Mixing business with pleasure takes two couples to the limits of temptation in this scorching Harlequin Desire anthology by bestselling authors Brenda Jackson and Naima Simone …
One Steamy Night by New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson
A passion-filled night is only the beginning of his plan…
Westmoreland family friend Jaxon Ravnel is in Wyoming to consummate his fiery attraction to Nadia Novak. But unbeknownst to him, Nadia has her own plan for seduction. Their pleasure-filled night is full of surprises. Nadia leaves believing Jaxon isn’t ready for love…and he leaves wanting to make her his wife! Now Jaxon is playing by his own rules…
An Off-Limits Merger by USA TODAY bestselling author Naima Simone
To seal the deal, it’s hands off the CEO’s daughter…
Motorcycle exec Bran Holleran is a heartbeat away from taking his company to the next level. An affair with the daughter of his most important investor could destroy everything. But Tatum Haas is temptation itself. Despite swearing off love after a devastating betrayal, the Boston socialite finds the bad-boy businessman impossible to resist…until a shocking secret threatens their blazing connection!
In 1994, Brenda Jackson’s first novel, Tonight and Forever, was released. Since then she has had more than 100 novels and novellas published (the first African-American author to accomplish such a feat) and has over 3 million books in print.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Brenda is the first African-American author to have a book published by Harlequin Desire and the first African-American romance author to make the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists within the series romance genre.
In 2012, Brenda received the Romance Writers of America’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award—one of the highest literary awards a romance author can receive. In 2013, she was recognized by the mayor and the city of Jacksonville as being a Trailblazer in the literary field.
In 2010, she collaborated with Five Alive Films to turn her Truly Everlasting title into a feature film. Brenda’s 2011 novel A Silken Thread is scheduled to be filmed with Debbie Allen attached as director in 2015.
Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.
I absolutely loved this. Alpha males, strong women, and fighting for what you want and what you deserve!
I haven't read much of Brenda Jackson's books yet so this was a great introduction. It was a little difficult to follow the families in One Steamy Night, maybe if I had read her other books that would be easier. I also kind of hated that Nadia was so weird about being a virgin.
As for Naima, she never disappoints!!! Tatum was brilliant and heartbroken and lovely and I hated how her family were treating her after the traumatic event. Bran....my heart. He has my heart!! Watching the push and pull between them was so wonderful. All the stars!!
This is a Romance. I could not get into this book at all, so I ended up DNFing this book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
ONE STEAMY NIGHT Fun book. Jaxon, a recently discovered cousin to Bart Outlaw, saw Nadia at a Westmoreland wedding and was immediately taken with her. At a Westmoreland men's poker game several months later, he announced his intention to marry her - even though they've never had one date. I loved the reactions to his announcement - mostly warnings that Nadia will not be an easy conquest.
Nadia has noticed Jaxon, but she's been burned by overconfident men before and has no intention of going through that again. When Jaxon appears in her hometown, ostensibly to purchase land to expand his business, she is wary of spending time with him. When he declares his love for her and his intention to marry her, Nadia is furious. She sends him off after chewing him out about his declaration when he doesn't know her.
Jaxon is not easily discouraged, and after promising to dial back his declaration, he decides to use other methods to get close to her. I enjoyed his end run, especially his commitment to supporting her acting school. There is a great scene where he shuts down a TV interviewer who tries to ignore Nadia while focusing on him.
The more time they spend together, the more their attraction grows. When Nadia decides to indulge in one steamy night (her reason is unusual for a woman her age), she doesn't expect the depth of their connection. She's determined to move on, but their night together reinforces Jaxon's desire to permanently have her in his life. When he again declares his feelings for her, Nadia reacts angrily and pushes him away. He confronts her about her refusal to believe his feelings and tells her to find him when she's ready to admit her feelings.
It takes a long conversation with her best friend and time away from Jaxon for Nadia to finally accept her feelings for him. I loved seeing her gather her courage and go to him. I loved the ending and seeing her open up completely to him and admit her love. The epilogue was terrific, and I loved the surprise Jaxon had for her.
I also loved catching up with so many of the Westmoreland couples. It is also exciting to see that more Westmoreland relatives have been found. I look forward to reading their stories.
AN OFF-LIMITS MERGER Good book. The story begins with Tatum experiencing a devastating betrayal by her fiancé the night before their wedding. Mark died and escaped dealing with the scandal. Ten months later, Tatum is still the focus of gossip and innuendo and coping with the grief of losing the man she loved and the man she thought he was. What makes it worse is that Mark's parents can't seem to let her move on, constantly bringing her back to things involving him. Her parents are no better, frequently inviting his parents to family and social gatherings. It was interesting to get a look at the various family dynamics. I can safely say that I did not care for Tatum's parents and actively disliked her sister, Mia. Their actions and attitudes drove Tatum to escape from a gathering, where she met a sexy stranger with a penchant for direct speech.
The next day, Tatum is assigned to work with that stranger, a co-owner of a motorcycle business looking for investors. That meeting with her father and sister is awkward and highlights some of Tatum's issues. I liked Tatum's professionalism and determination to do her best. Bran is surprised to work with her and a little disturbed because of his attraction to her. He doesn't need the distraction or the risk of angering a potential investor.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Bran and Tatum. Both have disastrous past relationships, and neither is looking to risk their hearts again. However, there is no denying the sparks of attraction that flare between them nor the connection that draws them closer together. I liked how sensitive they were to each other's moods, and I especially liked how well Bran understood Tatum. I especially liked seeing his support as she began to push back against how her family treated her. One of my favorite parts was when he took her out on his motorcycle.
Tatum is hurt again when lies and family betrayals are revealed. It doesn't help that Bran allows his care and protectiveness to overshadow his belief in Tatum's strength. I loved seeing her stand up to her father, sister, and even Bran. Hurt and believing that she can't trust her judgment, Tatum withdraws from everyone as she tries to find herself and her strength. I also ached for Bran, who faced the possibility of losing the woman he loved. I loved the ending and seeing Tatum finally free of the chains holding her to the past. The scene between her and Bran was fantastic, and I heartily approve of their plans for the future. I would have liked an epilogue showing their lives a little into the future.
A total eclipse of the heart. The heat is on. Jackson and Simone bring the passion. From temptation to heartache One Steamy Night and An Off -Limits Merger are fireworks that earn their heartbreaker status.
I have never met a Westmoreland, that doesn't own my heart. No one writes a book boyfriend like Brenda Jackson. Whether it's love at first sight or heartache down the road, there is no turning back. One Steamy Night continues the legacy of the Westmorelands. From family connections to tempting romance, Jaxon and Nadia are flameworthy.
Bran and Tatum turn the heart inside out. From betrayals revealed to redemption found, Simone bursts the soul wide open. An Off-Limits Merger is an emotional revelation.
Jaxon wanted Nadia from the moment he saw her. He must put in work to win the heart of Nadia. As she is described as "headstrong" Nadia thinks one night will be enough to squelch her feelings for Jaxon.
I thought One Steamy Night was just okay read. I liked how Jaxon was serious with his intentions.
Off Limits Merger 5 Stars After receiving devastating news on the day of her wedding, Tatum finds it hard to recover. Especially with being in the public eye.
I really enjoyed An Off Limits Merger. It was an enjoyable read. I'm not always a fan of age gap romances but this one was done well.
Love the Westmoreland family and their friends. Jaxon was patience personified as he went after the woman who held his heart captivated. Nadia was a tough cookie and she needed to learn how to give people the benefit of the doubt. Loved watching their slow burn romance ignite.
Loved how Bran used his experience to help Tatum come to terms with her grief over being betrayed. He gave her the tools she needed to overcome disappointments which led to her learning how to trust and believe in herself again. Their fiery chemistry was great to see, and I enjoyed watching them deny themselves what they truly wanted. I really didn't want this story to end.
A two in one! Who can complain! This two in one romance novel by Brenda Jackson and Naima Simone was impossible to put down! The love story of Nadia and Jaxon had me hooked from the beginning, and Tatum and Brans love story was definitely a finisher! These books were dramatic, passionate and steamy! The perfect cozy read.
One Steamy Night & An Off-Limits Merger is an enticing romantic novel that captivated me from the very beginning. With its well-developed characters and an engaging storyline, this book left me yearning for more.
Both of these books were great. Brenda Jackson always leave you wanting more. And this was my first Naima Simone book but really enjoyed the story. Will look for more of her books
What a wonderful collaboration to introduce me to an author I have never read by putting her with an author I am very familiar with. One Steamy Night by Brenda Jackson is another visit with the Westmoreland Clan by way of their new friend Jaxon, Ravnel who is a cool, straight forward, lay my cards on the line man: which is what Nadia Novak needs, but not want. I loved how Jaxon laid all the cards on the table literally at the Westmoreland Poker tournament to all the guys to let them know his intent and wanted no interference. Readers are familiar with Nadia as the youngest of the Novak sisters and the last to find a man. Nadia is independent, not looking, and just wants to be left alone to run the acting school, but now Jaxon has come to Wyoming and now she must face the attraction she has to him that she had been ignoring. I loved this story because of the way Jaxon dealt with Naida and her requests to be left alone, but that made her miss him, so she had to reach out. As with all Brenda Jackson's stories the characters play off of each other very well and you want to see their HEA. Off-Limits by Naima Simone is by an author I am not familiar with, but glad that I have found her. I loved this book. The story of Bran and Tatum was great. I had an initial concern because Bran keep thinking about the age gap, but he was just what Tatum needed. Tatum had went through a traumatic event with her fiancé and has put her life on hold for almost a year and here comes Bran Holleran to do a project with her family business. I love seasoned men, say what you mean, mean what you say, and Bran was that. I love the push/pull between them and the secret that came out, WOW. Great story, looking for more to read by this author.