City of Sin

Men of Manhattan #1

by Ivy Smoak

Librarian Note: This is an alternate cover edition of ISBN: 9781523491339. The original cover edition is here.

Nothing seems to be going Bee's way. She's been knocked down by her ex, her job, and the city in general. But maybe this blind date will be the much needed change she's been hoping for.

When she is already running late, a sexy stranger steals her cab. And when she finally arrives at the restaurant and finds out that the man who stole her cab is also her date, the night takes an unexpected turn.

Maybe this sexy stranger is exactly what she's needed this whole time...

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Fiction, Erotica, Amazon

416 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2015

About the author

Ivy Smoak is the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon #1 bestselling author of The Hunted Series. Her books have sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

When she's not writing, you can find Ivy binge watching too many TV shows, taking long walks, playing outside, and generally refusing to act like an adult. She lives with her husband in Delaware.

Learn more about Ivy on:
Amazon ➜ http://bit.ly/IvySmoakAMZ
Facebook ➜ http://bit.ly/IvySmoakFacebook
Instagram ➜ http://bit.ly/IvySmoakInsta
TikTok ➜ https://bit.ly/3F6QML7
BookBub ➜ https://bit.ly/2VOZycg
Website ➜ bit.ly/IvySmoakWebsite
Reader Group ➜ bit.ly/IvySmoakGroup
Join Ivy Smoak's newsletter for a sexy FREE story and exclusive material: https://www.ivysmoak.com/newsletter

Empire High


The Hunted & Light to My Darkness



Made of Steel

Reviews

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t like either of these main characters. The heroine lets the jerk hero walk all over her and use her simply because... he’s hot.

I was also DYING at this one part where the hero says women drop their panties as soon as they hear he owns a condo at the Trump International Hotel 😭 Like WHAT LMAO

[Talia · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 70%

Sorry, I couldn't take it any more. And I know that I most likely stopped before the good part came out to play, but it took me a week to read up to this point and I decided not to waste any more of my time on a book that just isn't for me. Because this is the real issue. I normally don't do eroticas. I like my romances smutty and I don't mind them naughty at all. But somehow, eroticas fall flat almost every time with me. This one particularly so.

Bee is a young woman fresh out of college who's trying to step up from her secretary job at an ad firm. Her fiancé and only reason she came to New York has cheated on her so they broke up and he moved on while she's still moping. This is why her friend sets her up on a blind date with a guy to take Patrick the cheating ex off her mind. But while Bee dreams of finding her Prince Charming, Mason is the poster boy of assholes all around the world.

I don't think I have ever despised an H so much. It's not because he was a controlling alpha male, but because his only aim for almost the entire book (at least the part I read) is to get in her pants, scratch his itch so that he can move on with his life. I know that some of you will say: "I'm sure he's only deluding himself of not having feelings for her" and maybe you're right. At a certain point, right out of the blue, he starts thinking of her differently, and the two of them begin wondering whether they're falling for the other. Still, Mason's thoughts are always along the lines of "Just fuck her and get it over with."

But I think the deal breaker was when he purposefully became a gentlemen so that she would sleep with him. This is like the huge no-no in my no-nos book. Pretending to be something better than you are so that you can fuck a girl and then ditch got me so mad at him I didn't care afterwards when he didn't mind "just talking" to her. The moment he planned to disguise himself as the good guy to have her sleep with him, he was done. Every hope lost for him in my eyes.

About Bee, she is a doormat. I didn't hate her, because I don't mind meek heroines if they're well-shaped or have a reason to be so. She did have a reason, but I didn't like how clueless she was about his intentions. There's a moment when she's crying and asking him to take her home and when they get there, he tries to convince her to sleep with him. Again. She was crying. It was clear she didn't want to get it on, yet he pressured her.

So, clueless, spineless heroine
Awful jerk of a H.
A nonexistent plot that revolved around Mason's plans to get her to sleep with him.
Meh style
Sex being the only focus. We don't get mentions of feelings.

And, BTW, even for an erotica, after a first tidbit in the very beginning, it takes at least another hundred and more pages before something even remotely sexy happens. All in all, it wasn't for me. It lacked sentiment and it made me hate the characters.


Where to find me:

[Mysti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this one. I think this is the first time I’ve EVER prayed that the FMC didn’t screw the guy, and I begged her to actually use a damn condom!!!! That’s how much of whore this guy was (prior to meeting the FMC). LOL. I was kind of into it, but then…. WTF?!
WARNING : This review will contain a lot of spoiler-ish info. I feel it’s necessary because I know a lot of you guys hate whores and I think you should really know what you’re getting yourself into.

She'd fall for the wealth and charm, right on top of me. I wondered if she'd be offended if I paid her afterward. She needed the money. And I wanted to help her out.

Bridget Cowan (25-ish, secretary, really gullible) said YES! when her one and only boyfriend proposed. She followed him to the big apple, NYC, and soon after he started his new job, she found out he was cheating…. a LOT. He blamed his whore co-worker, but things still ended (as they should). Now Bee is slaving away as a secretary at an Ad agency, which is managed by a pig who sexually harasses her on the daily, in hopes she can climb the corporate ladder and get an advertising exec job. She’s super depressed and still hung up on her ex. To help her get out of her funk, her BFF convinces her to go on a blind date.

Mason Caldwell (25-ish, whore, pimp, marketing guy) agreed to a blind date in exchange for Knicks tickets. He planned to fuck the girl, go to a club and fuck someone else, and then get his tickets – plans are in place! Hell, he even offers the restaurant hostess a chance to hook up with him later. He’s a real gentleman! Anyway – Bee is overcome by lust, and she gives in to his oral swagger (I don’t blame her. Everyone deserves a good orgasm) in the restaurant bathroom, and then again in the alley outside!!! But in the taxi ride back to his place, she realizes that he’s the asshole who helped her fiancé cheat! When Mason gets out of the taxi, she takes off, leaving him seriously confused.

Mason is more determined than ever to fuck this girl because NOBODY turns him down. It takes less than a week for him to convince Bee to give him another chance. Things basically go exactly how this trope usually does. Mason never comes close to cheating on Bee once they start “dating”, but he does do something to hurt her feelings, which leads to the break-up/make-up portion of the story, eventually followed by the HEA.

"This past week, I’ve found out what it’s like when you’re not part of my life. I hated every second of it. I’m all in, Bee. I love you."

Now…..

SEX: Insert my sighing face here. They provide mutual oral to each other on the first date, 16%. Again, I can’t blame a girl for that. She’s horny and he is sexy and damn persuasive. They don’t actually get to the fucking part until 59% and thankfully use a condom. Unfortunately, the very next morning he fucks her in the shower without one!!!! LOL!! While I usually HATE condoms, he was such a whore before meeting her that I really think he needed one. Even more disturbing is that after she agreed to sex without one, he thought to himself, “Fuck yes. I hate wearing condoms.” That makes me think that he doesn’t always use them??? Since he’s only ever had one-nighters or hookers, that’s EXTREMELY concerning. I honestly didn’t know what to make of this.

MASON: It felt like I was missing all of Mason’s origin story, and it was so confusing. There are brief mentions of him not being on speaking terms with his parents and them cutting him off and he’s about to lose his apartment, yet we never get the reasons why. Pretty much what I just said is all we know. The whole thing with his parents was super weird. I started thinking maybe he appeared in a different book and that’s where his story was.

WHORE: As far as meeting her – at first, he really is just determined to fake being interested just to screw her and move on. Not uncommon with men. It eventually turns into him finding her interesting and wanting to get to know her more. I can buy that part of it. Plus, he never once entertains another woman after their first date. I still wouldn’t trust him without a condom. As I said – we don’t get a lot of his background, but what I can gather is he had a side hustle. He frequented sex clubs, and he would take the new hires at the place where he worked to these clubs and earn some sort of money from that.

BEE: Damn… this girl is DUMB. I kind of liked her at first, but eventually I was like COME ON!!! I could complain about her forever, but I’ll try to narrow it down. (1) He’s told her from the very first date that he doesn’t do relationships, he’s not a good guy, he likes to fuck, and he always gets what he wants. During the first week he begs to come up to her place and she’s arguing with herself: "he might not even be asking to come up for sex. Maybe he just wanted a cup of tea." LOLOLOL I nearly died. (2) Her boss makes sexual advances to her daily. He does something else inappropriate and she’s thinking, "When he had mentioned a promotion before he had made it seem dirty. Like he wanted me to start giving him hand jobs under his desk or something. That was why I had never followed up. But maybe I had it all wrong. Maybe he had been planning on giving me an advertising job the whole time. Maybe he actually liked my idea. Maybe all of this was in my head. He was actually trying to give me a normal promotion." . All he’s done is insult her, demeaned her, and told her to go get him some coffee and she always cowers down. I just didn’t understand her!

WHAT THE FUCK: This was seriously a WTF moment. Part of this advertising campaign they’re doing for this product that’s like Axe Body Spray, is having the weather girl on a new station measure guys dicks on live TV since the FCC was dismantled. This turns into the weather girl actually having sex with a stranger on live TV. I just can’t.

AUDIO: It’s ok. Vanessa Edwin narrates for Bee, and even though her normal speaking voice is good, she tries to make Bee so breathy and soft. Men would definitely find it hot, but I think it’s primarily women that listen this these books, so it’s just annoying to us. Connor Crais is there for Mason and damn where did he come from?!?! He’s got a sexy as hell voice! Thank you, sir!

SO….. read at your own risk, I guess. Be sure to wear a condom.

[LWM · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. . .

Both main characters were extreme -- Mason was an exaggerated manwhore while Bee was the overdone contradiction between the dumbest blonde sexpot alive versus a nerdy goody two shoes. As the book progressed (I couldn't stop reading despite how awful their dialogue and Bee's increasingly alarming weakness for Mason got), I was curious to know what happens to Bee and Mason's relationship.

Ivy Smoak tried to insert comedic lines and situations that just seemed ridiculous. Realistically, I doubt a man who really behaved like Mason would have bothered with Bee after she ran from him, while a girl like Bee in reality would've never allowed Mason to get away with the liberties he took with her - she was portrayed early on as wounded and lacking in confidence, so actually would have
left after his first few insulting comments. I enjoyed parts of their story while the majority of their actions and conversations were too egregious or bizarre to be believable. It's almost as if the writer pushed them to be the most crazy, flashy, and extreme versions of the personas she chose for them. Two stars.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review will be in pieces since I started writing it when I thought I may DNF the book. But I did end up forcing myself to finish the book. The last 40% of the book was better than rest and made it a little more tolerable. I listened to the audiobook and it honestly could have been a few hours shorter since so many parts of this seemed like filler or rinse-and-repeat scenes.

Initial review: 30% in...why am I still reading this?!? Mason has got to the THE WORST hero of a romance book ever. Seriously, there's absolutely nothing to like about this guy this far into the book. He's a lying, manipulative player. He basically tells Bee what she wants to hear in order to get into her pants. And when he's on a date with her and she leaves to get her coat, he tries to get the number of the hostess. What a douche! I'm going to torture myself by trying to finish the book. I don't mind reading books with playboys or guys who start out being d-bags, but this guy is so over-the-top with the douchery that it's almost hard to believe he's real.

Updated review after finishing: Fast forward to me finishing the book and at least it got better, but I honestly still wasn't a fan of Mason by the end. He did humble himself a bit more and seemed to show a little more vulnerability and human emotion. But around the 80% mark he screws up and lashes out with crap I expected of him in the beginning of the book. His grand gesture was nice and sweet though in the end, so I guess I don't hate him like I did for the longest time...but yeah, it's a no for me dawg. The only good thing about him was how hot he was in the bedroom.

Speaking of that, I'm still not exactly sure what the 'training' thing was about. I mean if he was a Dom, he was a pretty crappy one, so I can't see him being fit to train anyone in the lifestyle at all with the way he portrayed himself for most of the book.

Bee was okay, but she confused me. She was supposedly innocent with only one boyfriend in the past (turned fiancee) and yet she does all kinds of kinky and taboo stuff with Mason. I just wasn't buying the good girl gone bad in public image she was giving off. And how many times do we need to hear that Bee rubs her finger over the spot where her engagement ring was? Ugh, that was soooo annoying when it was repeated 20 times in the book. Either she's still longing for her ex and the engagement or she's moving on. She was just too wishy-washy with her feelings it seemed, despite what she said.

To add to the ridiculousness, there's the whole Miami ad that goes wrong - it's so unbelievable and unrealistic that I just had to roll my eyes at the absurd thought it would ever happen on live TV. Then there's the creepy boss and Bee just being oblivious and not speaking up when she was being sexually harassed by him.

I don't think I'll read anything further by this author. This was the first Ivy Smoak book I've read, but after this one, I've been turned off of future books, even if they may not be filled with exaggerated d-bags and situations. The characters were simply too immature to be the age they were.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/12/2020)! 🎁

[Readers Together · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars


I chose this book based on the narrators. I didn't read the blurb, I didn't research the author. I just dived in. I have mixed feelings on the book. On the one hand, I thought it was great, it had an A-hole character that you love to hate, who redeems himself, and don't you just love that? But on the other hand, there are some things that I just couldn’t get over. The main one being the fact that the ’hero’ slept with sex workers yet said he hated wearing condoms and slept with the heroine bare - but not before checking SHE was clean. It just felt extremely irresponsible, I thought it was done as a way to have her get an STI but no. I don't know whether it was to again showcase how douchey the hero is or if it was supposed to be sexy, but it just took me completely out of the story. And there is also a scene requiring the use of a safeword which could have used a little more conversation and explanation. The character barely knew what the word was for and nothing was said about what to do it she couldn't speak. Which was a shame. I called the hero a dirty talking douche as I was reading, and I feel that really summed him up for a good portion of the book, he does come around though. The heroine is an acquired taste, at times she drove me crazy, her inability to make a decision and have a backbone really impacted her likeability factor. I did like them together, I thought they were actually well suited and brought out the best in each other. This book has a high heat factor so if that isn't your thing, I'd give this book a pass.
I adore Vanessa Edwin and her performance was fantastic. Her male voice is fantastic and she nailed all the emotions the characters were experiencing. Paired with Connor Crais is just brilliant, they really complement each other.
This was my first Connor Crais audio but it won't be the last. What a book to start with. Connor was superb, he really committed to that douchy vibe of the character. His female voice was great and he delivered the bad boy redemption brilliantly.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mason and Bee

So the good is that now I know Mason and Bee's story. I've read other books with them in it and finally got around to seeing how they got together. I didn't love it as much as I was expecting to. I think Ivy's writing has improved since she wrote this. And man , Mason is pretty hard to like in the first half of this book. But in the end I was rooting for him and Bee and I liked seeing the other characters throughout as well.

[K.J. Simmill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really annoyed at myself right now. I have read this amazing book twice already, how have I not reviewed it? I review pretty much everything I read. Well the answer is simple, once you get drawn into Ivy's world of books life goes out of the window and you find yourself reading from one book to the next, and before you know it you've read all thirty+ of her books and are still hungry for more.

So this book follows Mason, who we meet in the Hunted and Light to my darkness series, not to mention in the newer Empire high series. I absolutely love this guy, he is just brimming with personality, as is Bee, the love interest, the two could not be more different, Mason is a play boy with a kinky streak and somewhat darker desires, and Bee is a future cat lady, let down by love, hurt, passionate, and ambitious and the last thing she needs is to find herself on a date with the biggest player in New York. Well, hold on to your hats, because this book will take you on an amazing ride you won't soon forget, and you know what, it's just as amazing the second time around.

This is another one of those books i read on KU, and ended up buying because the books are just so damn good.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Mason and Bee's story. For the most part. I almost DNF'd this several times because of Bee. She was a really hard character to like for almost 50% of this book. She was whiny and needy and so self-conscious. I was really getting to the point where I was at my last straw and then finally...FINALLY, the author gave her a backbone.

Starting this book I was a little more nervous about Mason after reading some reviews. But I really enjoyed him. He had some issues, but he was upfront about himself for the most part.

It had a great ending. Bee and Mason really are great for each other. I'm not sure I was a huge fan of the epilogue. It was more about setting up the next book rather than wrapping things with Bee and Mason up further. I haven't decided yet if I'm completely sold on the series to jump into Rob's story.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bee and Mason were an ok couple. We didn't learn a lot about either one in James and Penny's books. Mason is your classic Playboy living life large. A man whore for sure. He's also a pimp. Even if the author didn't want him to come across that way he definitely was. Bee was a little too hung up on her ex. I know first love blah blah blah...but he was a douche canoe and it took her way to long to realize that. It took being with Mason for her to start comparing. Eventually they get together but what starts out as a problem for why they weren't together soon becomes a non issue. It's kind of lost on me how they got there. It just kind of stops being a problem for Bee. Wasn't a terrible book by any means. Would recommend.

[Sometime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time deciding how to rate this one. I can't find fault with the writing or characters. And as much as I liked the ending, I couldn't quite warm up to Mason. Being stuck inside his head while we had his POV was an ugly place to be. For the majority of the book he was a selfish man-whore. He was willing to break Bee's heart just to get into her pants.

The ending left me feeling satisfied with the romance and the change of heart made by the MCs, I just couldn't get past the Mason I met in the first half of the book. Probably a case of "It's not you, it's me."

This was a kindle freebie.

[Alysssaaaaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay okay okay. I did not like this book. I finished it but mostly to make fun of how terrible it was. The whole time I wasn’t really Into it. The characters were LAME and so so so cringe. I hate that the book dropped off after her and Patrick got engaged and then didn’t tell us anything until way way later. I thought they got married? I was super confused. Also, I think Marie was a terrible friend. I get that she wanted Bee to move on but getting a guy like mason? When she’s so inexperienced??? Like girl come on.

THE WHOLE FIRST DATE HAD ME SCREAMING. I was laughing because he was so cocky and full of himself and Bee was just like “omg why is my body reacting this way?” I was practically screaming at her to get ahold of her self. He said multiple times that she’s never been with “a man like me” or a “real man” THE AUDACITY HAD MY SHOOK. The fact that he was saying all of those dirty things to her before they even got their drinks? I was like leave girl run! BUT THEN HE FOLLOWS HER INTO THE BATHROOM?!?!?!?! And she was just down for it. Like oh my gosh y’all haven’t even eaten yet?! (Well I guess he had) lolololol. So we’re 30 minutes into the date, hes talking to her dirty, he’s already made made her cum, they’ve only eaten half of their food, and he’s trying to get the hostess number BUT SHES ALREADY UNDER YOUR SKIN??? This was at 18%. Like I get he’s a playboy hottie but come on that was literally so quick. I happened to quick for me.

When she locked the cab doors and took off I cheered for her! I WAS LIKE YOU GO GIRL. But then she ruined it by letting him walk all over her.

Side note: when she’s giving him head in the alley way there’s a sentence from masons pov that reads
“I groaned when my tip hit the back of my throat” I reread that sentence at least 12 times. 20%

It was gross how bad he wanted her because he couldn’t have her. I get that he was supposed to be determined but it was gross.

I totally called that he was using the Information he got on her to woo her.

It was in chapter 37 that i realized that this is Bees and Masons story from the hunted series and I knew everything that was going to happen. I wanted to stop reading at this point but kept pushing. It all made sense, the trump tower, the “escort service”.

How many times did she have to point out this guys a 5’o’clock shadow??

2/5 because i barley liked it. I won’t read it or recommend it 🤷🏽‍♀️

[Diana]

[współpraca reklamowa editiored]

Miasto grzechu to pierwszy tom trylogii Men of Manhattan. Nie ukrywam, że już chwilę interesowałam się książką a przyciągnęła mnie zagraniczna okładka bardziej niż sam opis. A to co jest w środku jest niezłą mieszanką, która jest świetnym wyborem na coś lekkiego z nutą pikanterii.

Co znajdziecie w środku;
● narrację pierwszoosobową od strony Bee oraz Masona;
❤ blaski i cienie życia w Nowym Jorku;
● próba podążania za marzeniami;
❤ praca przy reklamie ale nie tylko;
● zderzenie ze sobą dwóch światów;
❤ chemia od pierwszego spotkania i nieczyste metody w uwodzeniu;
● wszystkie etapy rozstania.

"Dopóki życie nie da Ci czegoś dobrego, nie zdajesz sobie sprawy, jak bardzo błądziłeś".
Jeśli jakoś miałabym określić tę książkę to jest ona w sam raz na romans z trochę lekkim tonem. Oczywiście pojawia się tu wiele skrajności i życia chwilą, nie przejmując się moralnoscią ale nie ma wielkich dramatów, a jest sporo zabawnych scen. Główny bohater przeżywa swego rodzaju transformację z playboya na osobę, która dostrzega tylko tą jedną osobę. A przy tym popełnia błędy, rozlicza się z grzechami przeszłości i chce być szczęśliwym.

Pojawia się kilka scen paprykowych, dla mnie to bardziej przypominało powrót do Greya ale były napisane ze smakiem i nie czuło się w tym przesady. Sama relacje głównych bohaterów oraz to z czym się zmagali pozwoliło nam trochę lepiej ich poznać, ale i polubić wcześniej bądź później.

Książka dzieli się jako tako na trzy akty i jest też etap zerwania, ale z drugiej strony wychodzi z tego dość ciekawe zakończenie. A sam epilog wprowadza nas w kolejnego bohatera, który przewijał się przez pierwszy tom. To moja pierwsza książka od autorki i jestem pozytywnie zaskoczona.

Wbrew pozorom NY to miasto grzechu, a Mason dość szczegółowo zdradza nam dlaczego, jeśli jesteście ciekawi polecam~

[Claire Letnic · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️’s rounded down.

If the book was broken up into chunks, separately, I’d say I enjoyed it more than I did. I say this because it felt like there were several different concepts that could have amounted into more.

Even some random banter with the h and her landlord… that would have been awesome comedy with more interaction documented, but instead the h felt more like a pushover and the landlady more of a grumpy hag. It could have been fun to play it up in the way “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (TV show: US Netflix: dorky comedy) did… but obviously in a different context.

All said, it was a good book but missed the mark on being “great”… it’s hard to pinpoint “why” but I think my ultimate conclusion is from time. The readers (aka me) needed more time/interaction between the all the characters before the MC’s meeting to gauge who they were before meeting. Perhaps, even though I know I’d cringe if I read it, but it’s worth sympathizing with the FMC, if there were first person accounts of her ex. And even better: first person accounts of why the MMC is such a playboy.

Lots of things missing, but despite that, it was a good book and I’m glad I listened to it. If I read it, physically, I don’t think I would have been so nice with my rating.

[Lady Poolitzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2/5

I read this book as a part of my book club, and saying that it's steamy is underplaying it. Of course, the hero (Mason) is a handsome billionaire, and of course, the heroine (Bee) is in a job that undervalues her talent. What I abhorred was the fact that Mason saw women as only objects to play with until you got bored and that Bee seemed to have no strength of character and was essentially a human doormat at the start of the book. But somewhere along the way, things change, and the characters begin to improve not just in traits or in relationships but also generally as people, so much so that you start rooting for them. It's a quick, easy-to-read, graphic book so be careful what you wish for!

[Kim Lowery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened on hoopla. Female voice was fine if typical smarm. Male voice made girls sound lispy. Yes, that’s a euphemism.

The story was the trope 23ish world conqueror. But with a twist. She’s just a secretary with world conqueror friends and that’s how she becomes a WC.

First half, two thirds of book are hero being a complete douchebag user. Then he slowly changes because heroine makes him a better man. This part of story is very like Regency romances.

Not bad for a free listen. Not great. Last chapter is either a cliffhanger for this story - which is HFN - or a neon advert for the next in the series, which I loathe.

[Shannon]

City of Sin

I Picked Up This Book Because: Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Hoopla (PP Library)
Stars: *DNF so no rating

The Characters:

Bee:
Mason


The Story:

I can’t stand Mason. I guess I’m just not a “cocky hero” girl. I wanted to hold off and see if there was anything redeemable about him but he just dug the hole deeper and I don’t see him coming out And if I’m completely honest I judge Bee just a little bit for being attracted to him. So I’m out.

The Random Thoughts:

[Muna]

First miss of the year
Dnf at 20%

Literally all my notes are me going ewwwww at everything that comes out of this losers mouth. The guy is such a prick I had to stop.

“I leaned back in my seat. Trump International was the only good thing I still had. Just telling girls I lived there made their panties drop.”

He said many atrocious things but this was the nail in the coffin and reviews saying it does not get better. Only worse

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first ever book by this author and I was very impressed. You must listen to this book it is hot AF. I don't know what else to even say because this was so good, I'm pretty speechless.
Vanessa is one of my favorite female narrators, what else can I say? She really embodied every part of B's personality and emotion in this book.
Connor is fast becoming another favorite narrator. What ever he was doing with his voice in it, he needs to keep doing that, at least for this type of character.
They are amazing together is this one.

[Ceej · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. Kept me interested until the very end. Like WHAT. you’re just going to name the company after B and then sign her on as a co-owner and you are barely in A relationship but you did this because you “accidentally” stole her idea for an ad campaign and had to make it up to her?? I’m dying lol that all just like WHAM BAM THANK YOU MA’AM hit you out of nowhere 😂

[S.K. Talkington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't get enough of this book

Short and sweet, this book kept me on my toes. I was shocked when Bee wanted to go see for herself what I
Mason did in those night clubs. But was so so happy the way the story ended. They always so Opposites Attract

[Amanda Aiello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I was mostly here for the James breadcrumbs. Not much to work with. Totally unbelievable that anyone would act like Mason so quickly going from one extreme to the other. I liked Bee more than Penny, but that’s not saying much.

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

City of Sin,  Ivy Smoak

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance, New Adult

** this book is currently free on kindle so give it a try, if its your kind of read **

I hadn’t read the Hunted series – its now on my TBR list...esp as the first three are on KU, and hopefully number four will be when its released next month. If you’ve read them you’ll know Bee and Mason from there, but if like me you’ve not read them it doesn’t matter, this is a complete stand alone novel.

I loved Bee, life had knocked her hard – well, that da mn ex did anyway, but instead of retreating with her head hung low and going back home to her mum she sticks it out, pushes for the job she wants and tries to pick up her life. She’s still gutted though, she only moved her as Patrick did, and she’s finding life without him, her high school friend and lover and the man she was going to marry.
Her friend arranges a blind date and “persuades” her with some tough talking to meet Mason.
Mason isn’t relationship materials, he’s a consummate playboy and is only meeting Bee as he’s been promised tickets to a coveted sporting event. He’s thinking, check her over, if she’s ok then he’ll do his usual charm and have a night of fun and if she’s not, well a meal and leave...He seems a really shallow person and yet he’s got some good friends so clearly he’s not all bad.

The evening starts off badly when he nicks Bee’s taxi, not knowing who she is, then meets her at the restaurant and she rages at him. He persuades her to stay, they chat and...she finds out he has a connection to Patrick, the ex, he’s the man who introduced him to the world that took him away from Bee. Rightly or not she holds him partly responsibly, rages a bit and him and decamps.
Mason is astonished, that doesn’t happen to him, he’s the one who leaves...and yet he’s piqued too – who Is this girl, why is he so attracted to her? He can’t seem to leave her alone and aided by his friends persuades her to give him another try.
Bee knows he’s a playboy, but maybe after only ever being with Patrick, someone like Mason is what she needs to regain her confidence. He’s not going to be judging her performance the was Patrick did, he’s only out for a night of fun and maybe she should just go with it...

Somehow things happen that mean they don’t get to sex right away but they do have some incredibly erotic sand sensual encounters and Mason gets more and more obsessed with her with each one. She knows he doesn’t date, he knows she’s taking him out of his comfort zone but they can’t seem to stop. Their relationship – though they don’t yet give it a name – races forward til Bee is practically living with Mason she’s there most nights.
There’s work issues for them both, that slowly get entangled and threaten their fledgling situation, and when it erupts the sh it hits the fan in a big way.

Its a fun read, very steamy and sensual but in a well written way not the repetitive, boring scenes we get too often.
I enjoyed the dual POV where I could see what the actions looked like from one side and then see into the reasoning that was behind them – and of course what's intended and what actually happens isn’t always the same result!

I really enjoyed this, and my appetite is whetted for the four book Penny and James story – I know now I enjoy Ivy’s writing style and their story, with what looks like a “good” jealous ex thrown in is right up my street!

Both City of sin, and Temptation – the first of Penny and James story – are currently free on kindle so well worth trying!

Stars: four and a half, a real fun read.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publisher 
 

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

20% in and I called it quits. I have come to the conclusion this author isn’t for me 🙄

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swoon!!! Love Mason and Bee as a couple. Took them a while to figure out how to communicate and understand their feelings, but I loved the journey. I also love the little moments of James and Penny.

[Judy Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mason and Bee were peripheral characters in the previous books, but I LOVE them as principles in this. His journey toward love was not as fast as it was for James and Penny.

[Gerri Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book. I didn't even finish it. He is an egotistical jackass.

[Chrissy Monroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book so happy they ended up together.

[B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This Pair Is Entertaining. Mason & Bee’s Story Certainly Has Some Serious Aspects, But Mason Is Hard To Take Too Seriously. He Lies Constantly & Has A Rather Singular Focus. His Progression Is Really Sweet. Bee Blossoms Around Him & Finds That She Has A Dirty Side, Too. Their Opposites Attract Story Has Them Finding A Happy Middle. Fans Of The Hunted Series Will Love This Book!


ABOUT THE SERIES:

This is book one of three in the Men of Manhattan series of related standalones. Fans of The Hunted series will especially love this series, which is a spinoff of sorts. It includes:
1. City of Sin (Mason Caldwell and Bridget Cowan’s story)
2. Third Chances (Rob Hunter and Daphne Hughes’s story)
3. Missing Pieces (Tyler Stevens and Hailey Shaw’s story)

This series intersects with The Hunted series. While these books and each series can be enjoyed on their own, each book is even more enjoyable when read collectively because little glimpses of the characters from one book to another add to the depth of their individual stories. Approximating the chronological order, the two series combined should be read as follows (according to the author).
1. Temptation (James Hunter and Penny Taylor’s story, part 1)
2. Addiction (James Hunter and Penny Taylor’s story, part 2)
3. City of Sin (Mason Caldwell and Bridget Cowen’s story)
4. Eruption (James Hunter and Penny Taylor’s story, part 3)
5. Third Chances (Rob Hunter and Daphne Hughes’s story)
6. Devotion (James Hunter and Penny Taylor’s story, part 4)
7. Missing Pieces (Tyler Stevens and Hailey Shaw’s story)

IN THIS BOOK:

This story opens after the holidays, just before Valentine’s Day. According to the author’s website, it is 2016. The timeline is a little funky because Bridget has been in New York for eighteen months but graduated in 2015 (a 2014 graduation would make more sense).

Bridget Cowan, roughly twenty-three, thought she was going to have a fairytale ending when Patrick proposed to her. It was at the Sigma Pi fraternity house he belonged to and where they had first met freshman year. She had majored in marketing and minored in advertising in college, and had been nerdy growing up. Patrick had been her one and only. He was offered a job in finance at MAC International in New York, and Bee had followed him there to begin her own career when they graduated from the University of New Castle. Patrick promised they wouldn’t let the city change them, but a year later she learned that he hadn’t kept his promises. Her father had walked out on her mother when she was small, and abandonment was a real fear for her. She is close with her mother, but never wants to end up alone like her. She wants to share her life with someone, but moving on is hard to do. Six months later she is barely able to make her rent in the miserable secretary job she got at Kruger Advertising, and she prays for a promotion that remains out of reach. If things don’t change soon she will have to return home to Delaware and admit to her failure. Her friends keep telling her it is time to move on, and that the best way to get over Patrick is to get under someone else. That doesn’t really interest Bee, though. Love is risky. But when her friend Marie sets her up on a blind date with her husband’s handsome single coworker, she eventually relents despite her instinct to refuse.

Mason Caldwell, roughly twenty-nine, doesn’t want to take over the family business. He has no interest in MAC International or finance – running his own advertising agency is his dream. He graduated from Harvard alongside his best friend James Hunter but refused to cow to his parents. They are no longer on speaking terms as a result. Mason doesn’t mind. Getting cut off financially is a bit of a hit, though. He is used to a lavish lifestyle. His advertising job at Blue Media doesn’t begin pay the kind of bills he is accustomed to. His parents’ money is about to dry up, but he is determined to make his own way in the world. Starting his own agency takes some startup cash, and he has a plan to make it happen. His side business has him doing some things that his parents would be aghast to learn about, but for Mason it is all good fun. He hasn’t been serious about a girl since high school, and indulging in his playboy lifestyle works well for business. When he saves up enough money he can start his own agency, and nothing will stop him from making his own fortune and earning back his parents’ respect. When Carter, his coworker, tries to set him up on a blind date his response is a definite no. But when Carter throws in some incentives to sweeten the deal he figures he has a few hours to waste.

Mason is brash and full of himself when Bee first meets him. Though she is timid and naïve, she isn’t afraid to challenge him. She feels emboldened with him. It becomes quite clear what Mason wants out of their evening, but Bee isn’t that kind of girl – or maybe letting lose is exactly what she needs to move on. Their blind date takes them both through a myriad of emotions, and what might have ended in a one night stand instead ends rather abruptly. The back and forth continues between the two, whose plans never seem to quite pan out as expected. Their chemistry is intense but they are often not on the same page. They are opposites in many ways. He is sophisticated but dirty. He wants just one night with her so that he can mentally move on. His doesn’t date, but ends up on the hook for more. He cannot get her out of his mind. Bee is lacking in experience but that only excites him more. She new to the city and not used to his lifestyle. Being with her keeps him on his toes – she is the first to say no to him and is unapologetic about it. He sees her as naturally submissive, but she isn’t very good at it. Bee is tempted by Mason’s forwardness, and his attention makes her feel special. She had loved Patrick, but the pain begins to dissipate as she gets to know Mason. And the more she learns about him, the more confused she is about him. She loves his demanding and flirty side, but she falls for the sweet side, too. Despite anything he or anyone else says about him, she knows that underneath the bluster is a man that makes her feel good about herself and surprises her with his thoughtfulness.

Mason has a loose relationship with the truth – and he is very talented at avoiding it. His conversations and avoidance tactics are hilarious. And when he learns who Bee’s ex-fiancé is, he knows he is in for trouble. She blames Mason for her breakup with Patrick, who had fallen under Mason’s influence. And as much as she has come to feel for Mason, she has to question if he would he ever be able to earn her trust. Mason’s friend James has settled down with Penny, and he offers some good advice. In the midst of the rapid progression of their undefined relationship, Bee has some serious issues to face at Kruger Advertising. Meanwhile Mason is temporarily distracted from his business goals by Bee. Being with her makes him question himself and his methods. He hadn’t seemed to have many scruples when he met Bee, but things are changing for him. He nevertheless finds himself in web of deceit with no way out, but he also hasn’t been honest with himself. The couple eventually earns a happy ending.

There are hints about Rob Hunter, who has been hanging out with coeds in Newark, getting restless and seeking change. He wants to move back to the city. Mason recognizes some of the signs and wonders if he might be ready to settle down. Rob’s story follows in Third Chances.

Wow! This pair is entertaining. Mason and Bee’s story certainly has some serious aspects, but Mason is hard to take too seriously. He lies constantly and has a rather singular focus. Reading about his progression is really sweet and very rewarding. Bee blossoms around him and finds that she has a dirty side, too. Their opposites attract story has them finding a happy middle. This story is well-written. The plot is somewhat complex. It weaves in characters from related books. The characters are well-developed. It is easy to fall for Mason’s whacky character despite his flaws; he is humanized eventually. And that Bee is so understanding, mature, and accepting makes her a great match for him. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Mason and Bee. I rate this book 4.5 stars.