Series Saturday Audiobook Review: The Master by Kresley Cole

The Master
by Kresley Cole
Series:  The Game Maker #2
Pub. Date:  Feb. 17, 2015
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Audio
Narrator:  Kimberly Alexis
Length:  11 hrs 14 min
Format:  Audiobook
Source:  Audible


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

A need colder than Siberian winter meets an attitude hotter than the Florida sun in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole’s sultry new Game Maker novel.

Everyone fears the Master...

Rich, irresistible politician/Mafya boss Maksimilian Sevastyan prefers tall, obedient blondes to fulfill his... complicated desires. That is, until the icy Russian encounters a disobedient brunette whose exquisite little body threatens his legendary restraint.

Except her.

Catarina Marín was a well-off young wife until her world fell apart. Now she’s hiding out, forced to start working as an escort in Miami. Her very first client is beyond gorgeous, but when he tells her what he plans to do to her, Cat almost walks out of the door.

If pleasure is a game, play to win.

After their mind-blowing encounter burns out of control, the lovers crave more. If they escape the deadly threats surrounding them, can Maksim overcome his past—to offer Cat his future? Only then will she tempt him with what he really wants: her, all tied up with a bow.

I have been meaning to continue w/ this series for quite some time as I absolutely loved The Professional and Aleksei. It's been so long that I didn't remember quite how steamy the first book was!

Cat Marin is on the run from her con man husband, Edward. Hiding out in Miami and cleaning houses for money, she is convinced to give the escort business a try when her friend Ivana has a bad reaction to botox and needs a stand in. This brings Cat to the penthouse of The Master.

Maksimilian Sevastyan is a billionaire politician bratva boss. He is also a hobbyist - a hobby which includes ordering up thin/blonde/Russian escorts for some impersonal BDSM play. When he ordered Ivana, he definitely was not expecting a 5'2 curvy Cuban mamasita.

At this point, the story pretty much devolves into sex over substance and remains that way for about 2/3 of the book. The plot conflicts during this part were mainly spats between Maksim and Cat... though some of the arguments and behavior did elicit some chuckles from me. Arguments aside, this part of the book was very VERY H.O.T.

Then the last part of the book speeds back up with the suspense involving Cat's husband. This part of the action and suspense was excellent and kept me listening quite late in the night. I was quite emotionally invested in Cat's character... which surprised me because I usually don't care for escorts as heroines.

I give the audio performance 3 stars. The accents were off for me at times, particularly during intimate scenes when Cat's voice devolved into a caricature of a high-pitched hispanic timbre. I think this book would have been performed better with dual narrators... particularly Iggy Toma, who does a wonderful Russian accent.

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The Game Maker

Review: The Devil's Gate by Rue Volley

The Devil's Gate 
by Rue Volley
Series:  Devil's Gate Trilogy #1
Pub. Date:  April 12, 2015
Publisher:  Hot Ink Press
Pages:  225
Format:  eARC
Source:  Author


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:


Curiosity can be a dangerous thing. In Abigail Watson's case, it nearly ended her life.

After a brush with death, Abigail is reminded of just how short life can be...then she meets Jack Landon, the mysterious heir to the Landon fortune and her savior from a certain death. Jack's needs are very defined, and his ability to seduce with ease draws Abigail into his dark world. One taste of him on her lips and she is consumed with a desire, a willingness to submit and let him take the gift that she has protected for so long.

This book made me ranty. Like, really ranty. There were just too many TSTL moments. So here is my warning, this review will be full of ranty spoilers, read at your own risk. I still have not figured out how to do spoiler tags on the blog, so I don't know how to hide spoilers (but I will make them a light gray so maybe they aren't so noticeable).

Let's start with the blurb, the "brush with death" was so anti-climactic as to be a non-issue. But this paves the way for Abigail, the uber-naive 23 y/o virgin to come into closer contact with Jack, the dark and depraved billionaire. A little reminiscent of FSOG here. Honestly it was the heroine that I had such an issue with - she was just such a doormat! And stupidly naive and weak. Let's look at some of her stupidly stellar moments here: (spoiler)

She has dinner with Jack and he hints that he likes pain with his pleasure. This opens up such a window to the virgin's soul that for the next 3 weeks she can't eat and her school work suffers.

She accompanies him to a charity auction hosted by his family where his mother is wearing a nearly-sheer dress. She hears moans coming from behind curtains. Then gets the bright idea that she will volunteer herself to be bid on - not realizing this is a sex slave auction!

She gets hit in the head with a door and gets a concussion. The doctor tells her that a side effect of a concussion is that she may turn into a horny beast. Good lord, I have had 8 concussions and never once I have ever been told about or got that side effect!

1. She has dinner with Jack and he hints that he likes pain with his pleasure. This opens up such a window to the virgin's soul that for the next 3 weeks she can't eat and her school work suffers.Then we have Jack, the illusive rich boy. He really came off as a huge douche. They would be together then all of a sudden he would turn cold and distant and she wouldn't hear from him for weeks or months, which necessitates Abigail chasing after him like a sad puppy. Between him, his whack job of a family, and his (spoiler) need to taste blood before he could get off, I just couldn't get behind Jack as a hero. Nothing about the relationship felt genuine. Plus there was this weird three-way instalove with Abigail to Jack and Sam to Abigail, that just didn't make sense. (spoiler) I mean Sam has not seen Abigail for years, since high school, but he is in love with her? I can usually tolerate instalove but it was too extreme in these situations.

So for me, the most interesting aspect of the book was all of the batshit crazy people. First we have Rose, who has been in a mental hospital for years, (spoiler)[ but then she shows up at the end like: "SURPRISE! Your mom got me miracle meds and I am all fixed now and I love you and you love me and we can live together all happy ever after!" (hide spoiler)] but then she shows up at the end like: "SURPRISE! Your mom got me miracle meds and I am all fixed now and I love you and you love me and we can live together all happy ever after!"  But by far the most interesting character was Jack's dad, (spoiler) who is so bananas they fake his death and stow him in a penthouse mental ward, diagnosed with borderline schizophrenia mixed with some bi-polar and manic depressive states. And (spoiler) like father like son, Jack has already been diagnosed with the same issue and is on medication for it.

The cliffhanger combined with the crazy people and demented family has piqued my interest enough that I will read (or at least skim) the next book to find out what happens. I just hope Abigail matures and stops being such a doormat.

I received an free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

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The Devil's Gate Trilogy

Review: Becoming a Jett Girl by Meghan Quinn

Becoming a Jett Girl 
by Meghan Quinn
Series:  Bourbon #1
Pub. Date:  May 29, 2014
Publisher:  Self-Pub
Pages:  330
Format:  eARC
Source:  Netgalley
   

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

How did I start the Lafayette Club?

Well, I’m in the business of saving tarnished souls. I hand pick girls from the street who have no options left in life and give them an opportunity they can’t possibly refuse.

They come to work in the Lafayette Club which is full of EXQUISITE DEBAUCHERY, where influential men come to conduct business and lap dances are considered a fine art. 

The girls are trained, they are morphed, they are educated, they follow the rules of the club and they know to submit to me. They live by my motto, no relationships, no love, just sex. 

They are never touched, only by me, they are never completely naked, only with me, and their personas are entirely anonymous. The only person who knows who they truly are, is me, Jett Colby. 

If these girls were ever seen on the streets of New Orleans, you would never know they were a Jett Girl.

I really like Meghan Quinn, and The Virgin Romance Novelist was one of my 5-star reads for 2015. It was absolutely hilarious. So when I saw she had a series set in my city, I was quick to request it. Unfortunately, the storyline and characters are just not working for me.

Don't get me wrong, the book is well-written and I find no fault with that. I just flat don't like these characters. And that happens sometimes, you are not going to like everyone you meet or read. For me, Goldie was just way too crass and somewhat gauche. I thought based on the blurb that I would feel sorry for her, as she has lost her parents, is in debt, and is trying to make her way in the world by stripping and prostituting herself. But she was so tasteless and over the top that I just felt dirty reading about her. (And please, I never want to read about 'panty pudding' ever again.)

Jett has more potential as a character, but he is still coming off more sleazy than philanthropic. If he really wanted to help these women who were so like his mom, he wouldn't have made them his harem. That gives the mommy issues a huge ick factor. I didn't like the dynamic that was happening between any of the characters, they all seemed to be using each other. The only semi-normal relationships was the friendship among the Jett girls.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Love the author, and the writing is fine, but the characters are not for me. And when I say it is well-written, I mean that. I am very curious as to how the series will play out. I like how the plot is unfolding. I just don't know if I can deal with the characters enough to keep reading. 3 stars / 4 flames.

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Bourbon Series

Review: Captive, Mine by Natasha Knight and Trent Evans

Captive, Mine by Natasha Knight

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

The day my father agreed to testify against Terrence Randall, one of the most ruthless drug traffickers in North America, was the day I became the target of the drug lord’s enraged vengeance. I was the one thing that stood in the way of Daddy’s testimony, and the one thing that could save Randall. The man would stop at nothing to get his hands on me. 

I was prepared for what was coming — as prepared as one could be when vanishing into the U.S. Marshal’s Witness Protection Program. 

I just wasn’t prepared for him. 

For ex-Navy SEAL turned mercenary Lake Freeman, escorting Lily Cross into the Witness Protection Program was just another job — until a better offer came along. Lake couldn’t have cared less about the life he’d been hired to protect. After all, she was a part of the very organization that had cost him so much already. 

At least he never expected to care. 

But when forced into a decision he never thought he’d have to make, the mission became one of survival for himself and his beautiful charge. Lake knew that in order to protect her, he’d need to bring the feisty and unpredictable Lily to heel — he couldn't keep her safe if he couldn't keep her under control. 

But that protective urge quickly turned into something else, something dark ... and his need to conquer, to claim, overrode all else. 

He would keep her safe. He would keep her protected. But he would make her his, as well. 

Now, all he had to do was figure out how to keep them both alive long enough to do it... 

Publisher's Warning: Intended for mature readers. 18 and over only! 

This is a MF BDSM romantic suspense. Themes include: graphic sexuality, pervasive D/s, exhibitionism, spanking, bondage, anal play and other BDSM activities. If such content might offend you, please do not purchase this book. 

I am a fan of dark romances and romantic suspense, but this story did not work for me. The story lacked depth, and there was little plot or character development.

There was not enough danger or suspense for this to be classified as a romantic suspense. We know they are on the run, but are they really? They are holed up in a cabin for most of the story, then them being "found" lasts for a few minutes before they are off and saying goodbye to one another.

And let's talk about what happened at the cabin. A lot of BDSM activity leaning very heavily toward the sadism side. I didn't buy Lake's reasons for Lily's training and punishment. Lake came across to me as a horrible person who liked to hurt and humiliate her. I almost abandoned the book when she was leashed and made to use the bathroom outside like a dog.

For a dark story to work, at least for me, there needs to be a strong emotional connection, or a complete redemption of the male character. The lack of character development killed in this regard. There was potential, we know Lake has a dead wife who he lost to drugs. But she was only briefly mentioned. The author could've done more delving into Lake's psyche, connected his dead wife to his need to punish Lily, or something. But we never really learn why Lake does what he does. It was a huge disappointment.

I did feel sorry for Lily, but I never connected to her. I only felt sorry for her pain and humiliation. This was a classic Stockholm story-line, without sufficient detail to make me understand why she fell for her captor.

At the end, I wish I would've stopped reading when she was crawling around on the leash. I was just hoping that SOMETHING was gonna happen to improve the story.

I would not recommend this book to those who are bothered by reading about sex with sadistic tendencies including, but not limited to, severe strappings, extreme humiliation, and anal punishment. If that's what floats your boat (and I don't judge) then you will probably enjoy this book much more than I did. I would recommend it to Tiffany Reisz fans. I would not recommend it if you look for an emotional connection in these books, similar to what we see in Aleatha Romig's dark romances.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: If I Were You (Inside Out Series) by Lisa Renee Jones

Title:  If I Were You
Author:  Lisa Renee Jones
Series:  Inside Out #1
Pub Date:  Sept. 13, 2012
Publisher:  Gallery Books
Pages:  357

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sultry Scale: 4 of 5 Flames

How it all started…

One day I was a high school teacher on summer break, leading a relatively uneventful but happy life. Or so I told myself. Later, I’d question that, as I would question pretty much everything I knew about me, my relationships, and my desires. It all began when my neighbor thrust a key to a storage unit at me. She’d bought it to make extra money after watching some storage auction show. Now she was on her way to the airport to elope with a man she barely knew, and she needed me to clear out the unit before the lease expired.

Soon, I was standing inside a small room that held the intimate details of another woman’s life, feeling uncomfortable, as if I was invading her privacy. Why had she let these items so neatly packed, possessions that she clearly cared about deeply, be lost at an auction? Driven to find out by some unnamed force, I began to dig, to discover this woman’s life, and yes, read her journals—-dark, erotic journals that I had no business reading. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I read on obsessively, living out fantasies through her words that I’d never dare experience on my own, compelled by the three men in her life, none of whom had names. I read onward until the last terrifying dark entry left me certain that something had happened to this woman. I had to find her and be sure she was okay.

Before long, I was taking her job for the summer at the art gallery, living her life, and she was nowhere to be found. I was becoming someone I didn’t know. I was becoming her.

The dark, passion it becomes…

Now, I am working at a prestigious gallery, where I have always dreamed of being, and I’ve been delivered to the doorstep of several men, allof which I envision as one I’ve read about in the journal. But there is one man that will call to me, that will awaken me in ways I never believed possible. That man is the ruggedly sexy artist, Chris Merit, who wants to paint me. He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.

All I know for certain is that he knows me like I don’t even know me, and he says I know him. Still, I keep asking myself — do I know him? Did he know her, the journal writer, and where is she? And why doesn’t it seem to matter anymore? There is just him and me, and the burn for more.

Nooooooooo! You cant end it there! (The sound that just woke my dogs from a dead sleep at 2am.)

It's funny how you forget certain aspects of a book as time passes. I first read this book in 2012. Between then and now, I had forgotten about that huge ass cliffhanger. That suprises me given it was the reason I put the series on hold in the first place. Let me clarify, I didn't postpone reading because I didn't like the books. No, I liked the first book so much that I knew I would not be patient enough to wait any significant length of time between releases.

So now that the series is complete, I am excited to embark on this journey again. And this time, I am taking my bookclub (the Chicklits) with me! We will be discussing this book at our meeting in a few days.

This book has it all. We have the mystery angle with the missing Rebecca, and possibly Ella. We have a budding romance, steamy sex and tortured hero(ine) with Chris and Sara. We get some hints at BDSM from Rebecca's journals. We have villians yet to be officially identified. Daddy issues and dead mothers. A sexual awakening. A brooding alpha male. A handsome domineering boss. Art and wine and opera. Drama! I mean what else can she pack in here? It was great and I'm happy to finally be reading the story.

I have yet to form a clear picture of Sara... probably because I am casting myself in the role (as usual). I've had a few ideas for Chris and Mark... what do you think?

Chris Hemsworth as Chris Merit

Eric Dane as Mark

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