Review of Quid Pro Quo by L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

For the past six months, Jared’s been selling sex at Market Garden, a London club that caters to the better-off. But business is slow in the run-up to Christmas, when businessmen and bankers are too busy bickering over bonuses to rent themselves a little high-class action.

Though Jared’s wallet finds the downtime unnerving, the rest of him rather enjoys the opportunity it gives him to admire Tristan, an old hand in the club whose reputation usually sees him well-booked. Jared has been crushing on Tristan for months—he’s no more immune to Tristan’s cockiness and confidence than the johns, and those are just Tristan’s inner qualities.
Just as Jared’s about to chat Tristan up, a businessman asks for something a little different: he wants to book them both. They agree—and Jared finds himself going from crush to mind-bending lust as he’s made the pawn in a sexual power game. Tristan shows him how a pro handles a john while delivering the top-shelf sex for which the Market Garden is so rightly renowned.

********************

Quid Pro Quo is the first installment in the Market Garden series and is for those wanting an hour of intensely steamy yet mindless entertainment.  It takes place in the world of rent boys where money can indeed buy you happiness, along with a few hours of sexual fun.

Jared's the new boy toy on the block and has slowly become enamored of Tristan, whose been in the business a long time and knows how to get the most money out of his clientele.  Jared's been dreaming of getting his hands on Tristan and when a client gives him the opportunity to put on a show for him WITH Tristan he almost forgets that their time together is for business.  What follows is a steamy encounter that practically burns your retinas.  The power play between Tristan and the client to squeeze more money out of him is diabolical to watch.  Tristan is constantly in control but there were a few flashes where you could sense Jared getting the upper hand.  The two of them mesh beautifully together and it would be easy to become addicted to what they offer.  Overall, the scene reeks of sexual tension, and even when they reach the end you can't help but want more.

This is a story merely meant to titillate.  There's nothing thoughtprovoking or profound, it's merely sex.  The sex though is written very HOT and has a flow that allows for the sexual tension to escalate where the reader is just as into it as the client.  Those looking for Shakespeare look elsewhere, this is pure sexual fun and for my hour I too got more than my money's worth.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Winner of Hidden Depths by Aubrianna Hunter

Before I get to the winner I want to thank Ms. Hunter for letting me give away a Kindle copy of her great book.  I also want to thank those who took the time to sign up.  And now, without further ado, the winner is..........

..........Kassandra!!!!!

Congratulations!!!!  I'll be contacting you soon to confirm your win so be on the lookout for my email.

Book Tour for Love Me For Me by Kate Laurens (Review)

Today's story is a difficult one that deserves to be read for its intense emotional journey.  Darkness and pain take center stage in Love Me For Me, and you need to keep reading to discover just how satisfying this story is......

A fresh start...

It’s been three years since Serena King learned to say no—no to the boys that were a desperate cry for help, no to the extra weight she put on in self defense, and most of all no to the abuse that has haunted her since she was fifteen. Now a sophomore in college, all she wants is to be normal.  The last thing she expects is a guy who can make her want... make her want everything.

A new guy...

Alex Blackthorn is a bundle of contradictions, a sexy dark haired badness who goes slow... deliciously slow. And despite the iron will that has gotten her through the last few years, Serena finds herself unable to ignore the heat that sizzles between them whenever they’re together.

A dark past...

Serena never thought she could be involved in a relationship, but Alex makes her long for things she thought were out of her reach forever. When he finds out her secret... when he finds out what she did to keep herself sane... will he still want her, or he will treat her just like everyone else?

And Alex has a secret of his own.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Love Me For Me is a dark and gritty read featuring a young college woman dealing with past events that affect her self-esteem yet today. A past of sexual abuse and self-destructive behavior still hangs over Serena and makes it difficult to move forward.  Not wanting to be judged by others she keeps herself isolated, with only one person she can call friend.  Even that one friend though doesn't know the truth. It's not until she meets a young man with secret pains of his own that she finally starts addressing the past so she can make a future for herself.

Whereas Serena's hidden from the past through self-destructive behaviors early in life and silence now, Alex has embraced what happened to him and turned his outer scars into tattoos.  He's moved on from it but senses an immediate bond with Serena and moves slowly in forming a relationship with her.  He can relate to her pain but never judges her.  He lends his unspoken support to her at every turn and I couldn't help but admire his inner strength and fortitude.  Serena thinks she's badly broken and doesn't want to taint him with her dirtiness and darkness so she subtly tries to push him away as he subtly tries to get closer.  The longer she's with him the more she starts to heal with baby steps.  An unexpected collision with her past forces her to deal with her darkest pain head-on and it's only through Alex's support that she comes out of it alive.  The two of these together make a formidable team and once they BOTH wash away the pain can their HEA truly develop.

The adults in this story tend to be seen as the villains.  From Serena's disbelieving mother, to a dangerous step-father, to a questionable foster family, it's the adults who pile on the hurt as the collegians work together to heal themselves.  The young people of this story are portrayed in a realistic manner, darkness and all.  They're the ones having to clean up the mess left by the adults sworn to love and protect them.  I found myself drawn to these young people and desperate to help heal them.  The issues being dealt with aren't always easy to deal with but are important to bring out in the open.  This leads to an unforgettable read with an unlikely hero and heroine.  With two more secondary characters hiding from their own darkness, I look forward to more stories being told in this immensely satisfying series.

My rating for this is an A.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kate Laurens is a proud Canadian who loves beer, coffee, kickboxing and books. She writes New Adult Romance and falls a little bit in love with each hero that she writes.

Kate loves to hear from her readers. Find her at www.katelaurens.com  
She's also on Twitter as @KateLaurens

Book Tour for Her Errant Earl by Scarlett Scott (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Scarlett Scott is here today with her sexy historical read, Her Errant Earl, which features a womanizer completely changed by the love of a good woman.  So keep reading to get my impressions of this story and make sure to leave a comment for your chance to win a great prize.

Victoria, Countess of Pembroke, knew her marriage wasn’t a love match, but she certainly hadn’t expected to be wedded, bedded and abandoned in the countryside. When her husband suddenly returns bent on seduction, she’s suspicious of his motives even though she finds it difficult indeed to resist his knowing hands and hot kisses.

Pembroke can’t afford to allow Victoria to discover the real reason for his reappearance in her life. To get what he wants, he’ll do anything, even if it means bedding the wife he never wanted.

But what begins as a tedious task turns into a raging passion neither of them can deny. As the truth unravels at last, they must choose between forgetting the past and allowing it to consume them.

EXCERPT:

The crunching of gravel startled her, interrupting her musings. She turned to see her husband round the bend, stalking in her direction. He wore trousers and a plain coat with no neck cloth, almost as though he hadn’t finished dressing. His expression was thunderous.
Oh dear. Perhaps he’d somehow caught wind of her plans.
He didn’t stop until he towered over her. His eyes snapped, his mouth flat with obvious displeasure. “Madam.”
“Good morning, Pembroke,” she greeted, wary. She’d been attempting to escape without his notice.
He sketched an abbreviated bow that seemed at odds with the tenseness hovering in the air between them. “Would you care to explain why I’ve been informed that you are traveling to London?”
Her hopes sagged. “I haven’t the slightest notion why you were informed as I specifically directed the servants not to.”
“Indeed?” He raised a brow, looking arrogant and sinfully handsome at the same time. “Why would you keep it from me?”
Victoria aimed her gaze at a safer point over his shoulder. He was too gorgeous to look at, and doing so would only melt her determination all the more. “I should think that’s obvious.”
He took her hands in his and she wished she’d worn gloves. The contact sent her mind spinning.
“Are you running from me?”
“Of course not,” she lied.
“Look at me.” He caught her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “You’re afraid, aren’t you?”
“Don’t be preposterous,” she snapped, irritated that he had chosen now of all times to become observant for the first time in their union. It was too late for him to be the husband she’d yearned for. Wasn’t it?

BUY here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a fan of historicals I was immediately drawn to the premise of this story that is at once familiar but ends up being so much more.  Along with its steamy encounters comes satisfying emotional growth from two characters who quickly grow on you and a bad boy who goes good in the name of love.

At the start Victoria is a young miss who lacks a backbone.  She's used to saying yes, so when she's left alone right after saying "I do" she accepts it stoically.  In the interim she becomes a woman who refuses to settle for what's been done to her.  Where the early Victoria was a dream-filled chit, this older Victoria is a stronger-willed and more likable woman who won't let Pembroke get away with what he's done without a bit of payback.  Pembroke wasn't a good man at the start with his womanizing ways and less than admirable reason to marry.  He's still a bit arrogant when he first returns but spending time with Victoria changes him as he truly falls in love with her.  His charm comes through though as he valiantly woos his bride and by the end of the story he completely won me over with a final heartfelt speech.

Much of this book is formulaic, but the emotional growth of Pembroke in particular kept me fully invested in this enjoyable story.  The steamy scenes were immensely satisfying and were nicely balanced as the story progressed.  Pembroke's final declaration of love is what every romance reader wants and it puts an exclamation point on this story's satisfying HEA.  Ms. Scott shows great promise with Her Errant Earl and I look forward to reading more of her works.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Scarlett Scott has loved romance novels ever since she was eleven and swiped her older sister’s books to read by flashlight in her closet. Her mother caught her, but she remained undeterred in her pursuit of happily ever afters. An award-winning author, she writes steamy historical and sexy contemporary romance. She lives in PA with her hero and their adorable dog who thinks he is a person in training.
Website: http://www.scarsco.com
Twitter: @scarscoromance
Blog: http://scarscoromance.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorScarlettScott
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/scarlettscott/

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Scarlett will be awarding a Kindle copy of her historical romance, A Mad Passion, and a $10 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-Winners will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 5/3.

Book Tour for Coming Unbound by Lacey Savage (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Today's featured book presents a married couple discovering themselves for the first time on their second wedding anniversary. Coming Unbound by Lacey Savage is a steamy journey into BDSM while discovering unexpected emotional truths along the way.  So keep reading to get my impression of this story and make sure to leave a comment for your chance to win a great prize.......

Ginny and Cole have struggled to connect intimately since before their marriage. When Cole suggests they surprise each other with the most sexually daring things they can dream up for their anniversary, Ginny reluctantly musters every ounce of courage she possesses to get nipple piercings.

Cole’s surprise?

He’s turned their suburban basement into a dungeon—and hired a sexy Dom to teach them the art of BDSM.

Desperately in love with his wife, Cole’s aware of sensitive sexual demons in Ginny’s past, and will try anything to beat them. Whips, toys, ménage play with the Dom…all these and more could help Ginny find pleasure, break through her issues.

Or, if they’re not careful, possibly just break Ginny.

EXCERPT:

By the time our third round of drinks arrived, we’d determined that I had no imagination of my own, which probably explained why I had chosen technical writing as a career.
We had also established that I’d never thought about dressing up as a naughty nurse or a strict schoolteacher or a sexy maid. I didn’t fantasize about being blindfolded or tickled with a feather or covered in chocolate sauce. I’d also never wanted to have sex in public or watch porn or pose for nude photos.
“Wow.” Donna twirled the stem of her martini glass between her fingers. “So what do you fantasize about?”
An image of a woman tied to a tree in a dark forest flashed through my head. It was brief and sudden, jolting me so I sat ramrod straight in my chair. “Nothing.”
She tilted her head at an angle and looked at me as if I’d just sprouted a third eyeball in the middle of my forehead. “Come on. You can’t be serious.”
I couldn’t hold her gaze anymore, so I looked past her right shoulder into the crowd. I used to have fantasies. Filthy ones that involved whips and pain and reddened flesh. But Ben had cured me of those long ago.
“There’s something wrong with me, isn’t there?” I was feeling more and more miserable with each passing second, and the cocktails weren’t helping. I huffed out a breath. “Listen, I like sex. It’s pleasurable and pleasant and nice.”
Donna’s laugh startled me. It went on and on. “Nice?” She gasped when she could finally catch her breath and dabbed a tear from the corner of her eye. “Sex is nice? No, no, no. A foot rub is nice. A perfect creme brûlée is nice. The sight of a sleeping kitten is nice. Sex is… It’s toe-curling, incredible, mind-blowing.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Mind-blowing?”
She nodded. “If you’re doing it right.”
Clearly I’d been doing it wrong for a very long time. Was that my fault or Cole’s? I still had so many questions, and I was no closer to figuring out how to surprise my husband for our anniversary.
I stared down into my empty glass. “There aren’t enough drinks in the world for this.”

BUY here.

MY IMPRESSION OF THIS STORY:

Coming Unbound starts on the eve of a married couple's second wedding anniversary and as a gift, they give each other the gift of insight.  For too long Ginny has dealt with her failure to fully enjoy sexual encounters with her husband, taking the blame totally on herself by ignoring her deepest desires.  Her husband's been feeling equally as guilty and suggests a radical way to make her experience their time together to the fullest.  This results in some serious soul searching and an acceptance of what "normal" really means.  Through the assistance of another, Cole and Ginny finally tell each other what they really want and it sets their marriage on a new road to HEA.

Ginny's earliest and most profound concept of desire revolved around pain and power.  Unfortunately she was made to feel abnormal by a previous boyfriend which has left her damaged.  She now hides those desires behind a veil of vanilla encounters and a pristine style.  Once her husband encourages her to seek out the forbidden, it becomes a difficult and emotional journey for her to fully accept what she needs to be satisfied.  Lots of tears are shed and I was occasionally left frustrated by her belittling of herself and tendency to let past hurts rule her future, but thankfully Cole was always there supporting her.  Cole never made her feel guilty for anything.  He's the one who constantly wanted to work on things to make their interludes more satisfying.  By bringing in his friend Erik, he not only opened the door to Ginny's satisfaction but found a side of himself that he too needed to accept, a more dominant side.

Their journey to acceptance was super steamy with numerous scenes featuring BDSM.  These scenes were of a light variety but no less intense.  It showed the strength of their love for one another that they were willing to explore these other aspects of themselves.  It led to a stronger and richer marriage for them and a more definitive HEA.  Ms. Savage showed a loyal couple willing to do whatever it took to make each other happy and I found myself drawn to their emotional journey.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Award-winning author Lacey Savage loves to write about her dreams - or more specifically, she loves to breathe life into her steamy fantasies (and she's got plenty!). She pens erotic tales of true love and mythical destiny, peopled with strong alpha heroes and feisty heroines. A hopeless romantic, Lacey loves writing about the intimate, sensual side of relationships. She currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her loving husband and their mischievous cat.

Website: http://www.laceysavage.com
Blog: http://www.laceysavage.com/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laceysavage
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lacey.savage.7

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Lacey will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift certificate to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-Winners will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 5/3.