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For THRC reviews!

Loving Maddie from A to Z

To see sexy teasers and read an excerpt, go check my review for this on my blog: http://goo.gl/9lDpg8


I give this story five out of five. It’s realistic, thrilling, and HOT with compelling and well-developed characters. It’s also a short read that grips the reader quickly and keeps that attention throughout.

Loving Maddie is a fabulous poly romance story that I devoured within the span of a single night… the first time in a while that I started reading and kept reading! I couldn’t put it down!

First thing you should know about this book is that it features a bisexual MMF relationship. Second thing you should know, it’s a BDSM romance story. So if you have a problem with BDSM, poly sex, and gay sex, you’re not likely to find this enjoyable! Personally I think it’s H.O.T, HOT!

The premise is perhaps a little complex… three former college friends (Maddie, Aiden, & Zack) reunite after Zack, a photojournalist covering the world’s problems, escapes from his Syrian captors. Maddie and Aiden, now in a romantic relationship, insist Zack come stay with them to recuperate. Although the three were once inseparable, Zack has kept his distance the past many years, despite Maddie’s frequent emails to try and connect. See, Zack has a bit of a problem… like Aiden, Zack has been in love with Maddie for many years. But when he sees that Aiden and Maddie have feelings for one another, he leaves to follow his dreams and distract himself from his loneliness.

Now that the friends are reunited, and he has to watch Aiden and Maddie’s love and devotion to one another, Zack is torn between maintaining his non-feeling, neutral attitude and his left-over pain from his terrible recent experiences.

CAUTION… SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

But, the story is a bit more complicated as we learn that this love story is a true love triangle… that there are buried feelings within more than one of this friendship. On top of that, Zack learns of Maddie and Aiden’s troubles connecting in bed, learns that they are both in need of something he can and wants to give them… sexual domination. When their need is revealed, Zack takes a plunge and shows them what they need, what he can give them.

From there, their relationship gets more complicated. Maddie and Aiden submit to his Domination hesitantly, but willingly, believing that this will help their problems, but they continue to keep secrets and feelings buried… and Aiden still does not quite accept or understand what he really needs and desires.


This creates some tension as the story progresses and as they delve into a D/s sexual relationship with one another. Secrets are still being kept and none of them are telling the others how they feel, how they’ve always felt and never been able to admit to one another, nor themselves. The tension then creates some slight angst… but Jamieson is merciful to us readers and resolves this angst pretty quickly by giving us the ending I at least was really hoping for.

Homefront

Homefront by Jessica Scott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Homefront is about romance and second chances.

Gale and Melanie have spent over a decade a part after their divorce. Gale has been a devoted military man and the strain of his absence eventually took its toll on their relationship… leading Melanie to take their daughter and leave him. Its 15 years later, Gale is back in the US, Texas to be specific, and sets out to fix his relationship between his ex-wife and his sixteen year old daughter. But Melanie is hesitant to forgive and allow him back in her heart… she’s so used to Gale leaving as soon as they start getting close as a family.

And now things are a world more complicated… Jamie has mental health issues that once lead her to an attempted suicide attempt and a stressful relationship between her and her mother. More than that, Gale and Melanie soon learn that Jamie’s friend Alex lives under the hand of an abusive father… a fellow soldier and friend. As they struggle to find a healthy relationship and a balance between their new selves, they also fight to keep their daughter and her friend safe.

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What I liked:
I liked that these characters were complex and felt real… it felt like I was reading someone’s life.
I liked that there was a bit of a slow burn; that Melanie didn’t forgive and forget right away and that Gale had to work to be a better person and father. I also like that Jamie was a bit mysterious… as teenagers usually are. I was never quite sure what was going on with her, or Alex, or her and Alex.

What I didn’t like:
It took awhile, maybe 8 to 10 chapters, for me to connect with this story and the characters, especially Gale… perhaps because it starts in a military setting; military jargon is all Greek to me.
The switching back and forth between first and last names among secondary characters was quite confusing; it made it difficult to keep up with the images of the characters in my head. I’m afraid I still don’t know who is who of characters…

~*~

Overall, this was a short and beautiful story and I rate it a four stars! 




View all my reviews

Dare to Hold

Blurb:
Some women always get it right. Kindergarten teacher, Meg Thompson, on the other hand, consistently makes the wrong decisions — and she is currently single, pregnant and alone. Meg is determined to make changes in her life, to be a better mother than her own had been. No revolving door of men. No man, period. Just a single-minded focus on her baby. Her resolution would be easier to keep if not for hot cop, Scott Dare. He insinuates himself in her life, making Meg want to believe in happily ever after, even if history has taught her to know better.

When Scott Dare hears Meg’s friends are determined she have a night of hot sex, before her life changes forever, he decides that man must be him. Their one night is mind blowing and life altering. And Scott, a man already burned by his ex-wife, finds himself all in anyway. While protecting Meg from her violent ex and becoming part of her increasingly complicated life, he’s falling hard and he can’t seem to find distance. Not when their bodies respond to each other with such heated intensity and he’s drawn to her unique combination of strength and vulnerability.

But Meg’s future is one Scott has accepted he’ll never have, even if his growing feelings say otherwise …
(love story, contemporary romance, alpha heroes, beach reads, sports heroes, bad boys, billionaire)

Dare to Love Series Reading Order
Book 1: Dare to Love (Ian & Riley)
Book 2: Dare to Desire (Alex & Madison)
Book 3: Dare to Surrender (Gabe & Isabelle)
Book 4: Dare to Submit (Decklan & Amanda)
Book 5: Dare to Touch (Olivia & Dylan)
Book 6: Dare to Hold (Scott & Meg) coming in 2015
Book 7: Dare to Rock (Avery & Grey) coming in 2015
*each book can stand alone for your reading enjoyment
Thank you so much and enjoy!

Dare to Hold by Carly Phillips

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book 6 in the “Dare to Love” series, “Dare to Hold” tells the story of kindergarten teacher Meg Thompson and cop-turned-bodyguard Scott Dare. I haven’t had the chance to read the first five books, but my understanding is that this series centers on different characters within the Dare family; and that Meg and Scott had met in an earlier book.

The book begins with the revelation that Meg is not only pregnant, but reeling from the end of an abusive relationship, which ended when her exs actions nearly led to a miscarriage. Scott, a cop that had involved himself in her case at the time, has developed an attraction to Meg… and she to him. However, when Meg decides it’s time to end her habit of getting into bad relationships, things get complicated between the two. Instead of giving into the romantic relationship they both want, they instead decide to stick to a sex only, no strings attached deal. But, as Meg’s ex continues to threaten Meg, and her unborn child, Scott’s protective instincts shoot through the roof and he can’t help himself from insinuating himself into her life.

I gave this story a 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a very compelling story, with compelling main characters, but I feel like there isn’t a whole lot of character variety, especially among secondary characters. Many of them seem to all have similar personal and family issues (father trouble, relationship trouble, especially the women) and though it’s a very minor issue, it does make me a little hesitant to read the other books in the series, although I did really enjoy this one; I’m worried that each book will have the same equation, and basically the same story. I hope not, because as I said, I did really enjoy this story and the writer’s ability to bring depth to the characters, settings, and events.

BUT, I will be reading the first book in the series as soon as I can. And this book, by itself, has definitely earned a four star rating… it was a great read and a terrific story to tell. I really enjoyed Meg and Scott’s relationship; I liked that although they both felt such a strong connection, they didn’t try to push themselves and each other in an emotionally intimate relationship; it just seemed to evolve naturally over-time. I also really like the funny, but close relationship the Dare family have, which does make me want to read the other books. :)

Overall, this story was a great read and I give it four stars!




View all my reviews




TO READ CHAPTER ONE EXCERPT, see full post on the blog:
http://goo.gl/rhGsxU

Black Keys

Release Blitz and Review ~ Black Keys by Rose B Mashal


Black Keys
by Rose B. Mashal
(The Colorblind Trilogy, #1)
Publication date: May 15th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance


Synopsis:

A Muslim Arab Prince with a heavy weight of responsibilities on his shoulders and a young, Catholic American woman with a dark, haunted past living inside her heart are unexpectedly thrust together in a deal of betrayal brokered by her brother. The last thing she imagines when she goes to a wedding in a kingdom far away from her home is to find out that it’s her own wedding as well.

But as the bright, independent CEO struggles to live this new life, the attractive, intelligent Prince wants nothing more than for his bride to find the black keys.
As traditions and rules become too numerous to keep up with, fate steps in to teach the troubled new Princess a few lessons about love, life, understanding, and acceptance. And destiny forces the Crown Prince into allowing his beautiful wife to break a rule or two.

Because when it comes to love, rules blur and traditions fade.


PURCHASE LINKS
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/pfQeCY
Amazon: http://goo.gl/9VfpCt

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AUTHOR BIO:
Rose is a loved mother, wife, and a stay at home lawyer. Writing is her passion, and reading is her obsession. Music is her best friend and sarcasm is her speaking trend. One of her joys is bringing happiness to others and her biggest wish is that they stay true to one another. Through her stories, she wants to spread nothing except understanding, peace and love.

AUTHOR LINKS
Facebook: https://goo.gl/u2Wq3s
Amazon Author Page: http://goo.gl/PnT1np
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/rznU57

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Lisa's Review

"Black Keys" weaves together romance, religion, culture, and diverse characters to create a beautiful story and a wonderful reading experience!

Possessed of wonderfully flawed characters and a layered world, Black Keys tells the story of a young woman finding acceptance, love, and a better version of herself in the arms of those she never imagined she could care for.

I give this book a five stars for it's beautiful imagery, it's emotion, and it's strong potential as a series.

Oh, and pay special attention to the credits... you may just see my name there! I had the awesome privilege of editing this book for Rose a week before it's release! :D

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Shadows of the Forest
Emma Michaels




Actual rating... 3.5
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the fantasy and the folklore of it all... and I quite enjoyed the journey Lily took to save the life of her brother... however, it did fall a little flat for me, it fell short of it's potential.
..... (see blog for full review .....
Overall, although I'm torn on the vague and mysterious aspects of it all, I still really enjoyed reading this and I look forward to checking out more of Emma's books.

~*~
My full review is up on blogs:
THRC Main - http://thehoardingreaderscorner.blogs...

THRC YA - http://thrcyasection.blogspot.com/201...

My personal blog (musings of an introverted geek)
http://lisalikesreviews.blogspot.com/...

~*~
Also, what IS Usagi/Sachiko, Willow and now Lily?? I've been trying to find out what kind of spirit/creature they are but I haven't been able to. I find it FASCINATING... especially Lily with her cosmos/galaxy markings!

REVIEW ~ The Theory of Deviance by Rebecca Grace Allen





The Theory of Deviance by Rebecca Grace Allen
Series: The Portland Rebels #3
Published by Samhain Publishing on August 2, 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Erotica, LGBTQ, Ménage, New Adult



Deviance is unacceptable. It’s taboo. And it’s the one thing he’s always wanted.

Painful shyness isn’t the only reason Mikey Pelletier is a twenty-five-year-old virgin. Between working for his parents and volunteering at his church, he neither has the time nor the inclination to admit his bisexuality to the world—or to himself.

A visit from Krissy Porter will hopefully fix everything. After three months of chatting with her, Mikey’s got one carefully planned week to win her heart and lose his V-card. He’s hoping he can pull it off, even with her roommate along for the ride.

Krissy has been drawn to Mikey for a while. He’s so easygoing, she thinks he could be the calm in her storm. But there’s an extra complication when she comes to visit: her friend-with-benefits, “hetero-flexible” roommate, Rafe.

During a week of revelations, intimacy, and kink, Krissy and Rafe become the angel and devil on Mikey’s shoulders, tempting him in different directions. And all three of them discover that a week of pure deviance can lead to the most uncontrollable emotion of all: love.

Warning: This book contains innocent board game-playing that takes a sexy turn, use of recreational substances, back-door action, and some smokin’ hot threesomes. Plus, scenes of inner-demon slaying. Fans and tissues advised.



Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1VQzmHfB&N
Nook: http://bit.ly/1RGnBgo
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1ohSrVm
iBooks: http://apple.co/1pGm5Vj
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1LVgIvI

THERE'S A PLAYLIST!! And it's AMAZING! Go Listen! -
http://www.rebeccagraceallen.com/mybo...





Received free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating - 4.5



I REALLY enjoyed this book, I can't say it's my favorite of the series - though I like the themes in this one perhaps a little more - because the other two books had more romance in them, but I still found this thoroughly enjoyable... and once again, I love that the story, like the first two, is built around a central scientific theme, a sociological theme to be exact... the Theory of Deviance, the act of nonconformity... being an individual, being true to one's self and the rejection of the uniform, traditional ideals of society. I think it's really cool and interesting how Allen weaves these scientific themes and methodologies into this series. It's really very fascinating and I come away from it with a bit more knowledge and an interest in learning more about them and how they relate so much to their story and it's characters, which is awesome!

~*~

While I did find it somewhat lacking in the romance department, the slow build, there were many, MANY aspects that I really enjoyed.

For one, I like that this was bisexual menage rather than a love triangle where I always feel like someone gets left out... I love this kind of menage because the love goes in all directions. I loved the diversity in the LGBT characters... Mikey and Rafe were at different points in their journey of self-acceptance, and though they had similar roots (the struggle and questioning of religion, the nonsupportive family), one far more extreme than the other, I like that they took different branching paths. I really like that as a bisexual woman, it made ME question and explore things I have gone through. I would like to see Allen write more LGBT and/or menage romance to see where she can take it, what new realities she can explore.

I loved the religious themes and struggles. While Rafe could not hold onto his faith AND find self-acceptance and love - as I couldn't - and that he had to let go of what was basically poison to him personally, Mikey fought to hold on to his faith, fought to find a way to balance them. And I like that it SEEMS that both characters are accepting of the other's choices... Mikey doesn't try to force Rafe into rediscovering his faith, and Rafe doesn't badger Mikey about his beyond that initial shock and struggle.

I liked that this book delved into mental health and what it's like living with Bipolar disorder, the way it takes over the mind and sometimes no amount of wishful thinking can stop an episode... it takes lots of support and strength to get a handle on. While I have mental health issues, I don't personally struggle with a bipolar disorder... but I have family members who do and I found Krissy's struggle to be quite similar to the experiences my family has talked about, the struggle you face when your own mind is your worst enemy. Honestly, it's quite similar to my own struggle with depression and anxiety. So I quite liked that Allen wasn't afraid to delve into this subject... and she did it without sort of romanticizing mental illness, which I think some people have a tendency to do.

Finally, I like that there was a light amount of angst. Though I do find myself in the mood for angst at times, that's not what I wanted out of this book, so I'm glad that it was kept at a minimum... especially when each character was dealing with their own internal angst and struggles... the last thing it needed was a whole lot of relationship angst tacked on.

~*~

So, yeah, while I do wish there had been a bit more slow-burn romance, that Allen would have really delved into these characters getting to know one another, there were so many redeeming themes that I just loved! Honestly, this book could have been twice it's size and I would have still loved reading it! :)





Rebecca Grace Allen writes kinky new adult and hot contemporary BDSM romance. She holds a

Bachelor of Arts in English with a double concentration in Creative Writing and Literary Comparison, as well as a Master of Science in Elementary Education, both of which seemed like good ideas at the time. After stumbling through careers in entertainment, publishing, law and teaching, she's returned to her first love: writing. A self-admitted caffeine addict and gym rat, she currently lives in upstate New York with her husband, two parakeets, and a cat with a very unusual foot fetish.

Website: http://www.rebeccagraceallen.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RGraceAllen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccagrace...
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2aeNZC6
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aPcvcQ


~*~More from the Portland Rebels Series~*~



The Duality Principle
The Portland Rebels Book 1
Blurb:
Sometimes A + B = O. Yes. Oh, yes. Just like that.

Gabriella Evans’s life exists in terms of logic and definitions. She’s holed up in Portland, Maine, for the summer to work on her PhD thesis, but something is screwing up her concentration: the rumble of a motorcycle every time the embodiment of her rough-and-tumble fantasies rides down her street.

When her best friend talks her into a blind date, she finds herself out with the opposite of her fantasy. He’s polite and well-mannered, yet something behind his crisply tailored shirt doesn’t add up—a rebellious gleam in his eye that piques her curiosity.

Orphaned at fifteen, Connor Starks has finally put the years of failing grades, breaking laws and breaking hearts behind him. The only holdover? His penchant for getting down and dirty in public places. But Gabriella makes him want to prove he’s become a better man.

Nothing intrigues Gabriella more than a problem she can’t solve. But the more Connor tries to bury his past, the more determined she is to uncover it. And what she finds makes all her trusty logic begin to fail her…

Warning: This book contains a summer romance, dirty talk, dockside kissing, motorcycles and tattoos. Features a rebellious nerdy girl with an appetite for outdoor sex and light spanking, and a bad boy who’s turned good…or at least he’s trying.

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Buy Links:
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1LVhZmH
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/1URPDMw
Kobo: http://bit.ly/21PWZPV
Apple: http://apple.co/1RGpaey
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1VQAvyG



The Hierarchy of Needs
Portland Rebels Book 2

Blurb:

Jamie Matthews is stuck in a rut. After hitting a wall with her dream career, she’s back in her hometown, living a life as monotonous as swimming laps in the neighborhood pool.

Being surrounded by her perfect brothers is a painful reminder of her failure to launch. The last bonfire of the summer is an ideal way to let off steam, especially when she runs into Dean Trescott, the playboy friend she had one hot-as-hell night with back in high school.

Since the day Dean met Jamie, he’s loved her beauty, talent, and smile that lit up the whole damn block. But dating isn’t an option. She has a bright future ahead of her, and he refuses to chain her to his—helping run the family business that’s barely staying afloat.

A “what-happens-in-Vegas” weekend was supposed to get their craving for each other out of their systems. But neither counted on the past repeating itself, drawing them together in even hotter and dirtier ways and dangling the possibility they might both be able to get exactly what they need…

Warning: A friends-to-lovers twice over story that contains some hot ’n’ heavy kissing in the waves, hair pulling, and a man who knows how to use his hands. It may also feature a few practical jokes—only the fun kind, of course.

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Buy Links:
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1qciHlq
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/1RGpsSF
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1XZ8e7w
iTunes: http://apple.co/1LViuNp
Google Play: http://bit.ly/25t8RvY