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Harlequin Presents Extra #210: The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar

Readers Edyn, December 6, 2012

For full review including excerpt and dialogue highlight, please visit Reader's Edyn at:
http://bit.ly/122Qb4o

Review:

This was my first Susanna Carr book and I can honestly say that I enjoyed it. I have a bit of a soft spot for sheik stories anyway. They seem to always have the coolest things and everything at their disposal. Makes them very hard to resist and when waging a battle of love and war, how can they not come out the victor? So obviously this is a story involving a sheik, but it has a little more to it than that.

Nadir needs a wife, fast. He was married once before, but rejected his “wife” before the ceremony festivities ended. His youth and anger caused him to handle the situation in a bad way, saddling him with the nickname The Beast. But time has passed and he still needs to marry. Negotiations are bad with this tribe so he agrees to marry a woman of their choosing in the hopes of strengthening ties. But the tribe has another plan and sends him a bride that is less than suitable … especially for a sheik.

Zoe is an outcast. Raised by her parents in Texas, one American, the other from Jazaar, she is returned to the tribe following their deaths with nowhere else to go. Her American ways are unacceptable and she is constantly abused, humiliated, and punished in an effort to purge the American out of her. Years of broken promises and beatings have caused her to mistrust men. Her only chance of escape back to the states is to marry a man and sneak away from him as fast as she can, so she agrees to the marriage with Nadir. But she has another secret to hold on to ��" at least until there is no chance Nadir can throw her back to the wolves.

Short of explaining the whole book, I had better stop there. I enjoyed that these two were kind of outcasts in their own way. Zoe being raised American with independent tendencies and ideals. Nadir with his Westernized ways of thinking and plans to bring Jazaar into the new world. Although the two think they couldn’t be more ill-suited for one another, they end up complimenting each other in many ways and soon love blossoms. But the two still have a long way to go. Zoe, with her mistrust of men, struggles to let go of her plans to escape to America and constantly second guesses Nadir’s intentions. And Nadir is not perfect either. He believes himself to be modernized in his way of thinking, but really is stuck in the ways of his ancestors with a lot of issues still. And he thinks he knows exactly whom Zoe is running away too as well. Both have several misconceptions about the other and only blatant honesty will allow their love a chance.

I enjoyed my time spent with these characters because they each had a lot of growing to do. Nadir, with his ideal of self, has to come to grips that he is not quite as modernized as he had thought and it takes Zoe for him to realize it. And Zoe who believes that her chance at what her life should have been was ripped away with her parents’ death. She has to find a way to open up to Nadir to see that her dreams can still come true and Texas doesn’t necessarily have to be a part of the equation for that to happen. The key to the character growth was that even though they both made a lot of changes, they both remained true to self, who they were, and what they stood for. That is a huge deal for me when reading. I have read some pretty hard core sex scenes lately, so this one to me was tame, but still descriptive enough to be sexy and tasteful. For those of you who enjoy romance with a bit of spice and characters who realize that happiness isn’t always found where you thought it would be, you are sure to enjoy this read. At less than 200 pages you will fly through it and enjoy the time you spent reading it. I can honestly say that I will be reading Susanna Carr again.

(print copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.)

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Taking a Shot (Play-By-Play Novels) by Jaci Burton

Readers Edyn, November 29, 2012

" ... The characters are real and believable. Their success and failure is completely relatable. Sure, it it is a bit of a fairytale with all of these hot jocks, but have you looked at the cover? Wait til you read the scorching hot intimate scenes. Orgasmic as a rating is an understatement! I loved that Jenna and Ty had to work for their happiness. Each had their own misconceptions to overcome and they had to do it in their own time and their own way. They maintained a level of independence with just the right mixture of dependency and complimented each other perfectly. For those of you who like the familial component, this book fills that need with recurring characters. ..."

Review completed for Just Erotic Romance Reviews (JERR) - Please visit their site for the full review. eBook provided by JERR in exchange for an honest review.
http://bit.ly/Tu8A4W

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Under His Skin by Sidney Bristol

Readers Edyn, October 28, 2012

For full review including excerpt and dialogue highlight, please visit Reader's Edyn at:
http://bit.ly/Slj1u8

Review:

This is my first book by Sidney Bristol. I decided to read UNDER HIS SKIN for a couple of reasons; first and foremost being that I have read some very good books from Ellora’s Cave lately. When I had the chance to feature this book on the blog, I jumped on the chance. I also wanted to read this book because it explored some unfamiliar territory for me. I don’t know a lot about tattoos having none myself, but I was intrigued by the idea of having a series/book centered within the tattoo world. I also liked that both of these characters had a lot of crap to rise up from before they found each other. Those factors considered, I decided to read and review this book.

Pandora has had a less than desirable past at best. She was deserted by her father at a young age and raised by her mother for several years until cancer claimed her life. She ends up the unwanted child of her father and never quite fits in with him or his new wife and new life. She bails at 18 and ends up eventually hooking up with her emotionally unbalanced and abusive ex, Robert. She tries to make a break from Robert only to be forced back into the relationship until one fateful night when she is rescued by her new “family”. She finds peace within her So Inked family and settles into a better life than she had before.

Brian has been there, done that. As a former rock star, there is not much he hasn’t been exposed to at one time or another. Life was good on the road to success until a plane crash takes the lives of the band members; all except Brian. Trying to cope from survivor’s guilt and some ass-kicking physical therapy, Brian decides to pay homage to his former band members by permanently inking them on his body. He finds Pandora after searching through several artists that can do the job.

Pandora instantly recognizes Brian when he comes to her for his tattoo and is mortified, but tries to play it cool and behave professionally. Several questions later, Brian has figured out who Pandora is. Ironically, as big as the crush was that Pandora had on Brian, he too did not go unaffected by the young girl from a few years back. Little does she know just how much of an impression she made on him. But a bad situation and feelings of guilt may make it impossible for them to move past the artist/client relationship. Several issues arise that interfere with a possible future for the two. Highest on the list being Pandora’s belief that Brian can do so much better than her. Of course Brian has baggage from the crash, and Pandora also has a crazy asshat of an ex who is lurking in the shadows.

What I liked most about this book was that each chapter began with a definition of tattoo terms such as stencil and flash. I mean I didn’t have a clue what any of this lingo meant, but the descriptions allowed me to continue reading without interference from my lack of knowledge in this area. It was beyond apparent that Ms. Bristol knows her tattoos, the processes, and just about everything else someone would need to know. I appreciated that she included so much information about tattooing without presenting it in a confusing way. I came away feeling somewhat educated. I also enjoyed that Pandora and Brian remained consistent in character throughout the story. I felt like they knew who they were, they knew their faults, and they made no bones about it except to try and make a go of a difficult situation.

Unfortunately, I had a few things that I didn’t like. There were a few sections of the book that mimicked things that had been stated prior. For example, two or three times we read about how jealous Pandora is that someone else had tattooed Brian before she did. I felt like I was re-reading parts that had already been covered. I also disliked that the whole story ended so abruptly. I was reading and then it was over. I had no clue that the story was about to cut out on me. I feel like there was so much left unfinished. Robert, Carly, Ike’s mother ~ just to name a few things that I felt left me hanging. The only thing I can think of is that the following books may cover some of these topics because this is the first in series. But that may be a bit of an unfortunate circumstance if that is the way things are handled because the couple featured in the next book would lose some of their time. I am not saying what will or will not happen in the next book because I have absolutely no clue. I just don’t like finishing a book and being left with a million questions. I also really disliked Robert. As a psycho, he works. But I felt like he could have been mentioned as part of Pandora’s past and reason for many of her insecurities without actually being a part of her current life. His actions toward the end of the book were unexpected and I felt like Carly was thrown under the bus as a secondary character. I just didn’t like how things played out.

This book is not going to make it as a favorite read for me. And although I really enjoyed the educational aspects of tattooing that was added to the book, it wasn’t enough for me to be able to really like the book and overlook the flaws that interfered with my enjoyment. The story is a good attempt and can likely be enjoyable for many people as a quick read to pass the time. Of that I have no doubt. And in fact I have seen several positive comments about this story. But for readers like me who hate to be left with questions at the end and who want to see more of an HEA (especially when reading a novella), you might want to think twice about this particular story.

(eBook copy provided by author/tour company in exchange for an honest review.)

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Sweet Addiction by Maya Banks

Readers Edyn, October 6, 2012

" ... I have to admit, skeptical at first, I found myself immersed in this lifestyle where the normal rules of conduct do not apply. While I wonder what the ramifications of such a relationship would be when given flight in real life, I found the story and characters both viable and enjoyable. One aspect I really appreciated was that the book was broken into three sections: Lucas, Cole, and Ren. Each section shifted the focus ever so slightly while giving just enough of a push to allow alternate viewpoints. ..."

Review completed for Just Erotic Romance Reviews (JERR) - Please visit their site for the full review. eBook provided by JERR in exchange for an honest review.
http://bit.ly/OK4Cbi

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Tristan's Temptation by Sabrina York

Readers Edyn, October 6, 2012

For full review including excerpt and dialogue highlight, please visit Reader's Edyn at:
http://bit.ly/UKA31X

Review:

True to form, Ms. York has once again knocked it out of the park with this fabulous follow up to ADAM’S OBSESSION. For those of you who don’t know, Adam is Tristan’s brother. They run a successful company with a friend and have a few ��" never-to-be-broken rules; one of which involves never ever fishing in the company pond (if you get my drift). Well, Adam goes and breaks that rule when he falls head-over-heels for a co-worker. They go on to hide the relationship and eventually come to an impasse. End the relationship, continue the relationship with his girlfriend working for another company, or suck it up and tell everyone. It’s an erotic romance, so I am sure you know how it ends up playing out.

TRISTAN’S TEMPTATION is similar and we all had a bit of a notion of what might occur within this book. I say that because readers of ADAM’S OBSESSIONS were dropped subtle hints here and there regarding Tristan’s feelings toward a co-worker, Shannon, actually his secretary. We were led to believe that perhaps a bit of Tristan’s animosity toward Adam and Kat’s relationship stemmed from his own longing for Shannon and no way to act on it. At least, that is what I picked up on in Book 1. *wink*

So time has passed just a bit and Adam and Kat are planning their wedding. The company has developed this virtual program that lets the user “role play” his or her fantasies. Well, any scenario really, but hey, fantasies are better use for this program, yes? So Tristan ends up taking Shannon her laptop after she calls off work and inadvertently gives her his. The two go on to hack into each other’s systems and see that each has created fantasies about the other. Turns out both have fantasized about the other for quite some time. Okay, since the day they met, but neither knows this. All they know is that they have a deep desire for one another and no way to act on it with this dang rule in place. Well, Shannon is done wanting and denying herself so she acts. And holy hotness … does she ever act.

The problems come in several forms. Tristan maintains that they can never allow this to happen again each of the first few times they hook up. Then Tristan can’t allow himself to come clean when his feeling morph into something more because he is afraid of what Adam will say. And Shannon can only take so much of keeping her relationship secret because his refusal to come clean smacks of rejection. Anyway, much transpires and eventually he finds himself in basically the same predicament as Adam had. Forced to make a decision or risk losing Shannon, he acts. But it may be too little too late and he soon discovers that he has much more to lose that he bargained for.

Okay, so I usually don’t explain that much, but I really enjoyed this story. I liked that it was reminiscent of Book 1, but still a story all its own. I enjoyed the interaction between Tristan and Shannon and liked seeing how their desire for each other is slowly revealed. The scene where Tristan makes Shannon come clean with how long she has wanted him is beyond hot. *fans self in memory* And of course there is plenty of other smoking scenes that darn near melted my Kindle.

My only complaint was that one aspect of the story was completely predictable. As soon as the slightest hint was mentioned, I knew exactly where the author was headed with it. That said, I enjoyed how it played out just the same.

And Ms. York went one step beyond in writing the sweetest epilogue ever. I absolutely loved how she tied it up. A lot of times after I read a novella I feel like there was so much more to be said after that last line. I stare at the last line like “WHAT?” But there has to be more … and there never is. Hazards of loving short stories I suppose. Thank you Ms. York for allowing me closure with that fabulous epilogue that only enhanced. So, enough blabbering! Read this story! Hell, read both stories! You are sure to enjoy them and you can read them both in one day. I mean is there any better way to spend a day? I think not! But be careful ~ I may have tempted you, but prepare to become obsessed!

(eBook provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

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