REVIEW - Bite Me (Pride #9) by Shelly Laurenston

The Book

Release Date: 25 March 2014

Goodreads Link

Livy Kowalski has no time for idiots. When you shapeshift into a honey badger, getting through life’s irritants is a finely honed skill. Until she gets stuck housing her nutso cousin and dealing with her dad’s untimely and unexplained demise.

That’s where Vic Barinov comes in—or his house does. Vic can’t step outside without coming back to find Livy devouring his honey stash and getting the TV remote sticky. It gets his animal instincts all riled up. But he’ll have to woo her at high speed: all hell is breaking loose, and Livy is leading the charge…

My Review   5 STARS

This is the last book in the series and is on Livy and Vic who were in the previous book where we got a good idea about the types of personality they had.

Livy is hot blooded and reacts just as fast with her emotions even though she appears cold unless you know her, and Vic is good at reading people.  She is also a Honey badger and loves honey, crawling into small dark places and has a unique skill set.

Vic worked with Dee-Ann Smith and now works independently, he is also a Bear, Tiger hybrid.  He is on the more patient side and seems to know what Livy needs instinctively.

Both bait each other in ways until they cannot fight their attraction and both are the type of character that are there for others they know and love.

We get to see a lot more of Livy's family in this book two after a revelation has Livy focused on revenge and the end finally of Whitmore and the person shielding him.  Livy is the good girl of her family and she has never asked them for something before, so they all help her and hilarity certainly ensues as honey badgers love to fight and steal and look after themselves.

I have enjoyed this series, even if it took a while to get into this authors writing style, but the stories were good, there is a continuation of a longer story through out the books and the characters certainly keep us engaged and are linked into each others stories.  I may well read more from this author in the future.

REVIEW - Wolf with Benefits (Pride #8) by Shelly Laurenston

The Book

Release Date: 26 March 2013

Goodreads Link

There’s nothing like a good-ol’-boy wolf. And ace security expert Ricky Lee Reed serves, protects and seduces with all the right moves...

Sure, Toni Jean-Louis Parker has to be the responsible oldest sister to a crazy-brilliant clan of jackal siblings. But now she’s cutting loose for some hot, sweaty, no-commitments fun—and the sexy, slow-talking, swift-moving predator assigned to keep her family safe is just the right thing to shapeshift her love life into overdrive. Trouble is, he’s starting to get all obsessive wolf on her every time he looks in her direction...

Getting serious about anyone isn’t in Ricky Lee Reed’s plans. Hell, even now he doesn’t really have a plan—outside of catching whomever is threatening this dangerously brilliant family. But the more he sees of Toni, the more he’s howling for her. And whatever it takes to convince her that what they have is everything, well, this wily wolf is down for the sizzling chase...

My Review  4 STARS

**My thanks to Netgalley and the Kensington Books, Brava for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

This book continues with the underlying story and is told from multiple points of view that you still do not get a warning about who the narrative has changed to.

Ricky Lee Reed is one of Rony Lee Reeds brothers and he is a lovely character and mostly waits for drama to come to him for something entertaining and is more than happy just to sit and wait for it, being around Antonella (Toni) Jean-Louis Parker means unlimited drama is around him and he loves it.

Toni comes from a family where she is and her father are the only normal people as her mother and siblings are all geniuses in one form or another.  Having helped her parents raise her siblings, she now finds her organisational skills come in handy at Ulrichs Hockey business, especially as she can handle and manage the demanding Bo Nokivich.  

We get lots of humour and areas that make you laugh in this book and we are also introduced to Toni's best friend Olivia (Livy) who comes in to help her with some photography shots and is also very entertaining.

I really enjoyed this book and aI am looking forward to reading the last book of the series.

REVIEW - My Stepbrother, My Escort (The Escort Collection #2) by Leigh James -------- Now called Escorting the Actress

The Book

Release Date: 14 October 2015

Goodread Link

A romantic comedy that puts the "fun" in dysfunctional family. 

Rising actress Lowell Barton has problems… lots of them. 
One night, she tries to solve them with margaritas… lots of them. Unfortunately, she throws them up all over a police officer's shoes. Then a video of the incident shows up all over the Internet. 
Now she needs to do damage control. Fast. What she needs is a story juicy enough to throw off the press. A new boyfriend—a perfect, smoking hot new boyfriend—would be just the thing. 
Unfortunately, it's just the thing she doesn't have. 
Deciding to throw caution to the wind and money at her mounting problems, Lowell hires a date. But when sexy escort Kyle Richards steps out of her past and onto her doorstep, she finds herself in a fresh hell she couldn't have imagined. 

Is he the stepbrother-escort from hell, or just the thing to save her career—and herself? 

Lowell’s about to find out. One thing she knows for sure: only desperate times call for measures this desperate. 

This is a standalone novel with an HEA. You do not have to read the other books in The Escort Collection to enjoy this one.

My Review   4 STARS

**My thanks to Netgalley and the CMG Publishing LLC for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

First off, whoops.  This seems to have been missed from being read for far too many years.... I had benn go back to all the older stuff and read it fast.  Good thing I have been a lot slower at picking up any other ARC's.  I have a mountain to read first lol.

This was a good story.  Lowell is basically a good girl and keeps herself in check even when she was a little girl whilst her mother created all the drama.  Now 22 years old, she is keeping her mother happy and is an up and coming Scarlett, but one drunken incident caught on camera could loose her everything.

Kyle was always a bit of a wild child, especially after the death of his mother when he was seven.  He hated when his father remarried and did not like Lowells mother and found Lowell to be a pain in the butt, especially as she used to tell his father when he had done something naughty.

Finally after his father had cut him off from his trust fund, did Kyle finally find he had to grow up, but with very little to fall back on, he found himself working at an escort service and often having physical relations with woman who paid for him.

When Lowell needs help with her image, she decides to use an escort service and it is a surprise to both of them when they meet on her doorstep.  But it would seem that it is beneficial for both of them.  Kyle is to be paid well and Lowell finds that Kyle is actually very good with the media and public relations.

Of course they fall in love and there is something that tries to split them up and keep them apart, but ultimately they cannot be without each other and they make their worlds that much easier by supporting each others backs and dreams.

I really enjoyed this book.  It had a little spice and a little taboo, but on the whole it was just a well written book with strong characters.

REVIEW - Seduced (V-Card Diaries #3) by Lili Valente

The Book

Release Date: 28 June 2022

Goodreads Link

Last night I made out with a gorgeous, funny, quirky older woman. Today I learned she’s the new executive chef at my restaurant. AKA my new boss. 

Yep, that’s the hot mess I’m in at the moment.
But the chemistry between Natalie and me is even hotter.
The problem? She’s a single mom focused on helping her little girl adjust to life in the big city. Dating right now—especially a co-worker—is asking for trouble. 
So, what’s my next move? Seduce the hell out of the woman, of course.

I may still technically be hanging onto my V Card, but I know how to drive a woman wild in bed. 
Even more importantly, I know I’m the kind of man Nat’s looking for. I love hard, keep my promises, and I’ll put her and her daughter first. 

And then I learn the real reason she's been holding me at a distance…

Most men would be scared away. Me?
I’m even more determined to prove I can make this wounded woman’s dreams come true. 

My Review   5 STARS

**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

This is the third book in the series and can certainly be read as a stand alone, there are only little bits of Camerons best friends and flat mates in the book, so you really don't need to know their backstory.

Cameron is a 24 year old man living in an apartment with his three female best friends, he is a lovely character with strength in who he is and a bloody good chef.

He meets Natalie at a cooking class where crickets are being used and Natalie does not find they agree with her and Cameron and Natalie hit is off even though he is 10 years younger than her.

The next day however they find out that she is his new boss and restaurant owner, but there is a no fraternisation policy.

Both struggle with their feelings and Natalie eventually changes her mind about the policy and she asks Cameron out to a fancy gala, where of course they get on like a house on fire.

Both keep secrets from the other, although Cams is not as big or scary as Natalies and in every situation Cameron proves himself to be the most perfect man for Natalie and charms our pants off.

I really enjoyed this book and really look forward to the last book in the series and to see how workaholic nerd Jess gets her happy ever after.