, but bad boy Mitch Thompson knows that under the stiff RCMP uniform is a woman with a passion for speed and pleasure that matches his own, and he’s not giving up until she’s his.
Has: I think “Rocky Ride” was my favourite story of the anthology, although the other stories were great, but I was really engrossed with Anna and Mitch’s romance which was sweet but very very sexy. The opening chapters were beyond scorching and the chemistry between Anna and Mitch was on fire. Anna is a RCMP officer while Mitch is a mechanic/biker and even though they’re jobs and roles are poles apart, their attraction has driven them to go on a red hot affair. Mitch soon realises this is much more than great sex and goes on a mission to woo Anna that they could have something more permanent. Although things don’t go smoothly with Anna’s boss, Nick who disapproves of their relationship and her own reluctance to open up.
But I loved that Mitch managed to get Anna to explore more of her wild side, and to break out her inhibitions because of her job and her own reserved nature. It was fun to see her break out of her walls and that was really part of the charm of the romance, also the sexual chemistry was smoking hot which added another layer to the story which I enjoyed immensely. While this story was a spin-off from Arend’s Six Pack series, it was also cool to see some cameos and scenes featuring some of those characters.
Overall, I was left very satisfied with this novella, because even though it was a short-length, the romance, the love scenes and the introduction of series was just perfect. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series because this was a wonderful and sexy start.
E: Arend is another of my auto-buy authors. “Rocky Ride” is the first of her Thompson & Sons series which is a spin-off of the Six Pack Ranch series. I was very excited at the possibility of starting this new series because the area around the Six Pack Ranch is packed full interesting characters. The inhabitants do not shy away from enjoying each other and when they find love, they hold onto it regardless of public opinion. However, Anna as a member of the RCMP did need to maintain a certain level of public decorum and getting involved with one of the crazy Thompsons certainly didn’t seem to match that expectation. So as the story opens Anna and Mitch have an arrangement. They meet, have an extremely enjoyable time, then Anna leaves, and they act like nothing has ever happened but Mitch wants more. He was tired of being Anna’s dirty little secret so he created a plan that would result in everything he hoped for or the end of an enjoyable interlude and a broken heart.
I loved watching Mitch and Anna take things outside of secluded meetings. Anna did have some valid reasons for wanting to keep her relationship quiet because Mitch had a well earned reputation. She was supposed to uphold the law and Mitch had a habit of stretching if not breaking the law. It took Mitch a little bit to realize how to walk the line between coaxing Anna out of her shell and indulging in activities that pushed her away. While Anna was struggling mentally she also had to deal with a partner who seemed determined to make Anna doubt her own judgment. If that didn’t work he was completely willing to use other techniques to keep her doing exactly what he wanted, which was not happy with Mitch Thompson. It was a lot of fun to watch Anna and Mitch worth through their issues both within their relationship and with outside interferences. I think my favorite scene here was a certain nighttime dirt bike race. That scene said so much about Anna’s personality when she wasn’t dealing with fears about her professional future and Mitch’s enjoyment of life. “Rocky Ride” was a great introduction to the Thompson & Sons series and I can’t wait for the next installment.
Meka: I have not read this series yet, but it was not difficult for me to keep track of what was happening. I feel curious about the characters that I have been missing out on and plan to read their stories, because after this one, I am totally hooked.
This novella is not just about a good girl falling for a bad boy, but the vulnerabilities that they both share, and the biases and judgment calls that we make every day about other people. Anna is portrayed as a woman who likes to live on the wild side but is often too afraid to really let that side of her out. When Mitch, the man that she’s been having a fling with, decides to push her a little harder because he’d like more, Anna is nervous but is more than ready for the challenge.
Watching this story unfold was such a treat. Being able to see Anna, a constable and someone who works really hard at what she does, take chances and defend what she wanted was incredibly special. Watching her own up to how she’d been unfairly stereotyping Mitch was even better. Seeing her pal around with his family, go biking, and just totally be with Mitch and give him more of her heart was totally sweet.
Can I keep Mitch? He only wanted the best for Anna and longed to see her shed her inhibitions and just fly. He wanted to take their relationship to the next level, but was also full of vulnerability that we got to see. Oh, and let us not forget absolutely sexy. He was ready to take Anna anywhere she wanted to go fantasy-wise and Vivian Arend pulled no punches in that department.
As they learned to navigate the waters of what they wanted, we got to see a couple truly worthy of their HEA. Anna truly blossomed once she was able to simply let go, and Mitch learned that he had someone in Anna that he could depend on and trust. Even after Mitch did a bone-headed move, I was still cheering for things to work out. And the last surprise that Anna had for Mitch wrapped that story up with a nice little bow.
BEYOND TEMPTATION
Kit Rocha returns to Sector Four in BEYOND TEMPTATION. A promise to a dying friend backfires when Noah Lennox finds that the girl he was supposed to rescue is all grown up–and wearing O’Kane ink. He wants to protect her from the secrets of their past, but she wants him. And an O’Kane woman always gets what she wants.
Has: I always look forward to a Beyond book by Kit Rocha, and I was definitely eagerly waiting for Emma and Noah’s story which was touched briefly on in the last book by setting up their story. Noah has finally tracked down Emma who he has lost track of the past few years but is surprised and happy that she’s safe and made a real home with the O’Kanes. Emma is happy to be reunited with Noah and their feelings for each other are instantly rekindled although the secrets of their past threatens their tentative new relationship.
I think with each new installment, the Beyond series gets better and better. I love the world-building and the cast of characters which all share an amazing chemistry with each other. In “Beyond Temptation” establishes another tantalizing plot thread which will intertwine with the ongoing arc that was set up in the previous book. But the real focus is on the romance between Emma and Noah which develops beautifully. I was really happy how Kit Rocha maintained the tension between them and their sex scenes were beyond blazing hot which ratcheted their sexual chemistry.
While I loved the romance, I found the plot-line that connects Emma and Noah’s past to the current issues the O’Kane clan will face left me wanting. In a lot of ways this felt like a mini-episode of a huge saga that is playing out and I wanted to see more of this plot being expanded because it was more like a teaser rather than a sub-plot involving them. However I am definitely looking forward to the next installment which promises to be explosive in so many levels.
E: “Beyond Temptation” took two supporting characters with a complicated past and gave them a chance to smooth it out. Emma, now an O’Kane, who was Ace’s apprentice and a generally sweet girl had been in love with her brother’s best friend almost her entire life. When he practically disappeared from her life she never quite felt the same way about anyone else. She had a home with the O’Kanes, and while she shared their love of pleasure, she never paired off with anyone. Then she discovered Noah was still alive. Noah thought Emma was safely away from the sectors and happily married until he received a note saying she needed him. When he found out she was an O’Kane he knew that he needed to get revenge on the woman who lied to him and to see if Emma needed rescuing. He was not prepared to see grown-up Emma who was no longer sweet and innocent. He was also not prepared for the depths of his feelings towards Emma and what more he would do to keep her safe.
I loved how Emma had to push to get Noah to open up to her and prove to him what love meant. She also had to prove she was grown and didn’t need someone to make her decisions for her. Noah had to learn to open up and to trust that Dallas and Lex really did care about the O’Kanes. But when their mutual past resurfaced Noah had to make a hard decision. This was another fun read but it felt more like the installment of a serial instead of a complete story. There was a conclusion but I am hoping more of their story shows up as the series continues because there is a lot hanging on the results of Noah’s decision.
Meka: I could not read this story straight through. At first I thought it was because of the raw sensuality of this dark and gritty world, but now I realize that might not be entirely accurate. It was because we see the stark reality of these characters and practically every scene is intense. We get to feel their emotions, their desperation, their simply trying to live and make a life for themselves. So I had to read this one in fits and spurts, because such stark depictions were hard for me to swallow at once.
I have not read all of the books in this series (a normal occurrence if you know anything about my reading quirks), but I did read Beyond Shame which I loved. In this novella, Emma is an O’Kane and has been inked. It’s four years since she found herself in their territory and she’s a different woman than she was when she lost her brother with no word from his best friend. In the meantime, Noah, her brother’s best friend, is fighting guilt over his death and nursing a need for revenge that has left him room for precious little else.
What he gets is a different Emma, one who is confident with herself and her life. She’s a fighter, someone who can be straightforward and give him everything he wants while demanding her own needs and the truth.
Emma’s life of practically everything and then the return of Noah made this a heart-wrenching story to read. Watching her come to terms with Noah, and then the truth of a secret that he’d been hiding was both devastating and wonderful.
Watching Noah’s reactions to the new Emma through his eyes was a treat. We got to see him slowly open up to her and come to terms with his guilt that life hadn’t gone the way that he had expected it to for Emma. His grief, his anger, his need for revenge were all real things.
Let’s not skip the sex, either. This novella was filthy and I loved every sordid detail. If the Apocalypse happens, I’m finding a Sector Four.
All in all, I cheered for these characters and the ones that I remembered from book one. It was great to see how far they all had come.
BP Note: The Book Pushers are huge fans of Dane, Arend, and Rocha so when we found out they were plotting together for a self-published anthology we couldn’t wait. As they continued to work on their individual projects and started tweeting things about how they were blushing as they typed, how this was potentially the hottest thing they had written to date, and how good the stories from their co-conspirators were the wait seemed endless. It was a great relief to finally get our hands on this anthology and see for ourselves if our anticipation was worth it.
ALL THAT REMAINS
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lauren Dane takes you into a brand new world in ALL THAT REMAINS. Summer Killian falls fast and hard when Charlie arrives in Paradise Village. But the heat turns all the way up when she learns Charlie is also with Hatch – the man she loved three years before. While she’s not sure she’s cut out for a triad, neither man is going to give her up.
Has: Out of the three authors, I’ve only read a handful of books by Lauren Dane. “All That Remains” is the start of a brand new series set in a post apocalyptic world where society has changed drastically. I am a huge fan of post apocalyptic settings, but Dane has approached this premise with a different twist which I liked. It is set a few centuries after a catastrophe and humanity has evolved into different norms and mores, where men far outnumber women due to the calamity. Instead of having a darker edged and tone like The Handmaid’s Tales sort of stories of women being oppressed, it is the other way round where they’re respected and have more agency and power. I really liked how she depicted this new world and the characters who resides in them especially the heroine Summer, who is open and upfront and enjoys and owns her own sexuality.
However one day her tranquil existence is turned upside down with the arrival of two men to her village, and they both challenge her in every way. She is reluctant to embark on a long-term relationship. Hatch and Charlie who are both deeply attracted to her as well being in their own relationship see that she is perfect to form a triad relationship and are willing to put down roots down. But Summer finds the dynamic of being involved with a triad relationship difficult, because of her own issues with a past relationship and her sister’s experience in one which left scars. I loved that Dane has created a true menage relationship instead of just focusing on the heroine, the focus of the romance is very much between Charlie and Hatch. Their dynamics in their relationship was interesting because while Charlie was easy-going and relaxed, Hatch was more alpha and demanding, which Summer found at times hard and there were real problems and kinks to work out within their relationship. It definitely heightened the tension in the romance and I liked how it played out. Although I wished we got to see more of the world-building, which didn’t go into much depth or the backdrop of the big catastrophe. Nonetheless, this was a solid introduction to this new world, with hot love scenes.
E: While I haven’t read everything that Dane has published, I have read a lot. She has several series I continue to love so when I saw she was starting a new series, Metamorphosis, set in an entirely new world I was even more curious. As I gathered, well as Dane released, information about her contribution it started looking like her story was going to hit several of my love to read buttons; post apocalyptic, shortage of women, second chance at love, and an overall slower lifestyle. “All That Remains” managed to eek out a standing as my favorite in this anthology.
I loved how Summer had rebuilt herself and created a life full of happiness when the life she planned altered abruptly. She had no shame about enjoying men nor did she depend on them for her quality of life. She felt an instant attraction to Charlie but when she discovered he was with her former love she was ready to end what might have been. Somehow Charlie and Hatch convinced Summer to give them a chance. So many times I thought Hatch was going to ruin it by his apparent unawareness of the multitude of levels his actions as a young man had hurt Summer. Each time Charlie was able to smooth things over but it was up to Hatch to prove he had learned, changed, and was someone Summer could trust to stick around.
As much as this story focused on Hatch and Summer’s second chance Dane provided equal attention on the growing relationship between Charlie and Summer. Yes, Charlie was the peacemaker but Summer valued him for more than that role, she liked him for who he was. Charlie also adored Summer for who she was and what she brought out in Hatch as he consciously matured. I also found that the sexytimes between Charlie, Hatch, and Summer regardless of the combination were extremely intense and hot. There was a balance between one on one and the trio as a whole which made me think the individual connections were just as important as the overall relationship.
Since this was a novella, the supporting characters were not as fleshed out as Dane’s novels but some significant time was spent with Summer’s sister, Dulce who was the catalyst for Summer’s fresh start. She has a tragic backstory and I can’t wait to see her find happiness again. With the depth of emotion and complicated world-building Dane provided I really didn’t miss learning more about the supporting characters. I am sure that information will come as Dane continues to write in this world.
Meka: “All That Remains” is a sizzling story of second chances, owning up to what you’ve done, and taking a chance with the idea that your heart may be torn in two. Dystopian novels are not my theme because they tend to be a little too dark for me, but this setting showed a different take. Paradise Village isn’t the gritty, everybody-for-themselves type of place that it could be, namely because we are also about 300 years beyond the fallout resulting from the apocalypse. The beauty of this story is that it focuses on the here and now and relationships that people have with one another.
Summer and Hatch used to be an item before Hatch left. This resulted in Summer having to hold herself together and continue living life without him even though her heart was broken. Four years later, and we see a very different Summer from the type of person that she used to be. I could likely gush on and on about what happens in this particular novella, but I want to focus on some key points.
Lauren Dane can write relationships, whether it’s a romantic one or friendships. She has always impressed me by pulling in the side characters and not allowing anyone to be a lonely island where their world only revolves around their significant other. This makes her writing layered and nuanced, bringing the characters to life in a way that makes me wish I knew these people for real. I’m so glad that Lauren said there’d be a book about Summer’s sister, because I need this in my life like right now.
By the time we meet these characters, summer has moved on as best she can, and Hatch is now in a relationship with Charlie. For me, the beauty of this story was watching them navigate the treacherous waters of someone being betrayed. Hatch was arrogant and knew what he wanted, Summer was passionate and yet cautious, and Charlie was the one who could soothe the both of them. I really loved that Summer could stand up for herself and refused to be run over roughshod just because Hatch wanted everything. She made certain he understood how much his leaving hurt, and that she wasn’t the same person that she used to be.
None of these characters are perfect, but they are all three worthy of love if they can give it a chance. Summer’s resistance to Hatch was understandable. Hatch’s need to get things back to the way that they used to be could be understood too. Both of them could rub each other the wrong way in any moment, but together as a triad, it really worked. Dane writes these characters in a realistic manner and makes me want to delve more in to this new world that she has created.
ROCKY RIDE
Take a ROCKY RIDE with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Vivian Arend as she leads you back to the Six Pack Ranch. Anna Coleman might be the law around Rocky Mountain House, but bad boy Mitch Thompson knows that under the stiff RCMP uniform is a woman with a passion for speed and pleasure that matches his own, and he’s not giving up until she’s his.
Has: I think “Rocky Ride” was my favourite story of the anthology, although the other stories were great, but I was really engrossed with Anna and Mitch’s romance which was sweet but very very sexy. The opening chapters were beyond scorching and the chemistry between Anna and Mitch was on fire. Anna is a RCMP officer while Mitch is a mechanic/biker and even though they’re jobs and roles are poles apart, their attraction has driven them to go on a red hot affair. Mitch soon realises this is much more than great sex and goes on a mission to woo Anna that they could have something more permanent. Although things don’t go smoothly with Anna’s boss, Nick who disapproves of their relationship and her own reluctance to open up.
But I loved that Mitch managed to get Anna to explore more of her wild side, and to break out her inhibitions because of her job and her own reserved nature. It was fun to see her break out of her walls and that was really part of the charm of the romance, also the sexual chemistry was smoking hot which added another layer to the story which I enjoyed immensely. While this story was a spin-off from Arend’s Six Pack series, it was also cool to see some cameos and scenes featuring some of those characters.
Overall, I was left very satisfied with this novella, because even though it was a short-length, the romance, the love scenes and the introduction of series was just perfect. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series because this was a wonderful and sexy start.
E: Arend is another of my auto-buy authors. “Rocky Ride” is the first of her Thompson & Sons series which is a spin-off of the Six Pack Ranch series. I was very excited at the possibility of starting this new series because the area around the Six Pack Ranch is packed full interesting characters. The inhabitants do not shy away from enjoying each other and when they find love, they hold onto it regardless of public opinion. However, Anna as a member of the RCMP did need to maintain a certain level of public decorum and getting involved with one of the crazy Thompsons certainly didn’t seem to match that expectation. So as the story opens Anna and Mitch have an arrangement. They meet, have an extremely enjoyable time, then Anna leaves, and they act like nothing has ever happened but Mitch wants more. He was tired of being Anna’s dirty little secret so he created a plan that would result in everything he hoped for or the end of an enjoyable interlude and a broken heart.
I loved watching Mitch and Anna take things outside of secluded meetings. Anna did have some valid reasons for wanting to keep her relationship quiet because Mitch had a well earned reputation. She was supposed to uphold the law and Mitch had a habit of stretching if not breaking the law. It took Mitch a little bit to realize how to walk the line between coaxing Anna out of her shell and indulging in activities that pushed her away. While Anna was struggling mentally she also had to deal with a partner who seemed determined to make Anna doubt her own judgment. If that didn’t work he was completely willing to use other techniques to keep her doing exactly what he wanted, which was not happy with Mitch Thompson. It was a lot of fun to watch Anna and Mitch worth through their issues both within their relationship and with outside interferences. I think my favorite scene here was a certain nighttime dirt bike race. That scene said so much about Anna’s personality when she wasn’t dealing with fears about her professional future and Mitch’s enjoyment of life. “Rocky Ride” was a great introduction to the Thompson & Sons series and I can’t wait for the next installment.
Meka: I have not read this series yet, but it was not difficult for me to keep track of what was happening. I feel curious about the characters that I have been missing out on and plan to read their stories, because after this one, I am totally hooked.
This novella is not just about a good girl falling for a bad boy, but the vulnerabilities that they both share, and the biases and judgment calls that we make every day about other people. Anna is portrayed as a woman who likes to live on the wild side but is often too afraid to really let that side of her out. When Mitch, the man that she’s been having a fling with, decides to push her a little harder because he’d like more, Anna is nervous but is more than ready for the challenge.
Watching this story unfold was such a treat. Being able to see Anna, a constable and someone who works really hard at what she does, take chances and defend what she wanted was incredibly special. Watching her own up to how she’d been unfairly stereotyping Mitch was even better. Seeing her pal around with his family, go biking, and just totally be with Mitch and give him more of her heart was totally sweet.
Can I keep Mitch? He only wanted the best for Anna and longed to see her shed her inhibitions and just fly. He wanted to take their relationship to the next level, but was also full of vulnerability that we got to see. Oh, and let us not forget absolutely sexy. He was ready to take Anna anywhere she wanted to go fantasy-wise and Vivian Arend pulled no punches in that department.
As they learned to navigate the waters of what they wanted, we got to see a couple truly worthy of their HEA. Anna truly blossomed once she was able to simply let go, and Mitch learned that he had someone in Anna that he could depend on and trust. Even after Mitch did a bone-headed move, I was still cheering for things to work out. And the last surprise that Anna had for Mitch wrapped that story up with a nice little bow.
BEYOND TEMPTATION
Kit Rocha returns to Sector Four in BEYOND TEMPTATION. A promise to a dying friend backfires when Noah Lennox finds that the girl he was supposed to rescue is all grown up–and wearing O’Kane ink. He wants to protect her from the secrets of their past, but she wants him. And an O’Kane woman always gets what she wants.
Has: I always look forward to a Beyond book by Kit Rocha, and I was definitely eagerly waiting for Emma and Noah’s story which was touched briefly on in the last book by setting up their story. Noah has finally tracked down Emma who he has lost track of the past few years but is surprised and happy that she’s safe and made a real home with the O’Kanes. Emma is happy to be reunited with Noah and their feelings for each other are instantly rekindled although the secrets of their past threatens their tentative new relationship.
I think with each new installment, the Beyond series gets better and better. I love the world-building and the cast of characters which all share an amazing chemistry with each other. In “Beyond Temptation” establishes another tantalizing plot thread which will intertwine with the ongoing arc that was set up in the previous book. But the real focus is on the romance between Emma and Noah which develops beautifully. I was really happy how Kit Rocha maintained the tension between them and their sex scenes were beyond blazing hot which ratcheted their sexual chemistry.
While I loved the romance, I found the plot-line that connects Emma and Noah’s past to the current issues the O’Kane clan will face left me wanting. In a lot of ways this felt like a mini-episode of a huge saga that is playing out and I wanted to see more of this plot being expanded because it was more like a teaser rather than a sub-plot involving them. However I am definitely looking forward to the next installment which promises to be explosive in so many levels.
E: “Beyond Temptation” took two supporting characters with a complicated past and gave them a chance to smooth it out. Emma, now an O’Kane, who was Ace’s apprentice and a generally sweet girl had been in love with her brother’s best friend almost her entire life. When he practically disappeared from her life she never quite felt the same way about anyone else. She had a home with the O’Kanes, and while she shared their love of pleasure, she never paired off with anyone. Then she discovered Noah was still alive. Noah thought Emma was safely away from the sectors and happily married until he received a note saying she needed him. When he found out she was an O’Kane he knew that he needed to get revenge on the woman who lied to him and to see if Emma needed rescuing. He was not prepared to see grown-up Emma who was no longer sweet and innocent. He was also not prepared for the depths of his feelings towards Emma and what more he would do to keep her safe.
I loved how Emma had to push to get Noah to open up to her and prove to him what love meant. She also had to prove she was grown and didn’t need someone to make her decisions for her. Noah had to learn to open up and to trust that Dallas and Lex really did care about the O’Kanes. But when their mutual past resurfaced Noah had to make a hard decision. This was another fun read but it felt more like the installment of a serial instead of a complete story. There was a conclusion but I am hoping more of their story shows up as the series continues because there is a lot hanging on the results of Noah’s decision.
Meka: I could not read this story straight through. At first I thought it was because of the raw sensuality of this dark and gritty world, but now I realize that might not be entirely accurate. It was because we see the stark reality of these characters and practically every scene is intense. We get to feel their emotions, their desperation, their simply trying to live and make a life for themselves. So I had to read this one in fits and spurts, because such stark depictions were hard for me to swallow at once.
I have not read all of the books in this series (a normal occurrence if you know anything about my reading quirks), but I did read Beyond Shame which I loved. In this novella, Emma is an O’Kane and has been inked. It’s four years since she found herself in their territory and she’s a different woman than she was when she lost her brother with no word from his best friend. In the meantime, Noah, her brother’s best friend, is fighting guilt over his death and nursing a need for revenge that has left him room for precious little else.
What he gets is a different Emma, one who is confident with herself and her life. She’s a fighter, someone who can be straightforward and give him everything he wants while demanding her own needs and the truth.
Emma’s life of practically everything and then the return of Noah made this a heart-wrenching story to read. Watching her come to terms with Noah, and then the truth of a secret that he’d been hiding was both devastating and wonderful.
Watching Noah’s reactions to the new Emma through his eyes was a treat. We got to see him slowly open up to her and come to terms with his guilt that life hadn’t gone the way that he had expected it to for Emma. His grief, his anger, his need for revenge were all real things.
Let’s not skip the sex, either. This novella was filthy and I loved every sordid detail. If the Apocalypse happens, I’m finding a Sector Four.
All in all, I cheered for these characters and the ones that I remembered from book one. It was great to see how far they all had come.
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