SAY WHAT!? What’s this? I actually manage to churn out a review! Holy Shiznit! I’ know, it’s pretty freaking amazing. Basically after the awesomeness that was Lover At Last by J.R. Ward, I was ruined a bit. It was hard for me to get into anything. I pretty much had to force myself into pick up Sins & Needles by Karina Halle. Not that I didn’t want to read it, I just am in a seriously reading slump right now. It totally sucks. I’m not taking the time I need to read and write like I should. I admit it. I suck.

So anyways. I picked up Sins & Needles when Karina Halle put it on sale for $0.99. I’m not trying to be a cheapo, but I just wasn’t quite convinced about reading it yet, and when things pop up on sale, I usually gobble them up.

So I picked up Sins & Needles after having ready about 10 really great reviews about it, and overall, it is a good book. I’m not sure it’s gonna make it on my top 10 for 2013. I wouldn’t even say it “ruined me” like Natasha over at Natasha is a book Junkie claimed on Facebook (xoxo Natasha!), but I did like it. I will likely pick up the Novella, On Every Street,which dives into Ellie’s relationship with Javier and then read on to the next book in The Artist Series.

Author Description

The Reviewing Romance Breakdown 

Store Line
The story line was really neat! I really liked it because it did a lot of the “then” and “now”. I honestly think I enjoyed the “then” story more than I enjoyed the “now” story. The story line is really well formed and there is a great  set up for what did happen, what is happening and what will happen.

Heroine Likability
The whole story is told from Ellie’s POV, both in the “then” and “now”, so you really get in Ellie’s head a lot. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of Ellie. I don’t think it was anything about  Ellie’s description, but more the way the book was written. Ellie came off very self-absorbed, snide and immature. I imagine that there is a part of what Karine Halle was going for, but as far making her more likable as time went on, I just didn’t get any of it. She grew MAYBE a little in the last chapter or so, but not enough to redeem herself with me. Perhaps she will in On Every Street or the next book.

Hero Likability
I liked Camden. He wasn’t burning up any of my dreams, but he was a nice character. Despite what he does to Ellie, I still really liked him and nevery had a moment where I felt ill towards him. I’m not sure his description was enough to really get me hot and bothered over him, but many readers seem to be okay with it.

Sex Scenes
The sex scenes are not bad. I absolutely LOVED the first one, which without spoiling it too contains a bit of voyeurism  Go Ellie and Camden. But I wish there was more. I don’t feel like I was able to connect too much with them on an intimate level. I’m not saying throw a sex scene in there every over page like 50 Shades of Grey, but I also wish there was a bit more and some of the ones where they were mentioned weren’t skipped over.

Predictability
This is one area that this book really had going for it. I never had a clue what was going to come next and I really liked that.

True-To-Life
I’m not totally convinced that there isn’t a “in a perfect/imperfect world” book, but much of it does seem like it could be something that really happens. Plausible I suppose.

Writing Style
The writing style is awful, but I don’t love it either. As I’ve said before many times, I HATE parentheses that contain useless information, and about 9 times out of 10, it’s useless info that does not add to the story at all, just annoys the daylights out of me. This contained a lot of them. I can’t count the number of sentences I rewrote in my head so I could feel less annoyed by the parentheses.

Happily Ever After
No HEA here! This one continues on, but I was really happy with how Halle wrapped it all up. It was done very nicely and it really does make me want to pick up the novella and the next book to see how the whole story turns out.

We Give It…

Title: Sins & Needles (The Artist Trilogy #1)

Author: Karina Halle

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Metal Blonde Books

Release Date: January 24, 2013

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As always Each review is solely my personal opinion. I strive to be honest and professional in each review but also like to have fun. Take my critique with a grain of salt. Any information about individual authors is found on the author’s official website, which is listed with each biography. All reviews and written content on this website are copyrighted to their respective owners, as well as all book covers and art are copyrighted to their respective publishing companies and/or authors. If you are the owner of a an image on this website and wish for it to be removed, please contact me and it will be removed within 24 hours of the request.

ARE YOU THE AUTHOR?

Gearing up to read Let It Go by Brooklyn James, I was a little worried. All my reading in the contemporary romance genre, I had yet to read about divorcees. But I think all in all, it is a good book about starting new. The fear, the hurt, and being paranoid. It was a pretty quick read, I think I would have liked to see it a bit longer to really draw the characters out and get some more from them. I think that maybe if a few things with the other characters were left out, we could have had more time with the main ones. Bottom line is… check out our Breakdown, and then, check out the book. What is a so-so for me, may be just what you need!

Author Description

The Reviewing Romance Breakdown 

Store Line
Overall, I pretty much enjoyed the story line Ms. James writes out for us. I just really would have like to see more from these characters. I wanted some more time for the story to develop.

Heroine Likability
Savannah is my kind of gal! I really enjoyed the way she dealt with her divorce. I found myself really feeling for her in the situation. I love her relationship with her sisters, her nieces, her Momma. She is very dedicated to her work, which may or may not have ended or marriage. She’s a very strong, independent woman who really stands up for herself. It was good to read a book with a woman of substance as the heroine.

Hero Likability
Brody is a hot chunk of man meat. I mean, why wouldn’t he be? They do meet in a gym! (Work out motivation, Single Ladies?) I liked him well enough. He was much more than just some meat-head jock. Artistic with his hands, dedicated to his job and family. He was extremely good at putting things into perspective for Savannah. I liked the idea of his list. It was too funny to read them being checked off. And it was a good list!

Sex Scenes
I actually liked how the sex scenes played out. Usually I would say someone hoping into bed with someone so soon would be a bad thing to a story. But, this  time around, I really was egging her one before she even got out of the truck. This girl deserved it. Even if it did turn out to be a one night stand. The scenes were good, but it would have been so much better for me if a few words didn’t keep showing up… #1Creamy. I don’t know if I’m the only one who doesn’t think its natural for a vagina to be creamy? Silky, maybe? Moist?? But creamy… I want to send her a some Monistat, just in case. #2 Honeypot. If I had seen this word once, I could of let it slide. But more than that is just too much. Somehow I’m confused. Is it honey-ish or creamy? See my dilemma?

Predictability
There were definitely a few things thrown into this story to stir some things up. I’m just not sure how much of that was beneficial to the story

True-To-Life
I don’t know if this is true to life, as I am still (mostly) happily married. I really do hope though, that if ever I found myself in this position, that I would be able to handle myself in the same manner as Savannah. And that some hunky boy would sweep me off my feet with good intentions.

Writing Style
Brooklyn James is a good writer. She forms sentences well, and she knows how to get your mind in the place that she wants it to be. With the exception of my no-no words, I liked her descriptiveness. She really pulls you into the situation. I look forward to checking out some more from this author.

Happily Ever After
The one thing that I enjoyed best in this book was the ending. Is it a happily every after? I don’t know. It sure is a happy right now, with a promising future. I was expecting some sort time jump to them married with 3 kids. But the ending is open enough that maybe Brooklyn can add to it in a sequel? I would really like some more time with these two. I enjoyed the non-traditional ending. It was tied up, but still left with so much more promise for what could be to come.

We Give It…

Title: Let It Go

Author: Brooklyn James

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: March 22, 2013

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As always Each review is solely my personal opinion. I strive to be honest and professional in each review but also like to have fun. Take my critique with a grain of salt. Any information about individual authors is found on the author’s official website, which is listed with each biography. All reviews and written content on this website are copyrighted to their respective owners, as well as all book covers and art are copyrighted to their respective publishing companies and/or authors. If you are the owner of a an image on this website and wish for it to be removed, please contact me and it will be removed within 24 hours of the request.

ARE YOU THE AUTHOR?

It was so great getting to see my boys back in action. Of course, the main plots in the story center around Blay and Quinn. Or as social media would call them…Quay! As a closet m/m freak of romance, I was so excited to see this brought out to the mainstream. Who’s the cool girl ahead of the curve? ME! ME! ME! Compared to my other reading escapades, I think the sex was a bit tame. Which was a smart move on her behalf as to slowly bring you into the world of two hot men getting it on. That being said… I was not let down! Even for an avid gay romance reader, I felt it really fit into the story line, and it was STEAMY! I liked some of the elements of M/M sex that she brought into play. You’ve got to read it to see who does who in this warrior duo. But even better than the sex was all the emotion packed into these boys! We really get to see an intimate side of both of them. Get into their heads a bit. Find out who Quinn is, and where Blay came from.

All these story lines are coming into play… What happens with Layla? What do the Band of Bastards plan to do? What’s going on with the Shadows? What are Assail’s plans with the Brotherhood and the Glymera? Ahhh! So many questions are rolling out of my head. I can’t wait to see what Ward cooks up in that beautiful blonde head of hers! Speaking of the BoB’s… I must tell you that Xcor is a new favorite of mine. Even with his plots to dethrone Wrath, I can not get that man out of my head. How does his story with Layla continue? In good ol’ Ward fashion, will they too get a happily ever after?

Following her amazing writing skills, I admit to tearing up like a bitch. Like 3 times. I can’t help it! These guys have such a soft spot in my heart!! There is so much emotion backing it up, it’s hard not to feel… moved. I chalk it up to her mad writing skills. The boss and I had a slight disagreement over the name-dropping she pulled this time around. I admit it was A LOT! But I was OK with it. Sometimes, it was pretty damn funny. One of my favorite things about her writing is her eccentric vocabulary. I wouldn’t think I would enjoy a book that comes with its own dictionary. In the end, it just all adds to the world that is Caldwell, NY. Aaaaaand we can’t forget about the F bomb… Just as important as making up your own damn language, I love the crassness that is the Brothers.

All in all, I loved this book. How could I not give it 5 stars?? I am more than ready for the next book. Or 3. Shit, 12 if she writes that long. So in short. Get it. And if you don’t know what any of this rambling means, start at book 1. But beware… The slope for this drug is slippery indeed…

Not really a surprise. I immersed myself in the paranormal romance book, Lover at Last by J.R. Ward and well, IT WAS AMAZING!

Here. I’m going to give you a spoiler and tell you right now, It’s a 5-star book. I had my little issues with it, but all the good strong outweighed the bad, which is normal with pretty much any of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books. All of the excerpts of Lover At Last did not do this book justice.

I love them. They are my CRACK. This review contains a few spoilers. Not too many… I’m trying to keep it limited!

Author Description:

SOOOOOO….  There is so much info to go around, the usually Reviewing Romance Breakdown is just too tiny to cover it all. Sorry. But I will address the same points that I usually do.

J.R. Ward is a MASTER at weaving story lines together. She makes it her bitch, plain and simple. So We saw a couple key combinations/POVS in Lover at Last. They Were:

• Blay and Qhuinn (of course)
• Qhuinn and Layla
• Saxton & Blay
• Layla and Xcor
• Trez & A Chosen (I’ll tease you a little)
• iAm
• Wrath & Beth (you get a tiny bit about possible baby business)
• Assail & his new love Interest, Sola.

Pretty sure that is about it. Of course Blay and Qhuinn are front runners in all this business, but Ward has set us up for THREE possible leaders in the next book. Layla & Xcor, Trez and his chosen, and Assail and Sola. I can tell you, I am THRILLED that Trez is getting some spotlight. The Shadows/Moors have gotten very little spotlight in both the BDB books and the Fallen Angels Books, and just prior to Lover At Last’s release, both AshleyG and I had discussed how we would love to see something happen with them even if it was a new series.

Blay and Qhuinn did not disappoint. There was the proper amount of plausible avoidance of the issue of Saxton and Blay’s relationship throughout the book, and further more the TEASE was not there. Ward eliminated that “will they/won’t they” pretty frickin’ fast, and it wasn’t a kiss here and an awkward moment there. She got right to the point. These boys need to BE TOGETHER ALREADY!

From the beginning we want to know what is happening with Layla. Is she pregnant? Will she lose the baby? Will it tear Qhuay apart or will the withstand the pressure of Layla and Qhuinns young? Yes, Yes, Yes and YES. It is all of those things in one. But which order does it happen? Read it!

We’re also wondering how Layla and Xcor will work out. It’s been months since she fed Xcor by mistake but Xcor certainly hasn’t forgotten it and neither has Layla. How will Layla deal with the fact that Xcor plan is to kill the king that she so happily supports? We see some MAJOR changes in Layla in this book. The girl has earned herself a “bitch badge” and isn’t taking shit from everyone. I LOVE IT. We also see a change in Xcor. A softening almost, but not towards his hate for Wrath unfortunately.

Assail is a new favorite of mine. I was curious of Wards plan to really bring Assail into the BDB group, but I enjoy his exterior and separate story line. I think it is a great addition to the story and I cannot wait to see where things go with the new Sola. Ward definitely left us hanging on that one!

Here is something I didn’t do  with this novel that I had in the others. CRY. I didn’t cry. I cried like a BITCH with pretty much every other book in this series, except Lover Enshrined- not the biggest fan of Phury. I was waiting for it. I WANTED IT, but it just never came. I was moved but not to the point where I “ugly cried”.

A controversial topic with this book is the M/M sex scenes. Some wanted Ward to leave them out. I’m very glad she didn’t. I’m not a huge M/M romance fan. It’s not something I really get into heavily, AshleyG does though, and she gave me a lot of insights as I read, but we both agreed that the sex scenes were really good. I think they were heavy enough to really be moving, not explicit to the level of discomfort, but also not soft and brushed off. One thing I noticed she pretty much stuck to a single key move and wasn’t burning down the house with a lot of fire by many positions. It somewhat came off repetitive, but where she lacked in multiple moves, she made up for with beautiful imagery and explanation of emotions.

Blay and Quinn sex life is not all we get. We get a nice little group scene between a few members of the Band of Bastards (minus Xcor of course since we know who his heart now belongs to) and for now, a unknown woman who we might see come up later. I know what you are thinking… you’re thinking Throe, Layla and Xcor. Sorry. No go there, in fact, that little threesome as a part remained pretty quiet… it will be interesting to see where it goes as I suppose we won’t be getting  a whole lot out of Layla and Xcor. I am predicting the next book will contain Layla and Xcor, but won’t be their book… I think Ward is going to drag that one out a little longer.

We also see a lot to sexy time from Trez. Apparently this Moor has an appetite for sex and a REALLY good reason why and it was fun getting an inner look at him. I am VERY happy at his transition from fake-boob’d, blondie’s to the fair Chosen.

And there was a very notable absence in Lover At Last… The Scribe Virgin. Not even a tiniest of peeps out of her. The trend towards the “new way” (of sorts) has been very evident the last few books. More and more resistance and less and less S.V., but I was really curious that there wasn’t even one appearance from her, not even during Qhuinns induction or when the talk of the law changes took place. Wonder if we will see any of her in the future?

We ride a really rocky rollercoaster through out this book. How could we not? So many story lines! One of the best ones is Qhuinn and his self-examination of who he is. Who his family made him be, and his ability to overcome everything he denied in order to love Blay and allow Blay to love him. He grew A LOT. He’s inducted into the Black Dagger Brotherhood. We all saw that coming, and it is an AMAZING moment. As the 2nd induction we see, it didn’t stir as many emotions for me as it did for Butch, but finally seeing Qhuinn belong was amazing. He has a HOME.

So do they get a happily ever after? Of course. Ward made that no secret by posting on her Facbook page on release day with:

Of course they get together in this book! It’s their book! That’s how it goes in romance books! It’s more of the “How” then the “If” at this point.

HOWEVER… this is probably one of my least favorite parts. The Epilogue. To me, it was very un-Wardish. It wasn’t written bad, it just felt too…. Closed? One of the things I LOVED about John Matthews & Xhex’s story is that it went beyond Lover Mine. They got a huge role in Lover Reborn. Will Blay and Qhuinn play a large role in the future, I’m positive. I mean with Layla pregnant, how could they not? BUT “lived happily ever after” was not what I was expecting to end this book. Do they deserve it, absolutely, but I hate feeling like this is the last of the story of Qhuay apposed to Layla and Qhuinn’s separate story line.

My only other complaint is the advertising in the book. Sure, we know Ward is a name-dropper for Grey Goose, Hardcore Rap like Jay-Z, and every other brand that can possible be put in there, but I felt like this one was taken a bit to a whole new level. At one point it is mentioned about Qhuinn’s Gillette Mach 3 razor with disposable heads and moisturizing strip. That gained a BIG eye roll from me… but in spite of everything else, I forgive her for it. The rest is amazing.

So there you have it. That is all I’m going to give you. You have some details but not to much! Now get out and read it!!!

Title: Lover At Last

Author: J.R. Ward

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Penguin Publishing

Release Date: March 26th, 2013

This book was purchased by ReviewingRomance.com

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AS ALWAYS Each review is solely my personal opinion. I strive to be honest and professional in each review but also like to have fun. Take my critique with a grain of salt. Any information about individual authors is found on the author’s official website, which is listed with each biography. All reviews and written content on this website are copyrighted to their respective owners, as well as all book covers and art are copyrighted to their respective publishing companies and/or authors. If you are the owner of a an image on this website and wish for it to be removed, please contact me and it will be removed within 24 hours of the request.

ARE YOU THE AUTHOR?

(Editor Note: This review is courtesy of the lovely AshleyG. We will also be posting another review of Suicide Note done by MaraG. Check back and see what she though of it!)

I have read a few of Ms. Mummert’s books. I know she is a good writer, but I also learned this time around with Suicide Note, she is one hell of a promoter. Maybe it’s my lust for the amazing Channing Tatum, possibly it’s my borderline obsessive love for any and everything military. Or maybe, it’s just pure intrigue from the title. But from day one I knew I had to read this book. While I agree with Teresa’s dream cast for about 90% of the cast (check out her Facebook page )… I just couldn’t help but cast myself as Jenn Reynolds. Identity theft charges, here I come.

(From MaraG: PSST! Also… Don’t leave before you check out the book trailer at the end of the this review! )

Author Description:

The Reviewing Romance Breakdown
Story Line
I was in love, after I got used to the jumps in time. At first I was a little slow to catch on and realized I needed to pay attention to the time stamps. But once I got the hang of it, I really enjoyed that the story wasn't being told in chronological time. As far as the material goes, I was a little scared that maybe it was redundant. I mean, who hasn't read/seen Nicholas Sparks' Dear John? (Again Mr Tatum... yum!) But, while the concept may be the same, the story line does not disappoint.
Heroine Likability
I loved myself in this book. I was simply beautiful, and smart! *clears throat* Boss Lady, MaraG asks that I retract that last statement, you know, legal sh*t and all. Jenn, Jenn Reynolds... right. I loved her! I felt for her, and cried with her. She really is the strong woman the Shane needs.
Hero Likability
Sgt Shane Tudor. Yum. Who doesn't love a man in uniform? While easy on the eyes, Shane is not easy on the heart. I had a special place for him, tucked way down deep to protect him. I loved everything about him, except that he doesn't tell Jenn the truth. My heart broke for her. I think this may be one of the first books where the hero comes second to the heroine for me. Though I still love him, I just really wanted his honesty too!
Predictability
Again, I thought I had this one all plotted out in my head, following other stories of soldier home on leave. But I wound up pleasantly surprised on where this took me. There was quite a bit of back story that I wasn't expecting. And a few twists and turns to keep me on my feet.
Sex Scenes
There wasn't too many. But I think I was okay with that. There was plenty of romance, and I am glad that they didn't just jump into the sack right away. When it happens, it was worth the wait.
Writing Style
I am a newer fan to the authors writing. And I really enjoy it. I love the little things that stick out, like the phonetic alphabet and the military jargon 'I got your six.' I think I'll be incorporating these things into my everyday life now!
The Roller Coaster
I think this book was a good mix of ups and downs. The downs are resolved pretty quickly, and the ups seem to last long enough that the book as an over all positive feeling. The title may set you up for some heartbreak, but it really does deliver a good ride all around.
The Happily Ever After
I was so glad to hear this book had it. Ms. Mummert makes it no secret that this ends happily, and no one takes their life. That would of been a hard thing to read. As a PSA, I must say suicide is a very real problem for our Vets... I am so glad that wasn't made light of in any way. The tact that this book comes with, tells me that as I expected, Teresa is indeed a military wife. I didn't know this at first, and send her an E-High Five! Big ups to our men and women serving our country.

Overall
We Give it...

Available At: Amazon  – Goodreads - Barnes & Noble

Title: Suicide Note

Author: Teresa Mummert

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: March 11, 2013

Book Trailer:

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AS ALWAYS Each review is solely my personal opinion. I strive to be honest and professional in each review but also like to have fun. Take my critique with a grain of salt. Any information about individual authors is found on the author’s official website, which is listed with each biography. All reviews and written content on this website are copyrighted to their respective owners, as well as all book covers and art are copyrighted to their respective publishing companies and/or authors. If you are the owner of a an image on this website and wish for it to be removed, please contact me and it will be removed within 24 hours of the request.

ARE YOU THE AUTHOR?

Unfortunately, I had a really hard time with this one. I wanted to put it down by the third chapter, and I found myself skimming just to get through it. If our blog had a Razzie award I would feel obligated to nominate this book. I thought it was going to be like the Nicholas Sparks “Safe Haven,” where the woman is trying to run away from an ex but he finds her and all hell breaks loose. I was excited; the plot had promise. As it turns out, Baggage, by Katie Thompson can be summed up into one word… disappointment. Now before you continue reading I want you to know that I am in the minority on my thoughts of this book. There were only a few reviews to be found, but most averaged a 4 star rating. So, before we get to the RR breakdown, I have summed up my major issues with the book:

 1.) The worst part of this story is the writing. Talented writers do this wonderful thing where they “show” you what is going on through descriptions, actions, dialogue, etc. Thompson simply tells you everything. He was feeling this, she realized that, then this happened and she was fed up. Almost like you would tell a story to a friend “Oh man, she was pissed but she got over it pretty quickly” sort-of thing.

 2.) The point of view changes are ridiculous. Small, random characters get a point of view one time in the story. I hate it when authors do this. BE CONSISTENT WITH YOU WHO ARE GIVING A POINT OF VIEW TO. Even the cat gets a point of view. Seriously? That is okay though, the cat was probably my favorite character.

3.) Nothing added up. The ages changed constantly. First Daniel’s daughter was 9 years younger than Jess, and then 5. Then Daniel is 5 years older than Jess. Jess is 31. So Daniel is 36, with a 26 or 22 year old daughter. Also, Daniel is described as being comfortable and getting by. He is in no way rich or well off, but can afford to fly to New York all the time to see his daughter. Just does not add up.

Author Description:

The Reviewing Romance Breakdown
Story Line
It had potential. In fact it was the only thing that the book had going for it. It fell short because nothing happened. Okay, let me rephrase this; stuff happened. She changed boyfriends a couple times, reunited with her estranged father and even met up with her delinquent ex-boyfriend. She debates for a few pages over who she wants to be with, decides, and the book is over. I really wanted the ex-boyfriend coming back into the picture to cause more drama since I felt that is what the book was alluding to. I was very disappointed that Thompson didn’t do more with that.
Heroine Likability
Immature and childish is the best way to describe Jess Cooper. I felt like I was in the mind of an adolescent. I found her to be annoying and petty, and I simply was not able to connect with her. I did not enjoy her or her point of view.
Hero Likability
I can sum up this character in one word. Douche. Daniel is a douche; plain and simple. He is a douche to Jess when he first meets her, when he basically sets her up with another man and has an immature b****-fit about it, when he keeps his daughter a secret from her, when he disappears for weeks at a time and doesn't call her, oh, and when he sleeps with one of his daughter’s friends. I could not bring myself to like this character, he just had too many flaws I found unbecoming.
True-to-Life
This is actually where I can give the story most of its credibility. I feel as though it was very true to life because it is literally about a single mother struggling to get by and how awful dating can be. However, many scenes were forced, and a few scenes where Jess and Daniel just happen to run into each other were too coincidental.
Sex Scenes
Thompson alludes to sex. Quite honestly I am still confused if Jess slept with her first boyfriend or not. The closest thing we get to a scene is the morning after, when Thompson tells you Daniel and Jess have great sex all night at the same time Daniel’s daughter does. I just want to point out, that I do not need all the details of a sex scene. I know some authors prefer to allude to it and as long as that intimacy is there it works. I could not feel the intimacy between the characters.
Writing Style
This is the part where I struggled the most. It was poorly executed. The point of view changes were unnecessary and confusing. Certain events simply did not add up. I felt as though I was being told what is going on at every moment, and the dialogue was seriously lacking. Thompson simply comes out and tells us exactly how a character was feeling or thinking and I found myself skimming through paragraphs at a time.
Predictability
This is difficult for me to rate simply because nothing really happens. It comes down to Jess having to choose between boyfriends (which she has twice already at different points in this story). There was no real build up or exciting climatic moment in which the reader could have predicted what would happen. However, based on her previous choices you can pretty much guess how the story is going to end right up to the HEA.
The Happily Ever After
In the epilogue you receive a very typical HEA. I just wish the story would have ended sooner because it was a little drawn out.

Overall
We Give it...

Available At: Amazon  – Goodreads

Title: Baggage

Author: Katie L. Thompson

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Self-Pub

Release Date: September 23, 2012

This book was provided to ReviewingRomance.com as an ARC copy via author and/or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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AS ALWAYS Each review is solely my personal opinion. I strive to be honest and professional in each review but also like to have fun. Take my critique with a grain of salt. Any information about individual authors is found on the author’s official website, which is listed with each biography. All reviews and written content on this website are copyrighted to their respective owners, as well as all book covers and art are copyrighted to their respective publishing companies and/or authors. If you are the owner of a an image on this website and wish for it to be removed, please contact me and it will be removed within 24 hours of the request.

ARE YOU THE AUTHOR?

During my reading binge this past weekend, I had the pleasure of reading Amelia Gormley’s third installment of her Impulse series, Velocity I missed these boys so much! Gavin and Derrick are by far some of my favorites! Will they finally get their happily ever after? See what our Breakdown gives it, and check out the whole series! (Lucky you… if you’re a first time reader, you don’t have to wait like some of us did!)

Author Description:

The Reviewing Romance Breakdown
Story Line
Ms Gormley knows how to plot out a book. There is an equal amount of pain and love. There are some raw moments that leave you blushing, and never a dull moment. This book fits very well into the series. You'll have a hard time putting it down.
Hero Likability
This book has two heroes. And there really is something for everyone. They are almost polar opposites. Gavin is the business man, dresses in suits, smaller in build. While Derrick is our manly man, working with his hands, and built to prove it. The emotional differences are there too. Gavin seems to enjoy taking on the dominant role. Will Derrick finally have his way with Gavin?
The Roller Coaster
The roller coaster of emotions, not just throughout this book, but the whole series is amazing. It's easy to follow and there isn't an overwhelming amount of stuff happening at once. It seems to be the perfect mixture of ups and downs. I love how after what would seem like a pretty big blow to the relationship, the guys can always can together for some mind blowing sex and work off some frustration.
True-to-Life
The beauty of this book, is that it is true to life no matter what your sexual orientation. The issues that Gavin and Derrick face are not theirs alone. I can see these issues happening in a lot of reader's relationships. How do you move on from an ex? How do you bring to homes together to make them one? How do you deal with a possible life altering illness? These boys seems to get it right after a few mistakes. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!
Sex Scenes
Amelia Gormley proves to be more than able to get your heart racing with a good sex scene. And not just based on the description of sex, but the intensity between the two! At one point I felt like I felt when Christian Grey (of Fifty Shades) finally submits to Ana Steele. Completely different scenario, and story line, but the intensity...you know this moment is big. Relationship altering for the couple.
Writing Style
Ms Gormley is a damn good writer. I don't think I have any complaints on how she puts together a story. I don't feel like I'm dumbed down to have to read, but I'm not busting out the dictionary either. She can portray feelings like no other. I just can't get over the intensity of this book! She definitely brought it, with the boys to 'reaching optimum speed here'!
Predictability
For the most part, it wasn't too predictable. I was right on how on of the major issues fans out, but I didn't feel like I was cheated. The whole time it really could go either way, so until it actually happens, you are second guessing what you think will happen. I really didn't see Lukas coming back into the picture the way he did. It was definitely not something I expected. If you read this and don't want to wring this guys neck then your heart must not be beating!
The Happily Ever After-ness
I don't want to give too much away here. You just need to read it! Go on now...

Overall
We Give it...

Available At: Amazon  – Goodreads – Barnes & Noble – Kobo - Smashwords

Title: Impulse, Book Three: Velocity

Author: Amelia Gormley

Genre: Gay/Lesbian Romance

Publisher: Self-Pub

Release Date: February 27, 2013

Read the other books!

Impulse, Book One: Inertia – Review - Buy on Amazon

Impulse, Book Two: Acceleration - Review - Buy on Amazon

This book was provided to ReviewingRomance.com as an ARC copy via author and/or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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AS ALWAYS Each review is solely my personal opinion. I strive to be honest and professional in each review but also like to have fun. Take my critique with a grain of salt. Any information about individual authors is found on the author’s official website, which is listed with each biography. All reviews and written content on this website are copyrighted to their respective owners, as well as all book covers and art are copyrighted to their respective publishing companies and/or authors. If you are the owner of a an image on this website and wish for it to be removed, please contact me and it will be removed within 24 hours of the request.

ARE YOU THE AUTHOR?

MaraG here! I got an email that I thought was is a good topic for me to actually write a post about. It reads:

The short answer to this question is:  Credibility.

The longer answer is:

(Disclaimer before I start!!! This blog is in  no way directed at any blogger that can be seen as competition of ReviewingRomance.com. Just thought I’d put that out there before anyone feels like they are singled out! We love all our fellow bloggers very much! xoxo)

You know that Bret Michael’s song, ”every rose has it’s thorn?”, well think of the romance book genre as a whole rose. the 4-5 star reviews are the beautiful pedals that give the rose it’s appeal. The 3 star reviews are the leaves that give a give a great contrast to the color of the rose petals an the 1-2 star reviews are the thorns. You can consider this two way, 1.) the rose as a whole, the bush, is beautiful in it natural state, with the good and bad or 2.) you can trim the bush, pluck off the thorns and put them in a pretty vase for display. Either is an acceptable form of display, but in my opinion, I prefer the natural, unaltered look.

Basically, what I am trying to say is that I personally believe that in order to maintain my credibility, I have to give 1 and 2-star reviews. I follow so many book bloggers and the ones that I hold in the highest regard are the ones with the most 1-stars, 2 stars and DNF’s. If I gave every single book I read 4 or 5 stars, some would probably star to wonder if I’m just kissing ass. Whose ass you ask? The authors, the publishers, etc. 

Here is the truth about blogging, specifically book blogging. You earn money through advertising. This comes in a couple forms.

1.)Affiliate sales. For book blogging, its via Amazon Associates where us, the book bloggers, can get links to books, post the links on our page and when someone clicks on that link and purchases that books, we get a % off the sales. For amazon its somewhere between 5% and 7.5%.  Right now, I generally range in the 6% area. so let’s say you purchase The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen, which today (February 21st, 2013) lists for $0.99 via the links on my site. I earn $0.05. 5 cents. Not a lot, but over the course of a month, the sales add up. I’m still a fairly small blog, so over time, I hope to earn more, right now, the money I earn in sales basically goes back in to my “allowance” to purchase books that I have not received ARC and for other blog related stuff.

2.)Advertising. Look at the sidebar on most blogs- not mine as I don’t offer advertising right now, but you will see “Our Sponsors”, “Advertisement”, etc. Someone, Author, Blogger, Publisher, etc has paid the blog owner to put their book cover, or advertisement on this page. The price on these vary blogger-to-blogger and the type of advertising varies as well.

(There is a couple other, but they aren’t as important as these two)

So where does that ass kissing come in? Well if receive a book from an author or publisher, you feel a certain pressure to not be overly bitchy on those, if you are a blogger you WANT these potential advertisers to love you. You want them to see your site and come back and buy advertising from it, thus paying some of the blogging bills. In RR.com’s opinion, we don’t feel like we are being credible if we only read books we love. Sometimes we have to “fall on those grenades” (as they say on Jersey Shore) and take one for the team (meaning readers) so we keep in check what we do love and hate about the books we read. We also make sure to not just read the books that are “new”, “hot” and “popular” so that we give exposure to someone who probably really deserves it! When it comes to the internet now, you either know how to work it, or don’t, and if you do, it pays of immensely, but not everyone is so gifted at it or understands the importance that social media has on the world. They either don’t do it, or don’t really learn how to do it effectively and they might not get the exposure they are looking for. That is why we accept review request on RR.com. Sure, we can probably miss a few gems when we pick and chose form the list that comes in, but consider that we get anywhere from 25-30 Requests for review PER MONTH. We just can’t review them all. So we pick and choose who and what we read and hope we picked a good one!

So yes, I might come off insanely bitchy on books with 1 and 2 star ratings, but also look at WHO the books are by. They just aren’t self-pubs with a bad story line, character development or bad editing. I’ve torn apart several books that are published by large publishing houses. The 1 and 2 star extends to all books on RR.com . Am I concerned with how the author feels? Sort of. There isn’t usually a part of me that likes tearing a book down. It’s not fun…. okay, sometimes it is fun if I really HATED the book. When i have a book that dips in the 1 and 2 stars, I make a point to try and provide alternate reviews by other bloggers that differ in an opinion of my own. I do it because I know my word is not god and that it is totally possible for one blogger to adore a book that I hate. Who review is wrong? Neither. This is all based on opinion, but I want to show that regardless of my opinion, that I support the author regardless. The bitchiness? That is my way of making a bad review fun. Reading bad reviews are boring enough, I am just attempting to keep you interested a little. I’m sure there is people out there that feel that my reviews are unprofessional, and I am totally cool with that. Book blogging for me is a release more than it is a job. Would I love for it to be my only job rather than working full-time right now? ABSOLUTELY. I cannot wait until the day I can get to that point. Right now, I’m just having fun and I want you all to have fun too.

If I lose you as a reader because I’ve offended you with my review, I apologize, but it’s important to me that I be myself.

If you are an author and I’ve offended you with less than glowing review of your book, I always issue you a challenge to submit another book and show me that you are more than that one book I reviewed from you before.

So random reader, I hope this answers your question. If not, feel free to email me again and ask me to ramble on a bit longer.  I think I’ve done enough for now. It’s time I tend to my roses.

–xoxo

P.S. Please do not hate me if that song is stuck in your head, like it is mine, for the rest of the day.

Eden Connor certainly doesn’t waste any time getting right into the nitty gritty in Soft Sounds of Pleasure. As far as cougar tales go this one is pretty steamy. Our hero has quite a crush on the older heroine and has from the first moment he saw her at least 10 years ago. So when he walks up on her sunbathing on her private deck he is elated to accept her invitation to knock boots. Yatzee!! I was entertained from the very beginning. Some of the love scenes were a little cheesy… “Yea baby suck me” and “I wanna f*** your boobs” literally made me laugh out loud. I would classify this read as entertaining and fun. The setbacks? Everything just played out a little too perfectly. There was quite a bit of coincidence and nothing really exceptional happened. While I did enjoy this read it definitely doesn’t make my list of favorites. One that did? On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves. The story totally blew me away; I absolutely loved it. Soft Sounds of Pleasure doesn’t quite measure up. The bottom line? So much better than those cheesy Harem Romance novels, but not something I would pick up and read again.

Author Description:

The Reviewing Romance Breakdown
Story Line
I enjoyed it. I thought the foundation was solid and the author was right on with the flow of things. The cougar element isn’t exactly new, but the personal tragedies the hero and heroine suffer give the story a bit of a new shake since age isn’t the only issue.
Heroine Likability
Lila Walker is a little too perfect. She was the perfect wife, good mother, rocking body, knows everything there is to know about baseball, blah blah blah. The woman didn’t really have any faults. Oops my bad, she is a terrible driver… problem solved (not!). I am not saying I didn’t like her because for the most part I did, I just found her perfection a little annoying.
Hero Likability
Colton De Marco is a sexy mechanic who is sensitive in all the right ways, patient, agrees to take care of his nephew after his sister’s tragic death, raised by an abusive drunk, oh and not to mention hung like sea biscuit and fantastic in bed. But hey, after everything Lila has been through she definitely deserves it. Also a little too perfect, but less annoying than our heroine.
True-to-Life
There was quite a bit of coincidence in the story. Since Lila and Colton were a little too perfect it didn’t feel as real to me. It didn’t feel forced or anything, but the way things played out just seemed a little too smooth.
Sex Scenes
Plenty of good scenes, spontaneous, and for the most part down right hot. The pillow talk is a tad cheesy at times, but overall they have a steamy physical relationship
Writing Style
The writing style was good, flowed nicely. My only complaint is the multiple point of views. I feel like she should have limited the point of view to just Lila and Colton. I understand how sometimes giving minor characters a point of view could give some good characterization or plot clues but in this case I don’t think it made a difference. We could have got the idea through dialogue just to give an example. Anyways the inconsistency of it bugged me. I would have preferred the straight transitions back and forth between Lila and Colton.
Predictability
It was a pretty predictable story line. Typical in the sense that both hero and heroine have some rough stuff happen to them, so we already know it will end HEA. It’s like we already know it is going to happen we are just waiting for the hero and heroine to come aboard. Nothing really surprised me.
The Happily Ever After-ness
Absolutely a HEA. It was a tad corny that she received her closure in a dream; I liked that they were able to work through their fears and insecurities together. However, I do have to admit that this was one of those happy endings where I literally rolled my eyes.

Overall
We Give it...

Available At: Amazon  – Goodreads – Barnes & Noble – Kobo

Title: Soft Sounds of Pleasure

Author: Eden Connor

Genre: Contemporary, Erotica

Publisher: Silver Publishing

Release Date: June 8, 2012

This book was provided to ReviewingRomance.com as an ARC copy via author and/or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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AS ALWAYS Each review is solely my personal opinion. I strive to be honest and professional in each review but also like to have fun. Take my critique with a grain of salt. Any information about individual authors is found on the author’s official website, which is listed with each biography. All reviews and written content on this website are copyrighted to their respective owners, as well as all book covers and art are copyrighted to their respective publishing companies and/or authors. If you are the owner of a an image on this website and wish for it to be removed, please contact me and it will be removed within 24 hours of the request.

ARE YOU THE AUTHOR?

Alright, I literally just finished reading Escorted by Claire Kent and I had to write a review immediately so I didn’t forget a lot of the points that I really wanted to make about it. There has been few books that I LOVED in the beginning but really hated at the end. Most of the time I either love a book, or hate it in it’s entirety. This is a book where I absolutely loved it up until the point where both characters actually acknowledge their feelings for each other. After that, It flat- lined completely. I did my research on this, I’ve read several reviews of others on this and it doesn’t seem I’m completely in the minority, but the people who agree with me on this is the smaller percentage. Which is fine. Some people prefer the hearts and flowers that comes with relationships developing in novels like these, I don’t necessarily not prefer them, but in this case, I didn’t care for the way this one was done.

Author Description:

The Reviewing Romance Breakdown
Story Line
I loved it for the most part. I do wish however that it ended sooner (and that is RARE for me to say) I could have really done without the relationship part. It just felt flat. I understand why it was there. The contrast between the business relationship and actual relationship is amazingly written... almost too good. It almost as if it lifts you to heavens and then drops you without a parachute and then after you hit the ground you lay there aching... and not in the good way. I really wanted more fireworks when it all came out... some of which that came at the end. I would have loved to see that happen two chapters earlier. I just felt like the continuation after that point was trying to make it tragic and drawn out but just came off a bit more boring. I have a love/hate relationship with the fact that most of the book is around their transactions. One after another completely and that there isn't much more in the beginning. Part of me would have really liked to see more, but at the same time it gives a good contrast later to the amount of time Ander and Lori spend together and what they are doing when they are together.
Heroine Likability
I really like Lori. I liked that she wasn't a sex goddess and had body image issues. I like that she was insecure with herself. she was very relate-able as a character. I also kind of liked that her appearances were so loosely described. She had long brown hair, that is about all I really remember, but Kent doesn't spend a lot of time on her which has really been getting annoying to me lately.
Hero Likability
Up until about 75%(approximately), Ander and his sex-god appeal was rivaling the likes of any of the men from the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Christian Grey, and many others. About the time that he actually gets a conscious, or shows one, about what he is doing for a living and tells Lori how he feels, I totally felt my yearning for him deflate. From the introduction he is all sex. All amazing. You can clearly start telling the point when things change for him, and had this story not really ended the way it did, I would DEMAND an Ander POV story. I probably would have preferred it over Lori's POV. I really like male POV's but if I read it now, having finished it, I would be afraid to watch him just soften... physically and emotionally. I was surprised that I was so drawn to him given that he's bald. Not hatin' on the bald guys, but I generally am turned off by the idea of bald, or long hair. Just don't do much for me, but Ander, oh Ander, up until 75% you had me wrapped around your little finger.
True-to-Life
ummmmm.... I'm back and forth on this. It's one of those, 'in a perfect world' scenarios. I mean, seriously, what is the chance that you are a virgin at 26 years old and it just so happens that the gigolo that you hired to take your V-card is the love of your life? At the same time, I think the way it's played out is pretty true in if it did happen it would run this way, until feelings come out. Then it just feels like a 'let's draw this out for sake of book length'.
Sex Scenes
Oh boy, I could not WAIT to get to this one. Up until around 75%, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. Amazing. They are written so well. You can feel the business transaction, the cool, standoffish feeling that they both give. It's nothing but sex, and it so subtly transforms to more, even if it's still sex for money, you start picking up on little hints. You know the very moment that something has changed and it's amazing. My complaints are the constant uses of the words 'channel'.... I really hate that word when describing a sex organ, and more than hating it's use, I hate when its OVER AND OVER AND OVER again. Change it up. Kent has no problems referring to Ander's 'c*ck', I don't know why using a more vulgar word for Lori's 'channel'. I also don't like how she is constantly announcing she is coming. The guy is a professional, he knows when you are coming. Whatever the fascination is with him practically chewing on her nipples through her shirt. Once it would have been okay... however many times it is done in this book is too many. I lost track. THEN it happens, they acknowledge their feelings, in some sense, and this extremely ridiculous hot sex becomes.... normal. I mean I get it, the contrast between the business transaction time and relationship is really well done, but for me it really ended with book feeling like it needed life support. Listen, I read these books because I love the romance and generally its a great escape from the realities of what married life is... not that it's all bad, but it's not all hearts and flowers and hot sex all the time, so to be left where all the sex is just... normal... it's not appealing. Watching Ander's sexy love scene that are pages long be reduced to a few paragraphs and to uncoordinated jerks and twitches bummed me the heck out. Why can't he still be a sex-god when he's making love? And my last and final complaint is that there is a lot of mentions of Ander saying something when he orgasms and Lori never really understanding what it because she is too blissed out and it turns out to be 'Love you, love you, love you, love you, love you.', I'm really fucking sure that short of being deaf, if you are having sex with a man, gigolo or not, if he said that, you'd freaking notice. Just sayin'. This one is very hard to rate. Since the sex after is so rare, I'll keep it on the high end just because what was there before was so decent.
Writing Style
It's not bad. There is a lot of repeating of word, some awkward formed sentences, but in the most part, it's formed decently well. Like mentioned before, the subtle changes and the transition in the relationship is really well done.
Predictability
This was big downfall, It was pretty predictable until the part where they acknowledged the relationship and then I didn't know what the hell was going on. I expected what happen, but not how it was formed.
The Happily Ever After
I' wish it would have ended the same way, just different. I know that makes no sense at all. If I could have it my way, a form of the last half of the last chapter would have happened much sooner.

Overall
We Give it...

Available At: Amazon  – Goodreads

Title: Escorted

Author: Claire Kent

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: December 15, 2012

This book was purchased by ReviewingRomance.com

——————————————————————————————————————————-

AS ALWAYS Each review is solely my personal opinion. I strive to be honest and professional in each review but also like to have fun. Take my critique with a grain of salt. Any information about individual authors is found on the author’s official website, which is listed with each biography. All reviews and written content on this website are copyrighted to their respective owners, as well as all book covers and art are copyrighted to their respective publishing companies and/or authors. If you are the owner of a an image on this website and wish for it to be removed, please contact me and it will be removed within 24 hours of the request.

ARE YOU THE AUTHOR?