Tag Archive | 3 Stars

Surrounded by Crimson (Sumeria’s Sons #4) by Lexi Ander (3 Stars)

Jan20

Tristan’s life is becoming more dangerous, but love will carry him through the tough challenges he will face.

The author created a very rich, detailed world with an interesting history. The majority of the story seemed to be focused on building the world instead of further developing the characters or their relationship. I would have loved to have seen more time spent with Tristan and Ushna.

Tristan started to exert some of his power when he returned to his original home to face the prisoners that attacked his village. I loved watching him show his strength and abilities in order to protect those he loves. His pregnancy continues to trouble him leading to some of the lighter moments in the story. He had a knack for complaining in a humorous way. The plot revolving around Nikita/Brian from the last story continues and strengthens in this story. The saga seems to be headed in the direction of a menage relationship. The Gods and Goddesses continue to interfere and cause trouble, but they also keep things interesting. Ushna and Tristan continue to be on solid footing with their relationship. Their love for each other is shown repeatedly through their actions.

This series must be read in order due to the complexity of the world and relationships and the timeline the story follows. Although this wasn’t my favorite of the 4 books so far, it was still an interesting story and must be read if you’re following the series.

Tristan and Ushna continue their adventure as they build their bond, family, and community.

cover

Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
<!–more Book Blurb–>

<strong>BLURB</strong>

Tristan has agreed to bond with Ushna, but there is still much to do and returning to Tribe Enkidu puts everyone on edge. Tristan is being stalked like prey, all the while fighting depression as he mourns the loss of Nikita, and enduring a battle of wills with the Elder Council over his birthright. The pleading of his adoptive daughter only adds still more stress to the situation.

Stumbling onto a secret prison while searching for Ushna leads Tristan to risk everything to free a lost God. But breaking the tie to his Flame has more repercussions than Tristan knew and the assistance of a forgotten Goddess and a centuries old lover may not be enough to save him.

Rated: XXXmas by Lisa Henry, J.A. Rock, E.F. Mulder (3 Stars)

Dec7

Fall On Your Knees by Lisa Henry & J.A. Rock

What happens to a couple when playing with a third person starts to mean more to both of them?

The story was mostly very kinky sex with lots of pain involved. Asa and Javier have been in a long-term committed relationship. They are both Doms, and they regularly bring a third person, a sub, into their night of fun. Asa has been crushing on Drew, his coworker, for the last six months and wants to invite him to play. You can already see the potential for some serious issues with the relationship happening. Fortunately, that aspect was not a major focus and limited the angst of the story.

My biggest issue with the plot was that it tried to be more than just a kinky story, but it wasn’t able to sell me on the new relationship. Drew really didn’t know Javier or Asa very well, and even though they all acknowledged that fact, it still didn’t feel right. There weren’t enough conversations for it to be believable, leading me not to buy into the relationship progression. The BDSM aspects included bondage, a molasses enema, and using a pinwheel, cane and wooden spoon to inflict pain.

This writing team is excellent, and if these elements work for you, then this should definitely be an enjoyable story.

Shepherd, Wise Man, and the Little Drummer Boy by E.F. Mulder

Shep, Rusty, and C.J. are about to make some decisions that will change their lives. They’ve all lived through some tough times, but together they can face all of their challenges and make a better life for themselves.

The characters all seemed like nice guys, and I thought they got along great. C.J. captured my heart with his cheerful and optimistic view on life even though he was in the midst of fighting cancer and learning to live without a few of his limbs. I would have liked to have gotten to know the characters better through dialogue instead of being told what was happening.

There were also too many other characters in the story. They added very little value but took away from the main relationship. I never developed strong feelings for Shep or Rusty and had a hard time understanding why they all fell in love with each other. I also really struggled with the sex scenes. Part of it related to the descriptions which didn’t feel sexy. The other part was the result of the missing emotional connection.

In the end, these three seemed happy together, and it certainly seem believable that they would find some way to make it work. Allowing themselves to rely on each other opened the door to love.

cover

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

Under His Boss by Doris O’Connor (3 Stars)

Sep14

Cute office romance mixing new love with business.

James Dyllon has been lusting after his boss but doesn’t think he stands a chance with him. George MacKenzie has been lusting after his employee, but doesn’t believe he should cross that line. Until one day he does, and they are both pleasantly surprised by the results.

This was a nice story with a mixture of romance, sex, family, and business issues. Unfortunately, there was a little too much going on outside of the relationship which made it really hard for me to understand why these two guys were so in love with each other. I would have liked to have seen more conversations and time together outside of the bedroom with George and James. There was definitely quite a bit of time spent in the bedroom among other places.

George’s father made a mess of the business he owned, and it was up to George to fix the mess. The easiest way to fix it was to marry the daughter of his competitor and bring the two companies together. The daughter was not a very nice person, and her appearances in the story made that perfectly clear. Fortunately, once George and James connected with each other, they were able to leave her behind. There was also a visit to James’ family for a party where we got to see George reflect on his life. The sad epilogue revolving around George’s dying father was touching.

If you enjoy plenty of activities with your romance, this was a nice story.

cover

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

The Billionaire’s Bodyguard by Erin M. Leaf (3 Stars)

Aug2

An entertaining short story with a mix of murder, mystery and romance.

Alex Roman, billionaire investor, finds himself in need of a bodyguard after receiving strange and threatening letters. Fortunately, his best friend, Jesse Emerson, has just returned from serving in the Air Force as a security expert and is more than willing to help him. Alex has been in love with Jesse forever, and this might just be the opportunity to make that clear.

Alex and Jesse are both really nice people, and the affection they feel for each other is apparent from page one. They would do anything for each other and have looked out for one another their entire lives. Alex has been in love with Jesse, and believes that at some point, Jesse will realize that he loves Alex back. As circumstances allow them to spend every minute of their days together, it becomes harder and harder for Alex to wait around for Jesse to see what’s in front of him. Alex takes a chance and fortunately, Jesse is open to the possibility that he does love Alex as more than just a friend.

In addition to watching Jesse try to determine what is happening with his love life, we are also dealing with the mystery of who is trying to kill Alex. There are certainly plenty of suspects. Unfortunately, the mystery was just too convoluted for such a short story. It became a bit too much and overwhelmed the romance. There were also some open loops at the end leaving me wondering why certain things happened.

If you enjoy mystery stories with best friends turning into lovers, this could fit the bill.

cover

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