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Luscious Beginnings (Love in Luscious, Kansas #1) by Mia Ashlinn (3 Stars)

May9

Three sexy men, best friends and sometimes more, must decide if they can take their relationship to the highest level.

Sam Carrington, Brett Monroe and Ethan Bartlett have been best friends forever. One day, for no apparent reason, Sam disappears without trace. Ethan and Brett would do anything to find Sam, fix the problem, and get their friendship back on track. If that friendship turns into something more, well then life will be even that much better. However, after finding Sam, the guys realize that the issues they need to address before getting their happy ending are much deeper than they realized. Fortunately, they are surrounded by a lot of friends and nosy neighbors that want to see the three of them get together.

The author did a nice job making sure each of the characters gave us his perspective. All of the characters were unique and felt different. I really liked that they had some lengthy scenes at the beginning of the story from their viewpoints. I thought it really helped as the story moved forward, and the changes took place more quickly. Ethan is the bad boy who appears to in control of everything, but he’s really just a sweet and sensitive guy. Sam is a nice guy who is very confused about what he wants in life. Brett is the strongest of the three and isn’t afraid to go for what he really wants. Their friend Brooklyn is a physic who continues to encourage them to move forward with their relationship based on her visions. Other friends and family make appearances to also encourage the three men to admit to their feelings. Watching them work through their emotional issues while living their lives in towns like Serenity and Luscious was nice, and the banter between the characters was fun. I also liked that the few sex scenes were very instrumental to the plot.

My only issue was that I found the writing style to be somewhat confusing. Since all of the characters were keeping their real feelings hidden for most of the book and not really explaining themselves even during their inner monologues, I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening. It was almost written as a mystery novel with the motives behind their behavior hidden until later in the story.

Readers of Mia Ashlinn’s earlier works will recognize some of the characters making enjoyable guest appearances, but those new to her writing can read this as a stand-alone. There is a lovely happy ending along with a nice epilogue, and the promise of the next book in the series, “Their Luscious Dream”, taking this relationship one step further. This was a sexy love story with some real angst where I found myself rooting for these friends to find true happiness.

LoveInLuscious

 

Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Giving an Inch (The Professor’s Rule #1) by Heidi Belleau and Amelia C. Gormly (3 Stars)

May8

How much trouble can one mistaken text get you in? James is about to find out!

James Sheridan will graduate with his Ph.D. if he passes the final candidacy exam. The only problem is that he has nothing appropriate to wear. While trying on some new clothes and flirting with the salesman, he accidentally sends a picture of himself to his old professor. Professor Carson, his former Dom/lover, is more than excited to get the text and is hoping this is a sign that they can pick up their relationship again.

The entire story takes place in the clothing store, and more specifically the changing room, where James alternately flirts with the sexy young salesman, Satish, and exchanges very interesting texts with Professor Carson. James left the relationship with Carson because he was afraid he was losing himself to this domineering and extremely kinky man. The texts are pretty steamy and give the reader a good idea of a lot of things that happened during their relationship. There is one really sexy scene between James and Satish, but everything else is just flashbacks. Since everything is told from James’ POV, we got to know him pretty well for a short story. I loved the author’s writing style which kept me hooked throughout.

Unfortunately, the story has a very ambiguous ending. Based on some blog comments on the authors’ websites, it appears this is the first chapter in a serial story. If there had been a solid ending, this would have easily been a 5 star read for me. As it is, without reading the rest of the “chapters”, and not even getting a HFN in this one, my rating has dropped significantly.

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Originally reviewed for Swept Away By Romance. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
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The Buyout by Bru Baker (3 Stars)

May7

Sometimes the path we’re headed down changes drastically for the better with the love of a good man.

Parker Anderson is working hard toward his goal of taking over Anderson Industries once his father retires. However, his father plans on selling his company to outsiders, causing Parker and many of the employees to lose their jobs. Mason Pike is a key player at the company, and he’s determined to help prevent the company from being sold off. Mason and Parker get to know each other better as they start working together and dating.

Parker is hard working, smart, and very determined to do well. Mason has a very sarcastic, almost sexy, personality with the intelligence to back it up as the Chief Enterprise Architect of the company. I really enjoyed the witty banter between Parker and his assistant, Luke Jacobs, that took place at the beginning of the story as they sent each other instant messages. I also loved the messages between Parker and Mason as they first got to know each other.

Unfortunately, the majority of the plot was focused on the buyout of the firm and the related business politics. Although it was fast paced, it missed the mark on being really interesting and enjoyable by stepping away from the relationship side. There was a huge cast of characters which also got a bit confusing. One character was introduced as a major investor with a mysterious background, but it was never resolved or explained. I would love to see a follow-up completely focused on the relationship between Parker and Mason, since I think that’s where the writing excelled.

If you enjoy corporate politics and takeovers, along with some witty banter and light romance, then this story should hit the spot.

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
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Prize Package by Kyle Adams (5 Stars)

May5

Winning the contest was exciting, but the real prize was meeting someone special.

Jason Smith just won a contest, but since he’s addicted to entering contests, he doesn’t even remember entering this one. He gets to spend the day with a champion professional wrestler, which would be great if he knew anything at all about wrestling. The MeatGrinder, aka Trent Peterson, has to spend the day with a fan, but he has a complete itinerary to follow to keep the two of them entertained. Neither of them expects the day to take an unexpected turn.

Jason is adorable and sarcastic, letting his thoughts flow through his mouth without a filter. In the past, he was shy, but he’s gotten past that stage in his life and is no longer afraid to go after what he wants. Trent is dedicated to his craft, works hard, and is very interested in pursuing Jason. The main focus of the story is the fun day that they spend together.

However, simple doesn’t mean boring when you have Kyle Adams’ trademark humor. There are several lines in this story that had me burst out laughing which is a huge treat. In addition to several sexy scenes, there was a lot of interaction between the characters, and an ending that solidified the start of a sweet relationship.

If you enjoy a sweet romance with a great sense of humor, I highly recommend this winner!

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Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb